Doctors on YouTube are raising alarms about the dangerous trend of tapeworm diet pills being sold online. These pills, containing tapeworm eggs, are marketed as a quick-fix weight loss solution on the dark web and it’s putting consumers at serious risk.
Tapeworms are parasites that take up residence in your gut after you unknowingly ingest their eggs. Eggs are often ingested through undercooked meat. Some species can grow a staggering 30 feet long, feeding off the nutrients you consume. This can indeed lead to weight loss, but it’s a dangerous and unpredictable method with a long history that dates back to at least the Victorian era.
A recent case study on the YouTube channel Cubbyemu highlighted the perils of tapeworm diet pills. Dr. Bernard Hsu, a US oncologist, shared the story of a 21-year-old woman (referred to as “TE”) who purchased capsules filled with tapeworm eggs using cryptocurrency.
Struggling to lose weight through traditional methods, TE was enticed by social media ads promoting a “controversial” weight loss cure with dramatic before-and-after photos.
“TE was intrigued,” Dr. Hsu explained. “The idea of a ‘forbidden’ method seemed powerful and like the secret weapon she was looking for.”
TE took the plunge and swallowed two tapeworm diet pills. She did experience weight loss but it came at a terrible cost. She suffered frequent stomach cramps and bloating, but dismissed them as part of the process.
Things took a horrifying turn when TE noticed something disturbing in the toilet bowl. “She described feeling something flapping around her backside,” Dr. Hsu recounted. “Looking closer, she saw strange tan, rectangular segments floating in the water.”
Even with this alarming discovery, TE held onto the belief that this was simply her body expelling fat. Her symptoms continued to worsen. A few weeks later, she developed a lump under her chin. This was followed by a fainting episode and days of intense headaches.
Scared but hesitant to reveal her dangerous weight loss method, TE sought medical attention for severe headaches and abdominal pain. Standard tests for blood sugar and bacterial infections came back negative, leaving doctors baffled. They treated her swelling belly but couldn’t provide a clear diagnosis.
The headaches returned, accompanied by a terrifying new symptom: memory loss. TE would experience periods of waking up in the middle of the day with no recollection of the previous hours.
Almost a year after taking the tapeworm diet pills, doctors performed a brain scan and discovered multiple lesions. A wider body scan revealed additional lesions in her tongue and liver.
TE finally confessed to her reckless weight loss attempt. Doctors were able to identify two tapeworm species. The beef tapeworm (Taenia saginata), matched the description of the segments she had seen in the toilet bowl.
The more concerning culprit, however, was the pork tapeworm (Taenia solium). This species can migrate outside the digestive tract, releasing eggs into the bloodstream that can settle in various organs, including the brain. While the eggs won’t hatch outside the gut, they can cause severe problems. In TE’s case, the eggs formed a hard lump under her chin (a cluster of eggs) and contributed to the lesions found throughout her body.
This condition, known as cysticercosis, can be harmless in some cases, but devastating in others, depending on where the eggs lodge. Dr. Hsu warned that others with cysticercosis of the brain have experienced personality changes and cognitive decline for years before receiving a diagnosis.
Thankfully, tapeworm infections are treatable. TE received medication to paralyze and starve the worms which allowed her body to expel them. She also received steroids to reduce inflammation in her brain.
After three weeks in the hospital, TE was finally tapeworm-free and discharged. Dr. Hsu’s message is clear. Safe and sustainable weight loss comes through diet and exercise. DO NOT introduce parasites into your body. There’s no magic bullet for weight loss, and tapeworm diet pills are a recipe for disaster.