Mum afraid of turning 50 killed by fat-burning pills sold on Facebook
But as her 50th birthday approached, she became ‘paranoid’ and dabbled with fat burner pills and anti- cellulite cream bought on the internet.
Within weeks she collapsed with crippling stomach pain and her skin began to peel. She died of a ruptured intestine and kidney failure.
The mother of four took T5 diet pills – linked to a series of deaths in the UK – and Yili Balo hot chilli anticellulite cream, which other customers complained was too hot, police said. Both were made in China.
A coroner this week expressed concern at the ease with which such products could be bought.
After the inquest, Mrs Baranowski’s daughter Michaela, 29, said her mother was not concerned about weight but used the products to complement her healthy lifestyle. ‘Because my mum was paranoid about turning 50 and her friends recommended it she decided to try a bundle [of treatments],’ the retail manager said. ‘it does concern me [products like this are sold]. i would advise people not to go on eBay or facebook, but if you want to buy something go to proper herbals shops.’
Her lorry driver father Mark, 50, told The Sun: ‘The waters are very murky surrounding these things … they need regulating.’
Mrs Baranowksi, of Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, was a regular at a gym but turned to pills and ointments. She paid £30 for the tablets and cream from facebook seller Kay Mavrides, who had bought them from an eBay seller, the inquest in Hatfield heard.
on January 23 last year, shortly after turning 50, Mrs Baranowski collapsed and was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex. She developed burns and was moved to London’s St Thomas’ Hospital where her skin began to fall off.
on february 5 she was transferred to the burns unit in Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, Essex. She died after her intestine ruptured on february 25. T5 contains large amounts of caffeine which speeds up the heart. Combined with lactic acid, produced during intense exercise, it can cause kidney failure. A pathologist said Mrs Baranowski died from blood coagulating in small vessels, kidney failure, and an ‘adverse reaction to compounds ingested or applied’.
Coroner Geoffrey Sullivan said: ‘it is likely Linda Baranowski died as a result of an inflammatory response … to one of these supplements or to a combination of them.’ He added: ‘i remain concerned these products are still on sale.’