The couple was completely paralyzed because they ate the fruit that many people told to cure diabetes

The Poison Control Center – Bach Mai Hospital has just informed that this unit is treating 2 patients with poison ivy, leading to muscle atrophy and paralysis of the whole body.

It is worth warning that this plant is recommended as a medicine to cure diseases, but in fact this is a poisonous plant, which has directly caused death in humans and animals.

Patient Pham Thi X., born in 1966 with her husband, Mr. Truong Cong N., born in 1958, living in Kien Giang, was transferred to Bach Mai Hospital in a state of muscle atrophy, limited movement of both hands, difficulty speaking and paralyzed legs.

Patient X’s husband is being actively treated at the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital

Through taking the medical history, Ms. X shared: Between September and November 2021, Ms. X and her husband had an acquaintance who gave them mung bean seeds to grow and eat.

According to word of mouth, Mrs. X knew that mung bean seeds could cure diabetes. The blood sugar ratio of Mrs. X and her husband is slightly higher than the normal number, but not to the threshold of diabetes. However, she and her husband still eat cassava seeds with the desire to prevent disease.

Ms. X shared, at first, she only ate about 2 seeds a day, then she ate more and ate every day. After eating for about 3 months, Mrs. X saw that she was tired, weak, weak in limbs, and lost 15kg in weight, so she went to a hospital in Kien Giang. (Mrs X’s husband soon had the same problem and also lost 10kg of weight).

Here, the doctor diagnosed her with calcium deficiency, so she prescribed calcium supplements for her. After taking all the prescriptions, but the symptoms did not improve, even worse, Ms. X and her husband went to a large hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for treatment. Here, the doctor diagnosed her and her husband with polyneuritis, and had to have acupuncture and acupressure.

At the end of the course of treatment, the disease did not improve, but got worse, not only weak in limbs but also paralyzed in both legs and had to move in a wheelchair.

The doctors at the hospital sent her and her husband’s blood sample to Singapore for testing and the results showed: The couple suspected heavy metal poisoning. She and her husband were referred to the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital for treatment.

Mrs. X and her husband were transferred to the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital on April 12 in a state of muscle atrophy, limited mobility in both arms, difficulty speaking, and paralysis of both legs. After more than a month of intensive treatment with 8 times of dialysis and plasma exchange, the health of Mrs. X and her husband has gradually improved.

Mr. N was able to hold a bowl of rice, stand up on his own and walk around the bed. Mrs. X made it clear, swallowing normally, lifting a bowl of rice on her own and standing up on her own two feet.

TS.BS. Nguyen Trung Nguyen – Director of the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital shared: When both patients were admitted to the hospital, they suffered from paralysis of the roots and nerves of the whole body, severe muscle atrophy, and the wife began to paralyze the oropharynx, which could potentially affect them. survival function.

The center has carried out many examinations, tests, consultations with many specialties. Investigations and examinations have ruled out other causes of illness, including heavy metal poisoning. Two patients also had muscle biopsies that showed signs of muscle fibrosis, atrophy, and degeneration.

The plant samples brought by two patients were sent for identification by experts, showing that this is a plant, or star fruit, the scientific name is Senna occidentalis (also known as Cassia occidentalis).

The patient was poisoned for a long time, causing muscle atrophy leading to paralysis of all limbs. The Poison Control Center has made every effort to treat with the most optimal solutions. The patient’s health has been partially improved, but in the long run, the risk of sequelae is still present.

Moringa seeds, which are passed down orally as a medicine

With treatment experience in the field of toxicology, Dr.BS. Nguyen advises that all patients should not listen to word of mouth to treat diseases, but should visit a doctor or licensed physician for examination and treatment.

Discussing about the cassava plant leading to the patient’s poisoning, Dr. Nguyen said: the case of Mrs. X and her husband is the first case of Vietnam discovered.

Outside of Vietnam, the world literature has only published a few cases of poisoning in Indian children (most of which have died). Poisoning of this plant occurs a lot in cattle and poultry in many countries.

The toxin in this plant is anthraquinone, a toxin found in the whole plant but concentrated in the seeds, which has been recorded to cause muscle and nerve toxicity, especially muscle necrosis, muscle degeneration, liver damage, brain and death in humans and animals.

Vong Giang Nam is also known as the seed of Muong, the bones of the air, the yang of the bean, the yang of the bean, the head of the jiangnan, the draft of the resolution, the son of the green bean, the wild sea bean, the muoi, the morning glory of the star fruit… is a small tree 0.6-1m high, with a trunk of 0.6-1m. the bottom turns to wood. Whole body smooth, hairless, leaves alternate, even double feathered, leaflets 4-9cm, opposite, oblong ovate, peduncle, leaf blade deviated at petiole, whole leaf 20cm long. Flowers in the interstitial leaves or at the tips of branches, pale yellow, growing in clusters. The fruit is armored, 6-10cm long, 7mm wide, slightly arched, narrow between the seeds making the fruit look like many connecting segments. Flat, ovate seeds 4mm long, 3mm wide, stacked vertically. Smooth hard shell.

N. Huyen