Materia Medica Malaysiana

She’s RM7,000 lighter after taking slimming pills

A 37-year-old hair stylist was told that who took slimming pills for two weeks ended up with severe side-effects that required medical treatment costing RM7,000.

To make matters worse, she did not lose any weight after taking the pills which she had bought from one of her customers.

Although she filed a police report on Oct 28 on the matter, she said that all she wants is a refund of the RM325 she paid for the box of capsules, and to warn others about the dangers of such weight-reducing drugs.

Lai Yet Sar, 37, a mother of four from Jinjang, said she was introduced to the product by a customer who, in August and September this year, came thrice to the salon she worked for.

She was told to consume a packet of eight capsules a day — two in the morning with a special tea that came with the slimming product, two with water in the afternoon, and four at night with water.

"Two weeks after taking the capsules regularly from Sept 5, I developed severe chest and stomach pains and began vomiting. I also suffered giddy spells and was unable to eat," said Lai at a Press conference yesterday. She then sought treatment at Selayang Hospital and Hospital Kuala Lumpur before visiting a gastro-enterology centre in the city several times.

"I spent a total of RM7,000 in medical fees as I have been in and out of the hospitals the past two months due to problems caused by these drugs," claimed Lai, who weighs 79kg.

She said she then asked for a refund of RM325 from the woman who sold her the pills, but the woman said it was not possible.

"When I asked her about the box not having any label to indicate that the product has been approved for sale in Malaysia, she told me that the product was imported from Singapore and that she got it from a distributor based in Petaling Jaya," said Lai, whose husband is a house renovator.

"When she was coaxing me to buy the slimming product, she showed me a picture of her boss claiming that her boss looked slim and youthful after taking the same products."