07 February 2024 , 00:18
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A Pennsylvania mum claimed a high street herbal remedy used for her menopause symptoms left her almost needing a new liver when it turned her yellow 'like Marge Simpson'.
Amber Heimbach visited her doctor in October after complaining of a number of pre-menopausal symptoms including mood swings and heavy bleeding. The 39-year-old was offered prescription medication, but instead she bought over-the-counter menopause relief tablets containing the herb black cohosh, a dietary supplement sold on the high street often used for hot flushes.
Amber, from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, US, said that ultimately she was admitted to hospital after the high-street supplement meant her eyes and skin turned yellow adding ''my liver was seeping over into my gallbladder.''
Amber said: "The big joke was that I looked like the highlighter in the family. Some family members said 'why don't you get a blue wig, you could be Marge Simpson'. The mum-of-four said the tablets successfully alleviated her symptoms for nearly two months before the dental insurance company worker began to feel unwell.
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The 39-year-old was offered prescription medication, but instead opted to go down the natural route. (KennedyNews/AmberHeimbach)
The mum-of-four bought over-the-counter menopause relief tablets containing the herb black cohosh (KennedyNews/AmberHeimbach)Shocking photos show Amber's skin and the whites of her eyes had turned bright yellow - indicating serious issues with her liver function, prompting her to stop taking the remedy.
Tests revealed Amber had an enlarged gallbladder and elevated liver enzymes - and she feared she would need a liver transplant.
A study published The United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) in 2020 stated that products labeled as black cohosh has been implicated in many instances of liver injury. The severity ranges from moderate elevations in liver enzymes to acute hepatic failure and death.
A 2016 report from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said there has been a growing concern worldwide about the risk of adverse effects on the liver (hepatotoxicity) associated with use of black cohosh.
Black cohosh is sold on the high street often used for hot flushes and other menopausal conditions (KennedyNews/AmberHeimbach)
Amber said the tablets successfully alleviated her symptoms for nearly two months before her health declined (KennedyNews/AmberHeimbach)The government agency recommended that warnings regarding rare adverse reactions should be added to black cohosh products. Amber said: ''I know I'm approaching the age of pre-menopause and I was noticing a lot of different symptoms. I was having heavy bleeding and emotional ups and downs. I could tell my hormones were imbalanced.''
"I went to my doctor and they suggested putting me on medication and birth control. I'm a pretty healthy person so didn't feel ready to do that or go on any medication. I wanted to go down the healthier route and see if there were any vitamins or supplements I could take to ease some of my side-effects. I did a bit of research and went to find some natural supplements and bought some tablets containing black cohosh, which is said to help with stress and give you an energy boost.
"It was natural and over-the-counter so I presumed it would be fine and initially it did make a difference. I had less mood swings, I was sleeping better and I had more energy. It was working well." However by mid-November Amber began experiencing stomach pains which worsened over the following few weeks.
Amber then noticed her skin and eyes began 'looking a bit yellow' and decided to visit urgent care two days later where she was told her gallbladder was enlarged and her liver enzymes were elevated. Five days later Amber was admitted to hospital to undergo further testing and check for any autoimmune diseases
The mum added: "They were trying to figure out what was happening to me. There were a lot of conversations about getting a liver transplant and also keeping an eye on my gallbladder.
"They were more concerned about my liver at this point and that my liver was seeping over into my gallbladder. I just kept thinking 'what is happening to me?' I'm a very healthy person, I never go to hospital, I go to the doctor once every five years. It was scaring me. I was scared about being away from my family and having to go through a liver transplant and whether my body would accept it."
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Amber informed her doctors about the natural supplement she had been taking for the last 50 days which she believed may have been causing her unusual symptoms.
Amber said: "Taking the supplement was the only thing I'd changed or done differently with myself. They started doing a bit of research about the tablets and told me about how black cohosh stood out to them because they have done other clinical studies of how it affects the liver.
"They were pretty confident that the black cohosh was causing all these issues. All the other tests they were doing came back negative." Luckily, as her enzyme levels began to return to normal. But her eyes and skin are still yet to completely lose their yellow tinge, much to the amusement of her family.
She said: "They were very loving and trying to help me get through it. If you pull my eyelid down you can still see a bit of yellowness but without doing that, you can't see it anymore now. I just feel so blessed I didn't need a transplant. Any woman considering taking supplements, do your research and consult with your doctor. I'll never touch it again in my life."