Man dies after drinking self-brewed TCM purchased from livestream
A 35-year-old man from Shanghai, China, has died after drinking a cup of self-brewed Chinese herbal soup.
The soup contained Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) he had bought from a livestream to lower his blood sugar level.
On 20 Jan, Mr Xia (name transliterated from Mandarin), suddenly fell into a coma after drinking a cup of self-brewed Chinese herbal soup, reports Shanghai Observer.
When his parents rushed him to a nearby hospital, his heart stopped beating.
Source: Shanghai Television
Emergency medical staff had initially managed to restore his vital signs. However, after eight days of intensive care in the hospital’s intensive care unit, the patient died.
Doctors concluded that the herb found within the TCM bought by Mr Xia was highly poisonous, and his improper consumption led to the tragedy.
Victim has habit of buying herbs online
According to his family, Mr Xia struggled to deal with his high blood sugar for the past six years.
He believed that TCM was the solution that could help lower his blood sugar levels and eventually began a habit of purchasing medicine online, even stockpiling large quantities at times.
Source: Shanghai Television
Before falling into a coma, Mr Xia brewed a cup of Sichuan Jiangyou Aconite Root that he had purchased from a livestreaming shopping channel.
Herb contained highly poisonous substance
Hospital staff later confirmed that the slices found in the drink were actually Aconitum carmichaelii, an extremely toxic Chinese herb.
Source: Shanghai Television
Dr Ye Xuhui (name transliterated from Mandarin), deputy director of the hospital’s intensive care department, said the dosage taken exceeded safe limits.
He added that Mr Xia did not boil the herb long enough. By only steeping it in hot water, he failed to reduce its toxicity.
This led to acute poisoning, triggering severe respiratory failure and cardiac arrest.
Should only be used under guidance of TCM practitioner
According to authorities, the herb must be used under the diagnosis and guidance of a professional TCM practitioner.
Source: Shanghai Television
Even though aconite is used in TCM, it must first undergo complex processing to reduce its toxicity before being used medicinally.
In Mr Xia’s case, the product was labelled as a “primary agricultural product”, allowing it to be sold online despite not being suitable for direct consumption.
Mr Xia’s parents have reported the case to the local police station and reserved the right to hold the online shopping platform and the merchant accountable.
Also read: Woman in China develops snake-like patterns on back after using TCM cream for 10 years
Woman in China develops snake-like patterns on back after using TCM cream for 10 years
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Featured image adapted from Shanghai Television via Shanghai Observer.
