Fulminant Hepatic Failure After Use of the Herbal Weight-Loss Supplement Exilis
Authors: W. Michael McDonnell, Renuka Bhattacharya, Jeffrey B. Halldorson
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2009)

Letters3 November 2009Fulminant Hepatic Failure After Use of the Herbal Weight-Loss Supplement ExilisW. Michael McDonnell, MD, Renuka Bhattacharya, MD, and Jeffrey B. Halldorson, MDW. Michael McDonnell, MD, Renuka Bhattacharya, MD, and Jeffrey B. Halldorson, MDAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-151-9-200911030-00021 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Background: After reports of hepatotoxicity, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning on the use of Hydroxycut (Iovate Health Sciences, Oakville, Ontario, Canada), and the manufacturer agreed to a voluntary recall (1–5). However, the compounds in Hydroxycut are still available in other supplements sold in the United States.Objective: To report a case of fulminant hepatic failure associated with use of Exilis (Fusion Health Products, Houston, Texas), an herbal weight-loss supplement with ingredients similar to those in Hydroxycut.Case Report: A 25-year-old man presented to a walk-in clinic with tea-colored urine and fatigue. He was given reassurance ...References1. Stevens T, Qadri A, Zein NN. Two patients with acute liver injury associated with use of the herbal weight-loss supplement hydroxycut [Letter]. Ann Intern Med. 2005;142:477-8. [PMID: 15767636] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Jones FJ, Andrews AH. Acute liver injury associated with the herbal supplement hydroxycut in a soldier deployed to Iraq [Letter]. Am J Gastroenterol. 2007;102:2357-8. [PMID: 17897352] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Dara L, Hewett J, Lim JK. Hydroxycut hepatotoxicity: a case series and review of liver toxicity from herbal weight loss supplements. World J Gastroenterol. 2008;14:6999-7004. [PMID: 19058338] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Shim M, Saab S. Severe hepatotoxicity due to Hydroxycut: a case report. Dig Dis Sci. 2009;54:406-8. [PMID: 18661239] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Accessed at www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2009/NEW02006.html on 30 September 2009. Google Scholar6. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Accessed at www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/hydroxycut/deardoctor.html on 30 September 2009. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoTwo Patients with Acute Liver Injury Associated with Use of the Herbal Weight-Loss Supplement Hydroxycut Tyler Stevens , Asif Qadri , and Nizar N. Zein Metrics Cited ByHerb-induced liver injury: Systematic review and meta-analysisHLA‐B*35:01 and Green Tea–Induced Liver InjuryUnited States Pharmacopeia (USP) comprehensive review of the hepatotoxicity of green tea extractsEvidence for the efficacy and safety of herbal weight loss preparationsAcute liver injury following Garcinia cambogia weight-loss supplementation: case series and literature reviewLiver toxicity related to herbs and dietary supplements: Online table of case reports. Part 2 of 5 seriesHerbal Hepatotoxicity: Clinical Characteristics and Listing CompilationHepatotoxicity by Dietary Supplements: A Tabular Listing and Clinical CharacteristicsClusiaceaeHepatotoxicity of green tea: an updateHerbal hepatotoxicity: a tabular compilation of reported casesTreatments used in complementary and alternative medicinePriapism and Risperidone; Psoriasis after Certolizumab Therapy; Bruxism with Two Different SSRIs; Nasal Septum Deviation Associated with Bevacizumab Treatment; Hepatic Failure with Another Herbal Weight Loss Supplement; Bupropion-Related Dystonia and Parkinsonism; Bendamustine-Associated Hemolytic Anemia 3 November 2009Volume 151, Issue 9Page: 673-674KeywordsAcute liver failureBilirubinBrain diseasesInflammationLiverLiver transplantation ePublished: 3 November 2009 Issue Published: 3 November 2009 CopyrightCopyright © 2009 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...