father, 28, dies after taking fat-burning drug
Nationwide health alert as father, 28, dies after taking fat-burning drug he picked up at the gym
- Father-of-one is believed to have taken a substance called DNP, which is popular with body builders
- Government has warned substance is 'extremely dangerous' and can lead to coma and death
- Anyone who thinks they may have taken DNP is advised to seek medical advice immediately
Unexpected death: Mr Cleathero leaves behind a three-year-old daughter
The Government has warned of the dangers of a potentially lethal fat-burning drug after it was linked to two recent deaths.
The substance, called DNP, is sold as a weight loss aid, but has been described as 'extremely dangerous to human health' by doctors.
The stark warning follows the death of a father who took the drug which he got at his local fitness centre.
Sean Cleathero is believed to have taken the substance, which is sold as a weight loss aid.
The 28-year-old from High Wycombe was taken ill shortly afterwards and died at Wycombe Hospital on October 17. His death is being investigated by Thames Valley Police.
In a statement, his family said: 'Sean was very loved and popular. His death has come as a complete shock to his family and friends. He was a fun, loving, caring son, grandson, brother and nephew.
'As a father, he leaves behind a three-year-old daughter who will carry on his infectious personality which made him so popular to all of his friends and those who knew him.'
No information has been revealed about the second reported case.
DNP is sold mostly over the internet under a number of different names but contains 2, 4-Dinitrophenol.
It is marketed mainly to bodybuilders as a weight loss aid as it is thought to dramatically boost metabolism.
The Food Standards Agency has told consumers not to take pills containing any level of DNP after a second death was linked to the substance.
The manufactured drug is yellow and odourless and was previously used as a herbicide and fungicide. It was launched as a slimming aid in the U.S. in the 1930s but then banned in 1938, due to the severe side-effects.
DANGERS OF DNP
In a statement, the FSA said: 'Depending on the amount consumed, signs of acute poisoning could include nausea, vomiting, restlessness, flushed skin, sweating, dizziness, headaches, rapid respiration and irregular heart-beat, possibly leading to coma and death.
'Consuming lower amounts over longer periods could lead to cataracts and skin lesions and effects on the heart, blood and nervous system.'
Anyone who thinks they may have taken DNP should seek medical advice immediately.
According to a study published last year in the Journal of Medical Toxicity, in medical literature has attributed 62 deaths to DNP .
The study authors from the Whittington Hospital in London, wrote: 'DNP is reported to cause rapid loss of weight, but unfortunately is associated with an unacceptably high rate of significant adverse effects.'
In 2008, Selena Walrond from Croydon, south London, died after taking DNP she had purchased online.
Selena Walrond, 26, (left) died from a heart attack in 2008 after taking a large amount of DNP (right) that she had bought online
The yellow pills had sent her heart-rate racing and temperature soaring. She was found by her mother Anjennis trying to cool down the next day.
She was taken to hospital but died eight hours later from a heart attack.
Croydon Coroner's Court heard that Selena had taken a gram of the drug the day before she died.
At the time her mother said: 'I'll never forget her yellow fingernails and skin - the drug was sweating out of her.
'Selena's life has been cruelly snatched away, all because she was desperate to lose weight. DNP is lethal. If you want to lose weight, do it the sensible way.'
A verdict of accidental death was recorded.
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