OxyElite Pro, a popular dietary supplement, has been pulled from stores in Hawaii after the product was linked to dozens of cases of liver failure and non-viral hepatitis. In the mainland U.S., the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers to stop using any OxyElite Pro supplements they may have purchased, and contact their doctors if they experience any symptoms of liver injury, including:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Dark urine
- Clay or gray-colored bowel movements
- Joint pain
- Yellow eyes
- Jaundice
The potential dangers associated with OxyElite Pro first became apparent in Hawaii, where officials were tracking an outbreak of liver failure and hepatitis that had stricken 29 people. Two dozen of those affected reported using OxyElite Pro. One woman, a 48-year-old mother of seven, died of liver failure after she used the supplements to lose weight following her latest pregnancy. At least 11 people have been hospitalized for acute liver failure, and two have required liver transplants.
Stores in Hawaii have voluntarily pulled OxyElite Pro from their shelves, and the state’s Department of Health has instituted an embargo. For now at least, it is illegal to sell the supplements in Hawaii.
In the U.S., the manufacturer of OxyElite Pro, USPLabs, has agreed to stop sales and distribution of the supplements. However, the Huffington Post has reported that the supplement may still be available in some stores in the mainland U.S., as it will be up to individual retailers to pull the supplement from their shelves. USPLabs has told the FDA that it believes counterfeit versions of OxyElite Pro are being marketed in the U.S.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has alerted emergency departments and health-care providers nationwide to be on the lookout for patients who develop acute hepatitis or liver failure that could be linked to the use of OxyElite Pro.
This is not the first time OxyElite Pro has attracted regulatory scrutiny. Until recently, it was made with DMAA, an ingredient used in a number of supplements that was the subject of an FDA warning in April. According to the agency DMAA can cause increased blood pressure, shortness of breath, chest tightening, cardiovascular problems and even heart attacks. The FDA is working to eliminate DMAA supplements from the market, prompting USPLaps to stop using the ingredient earlier this year.
Victims of OxyElite Pro liver injury, including OxyElite Pro liver failure or hepatitis, associated with OxyElite Pro Supplement could be entitled to compensation. To discuss filing an OxyElite Pro Liver Damage lawsuit or OxyElite Pro Liver failure lawsuit with an attorney at Wright & Schulte LLC, please call 1-800-399-0795.
