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Critical care
Rhabdomyolysis secondary to a weight-loss prescription
  1. Carolina Tintim Lobato,
  2. Sara Castelo Branco,
  3. João Camões and
  4. Elena Molinos
  1. Emergency and Intensive Care, Hospital Pedro Hispano, Matosinhos, Portugal
  1. Correspondence to Dr Carolina Tintim Lobato; carolinatintim{at}gmail.com

Abstract

We present a case of a case of a man in his 70s on multiple medications (including treatment of ischemic heart disease and diabetes who developed significant rhabdomyolysis, complicated by acute kidney injury (AKI) and encephalopathy, while using a compounded medication for weight loss. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit and progressed favourably after haemodialysis and supportive care. Information regarding the ingestion of weight-loss drugs was unknown at the time of admission and was only discovered after resolution of encephalopathy, raising the possibility of toxin-associated rhabdomyolysis. This case emphasises the need for a thorough clinical history and scrutiny of the safety of weight-loss prescriptions, including preparations that comprise a combination of drugs and supplements that may adversely interact with chronic medications, especially in polymedicated patients.

  • Musculoskeletal and joint disorders
  • Unwanted effects / adverse reactions
  • Acute renal failure
  • Adult intensive care

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2023-258208

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors The following authors were responsible for drafting of the text, investigation results, drawing original tables, and critical revision for important intellectual content: CTL, SCB, JC, EM. The following authors gave final approval of the manuscript: CTL, SCB, JC, EM.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.