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Edition 282
www.thecourier.es
Friday 29th July 2016
“BANNED DRUG” KILLS MAN Coma And Death After Emergency Operation
BY ALEX TRELINSKI
A
n Irishman died from sceptic shock after he was prescribed a common painkiller for his shoulder pain while he was staying in Torrevieja, reports the Irish Independent newspaper. William "Billy" Smyth (66) from Mullingar, County Westmeath in Ireland was visiting Torrevieja in February when he was prescribed the painkiller Nolotil from a GP, which he took for five days. In April, Mr. Smyth returned to another doctor to get a renewal for his normal medications and told the doctor he couldn’t shake cold-like symptoms. "He couldn't shake a common cold and the sore throat
he had. The GP checked him out and found his white blood cell count was very low and called an ambulance to take him to hospital straight away," Billy's son Derek Smyth told the Irish Independent. At Torrevieja Hospital’s emergency department, Mr. Smyth went through a series of tests and doctors found that the Nolotil drug had caused a toxic poisoning in his bone marrow, causing him to stop producing white blood cells, which are used to fight infection. "This is a known side effect of the drug, which the hospital doctors said is particularly a problem for people of British and Irish decent. The second GP who sent him to hospital
afterwards also stated it was "common knowledge" not to prescribe English or Irish people this drug," said Derek. Mr.Smyth developed sepsis and necrotising fasciitis as a result of the low white cell count and he required "radi-
cal surgery" to remove the affected tissue in an attempt to save his life. "My father remained in a coma following surgery. He developed multiple organ failure, received a colostomy, kidney dialysis and many lifesaving measures but on April 17th my father died from septic shock due to the complications developed from taking Nolotil," said Derek. The Nolotil drug is a brand name for Metamizole. Metamizole is an anti-inflammatory drug used for the treatment of mild pain such as toothaches, headaches, arthralgia, neuralgia, myositis, mild to moderate visceral pain, and high fever. While the drug is available in countries such as Spain, it's banned in Ireland, the UK, US, Australia and other EU countries.
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