A woman from New Jersey is coming up after a catastrophic health emergency that almost cost her her liver because she took a well-known vitamin that she thought would make her healthier.
Katie Mohan, 57, started taking turmeric in March after seeing a doctor on Instagram claim it was a natural approach to ease joint pain and swelling.
She bought the turmeric capsules online and started taking them every day without thinking twice after reading the good reviews and hearing that they would make her health better.
What started off as a normal health checkup turned into a medical emergency very rapidly.
Mohan began to feel sick and tired after a few weeks, and his stomach pain wouldn’t go away.
She didn’t trust them at first, but when her urine turned dark, which is an indication of liver problems, she knew something was very wrong.
Mohan didn’t think the pills were to blame until she heard about a man who had been in the hospital after taking turmeric supplements and had almost the same symptoms.
She said to NBC News, “My mind suddenly clicked.”
I screamed, “Oh my God!”
I’m not sure if this problem affects me.
She hurried to the ER, where a blood test verified what she thought.
Her liver enzymes were 60 times higher than normal, which is a very serious symptom of liver disease.
Doctors told her that she was “one step” away from needing a new organ and that her liver may fail.
Each of Mohan’s pills has 2,250 mg of curcumin in it. Curcumin is the primary element that gives turmeric its vibrant color.
That’s around eleven times more than what the World Health Organization recommends is safe for a woman of average weight.
Experts suggest that taking a lot of turmeric as a supplement can be dangerous for you, even though eating it is usually safe.
More and more people are using turmeric pills, especially those with arthritis or long-term discomfort.
People often suggest that there are all-natural solutions to treat memory loss, cancer, joint discomfort, and inflammation.
But as more people buy them, some are worried about how safe they are, especially since some internet stores sell high-dose, unregulated items.
Dr. Nikolaos Pyrsopoulos, a liver doctor at NYU, took care of Mohan. He claimed her health was “very serious” and stressed how close she was to having her organs fail completely.
He said, “Katie was only one step away from having her liver completely damaged, failing, and needing a transplant.”
Mohan got better, which was wonderful because the liver can cure itself in some ways.
She was watched over and given IV therapy while she was in the hospital for six days.
Mohan has sworn not to use any supplements since he is still angry about what transpired.
“I’ll never take another supplement again,” she remarked.
“I just didn’t feel good in general.”
I also noticed that my pee was darker, even though I drank a lot of water every day.
It’s not at all unusual for Mohan to be in this state.
About 11 million Americans use turmeric every day, usually to treat arthritis. But this wellness fad might be making a public health problem worse that people aren’t talking about.
A study from 2022 indicated that the number of persons with liver illness who were taking supplements went grown eight times between 1995 and 2020.
Doctors now warn their patients to be very careful when using over-the-counter supplements, especially those obtained online or in large doses.
Some things that seem like harmless, natural remedies can be highly deadly, and these dangers don’t often show up until it’s almost too late.
