- Home
- Medical news & Guidelines
- Anesthesiology
- Cardiology and CTVS
- Critical Care
- Dentistry
- Dermatology
- Diabetes and Endocrinology
- ENT
- Gastroenterology
- Medicine
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Obstretics-Gynaecology
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopaedics
- Pediatrics-Neonatology
- Psychiatry
- Pulmonology
- Radiology
- Surgery
- Urology
- Laboratory Medicine
- Diet
- Nursing
- Paramedical
- Physiotherapy
- Health news
- Fact Check
- Bone Health Fact Check
- Brain Health Fact Check
- Cancer Related Fact Check
- Child Care Fact Check
- Dental and oral health fact check
- Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
- Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
- Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
- Fitness fact check
- Gut health fact check
- Heart health fact check
- Kidney health fact check
- Medical education fact check
- Men's health fact check
- Respiratory fact check
- Skin and hair care fact check
- Vaccine and Immunization fact check
- Women's health fact check
- AYUSH
- State News
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Andhra Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Bihar
- Chandigarh
- Chattisgarh
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli
- Daman and Diu
- Delhi
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jammu & Kashmir
- Jharkhand
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Ladakh
- Lakshadweep
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Odisha
- Puducherry
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Telangana
- Tripura
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttrakhand
- West Bengal
- Medical Education
- Industry
Youtube weightloss remedy turns fatal for Madurai Student who consumed Borax

College Student in Madurai Dies After Trying Online Weight Loss Tip
Madurai: Doctors at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai declared a first-year college student dead after she consumed a substance known as borax (locally called Vengaram) for weight loss, reportedly following a remedy she had seen on YouTube.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, leaving her family and the local community in shock. The deceased, Kalaiyarasi, was a student at a private college in Narimedu and resided in Meenambalpuram, Sellur. According to the Sellur police, the victim, who was slightly overweight, had been expressing concerns about her weight to her parents. Despite her parents reassuring her that her weight would decrease naturally, she decided to try a home remedy she had seen online.
Also Read:38 year old woman dies after two quacks perform surgery from YouTube video
Upon returning home, the deceased complained of severe stomach pain and bleeding during defecation. Her family rushed her to Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai around 11 pm, where doctors examined her and declared her dead. The body was later handed over to the family after a post-mortem.
Following this, her father lodged a complaint at Sellur (Law & Order) police station on January 18. Based on the complaint, police registered a case and have begun an inquiry into the suspicious death, reports TNIE.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, her father said, “My daughter was worried about being overweight. She watched a YouTube video on weight loss and bought borax. I told her not to eat it and that she shouldn't consume anything without a doctor's advice. But she didn't listen and went ahead to follow the remedy shown on YouTube. Shortly afterwards, she fell ill, and we took her to the hospital. After discharge, we brought her home, but she started crying of stomach ache. We took her to the government hospital, but the doctors told us that she had already passed away. I would request youngsters not to take any medication without a doctor's advice. Whatever happened to my daughter should not happen to anyone else.”
A family member of the deceased mentioned that no one should follow any medical advice based on YouTube videos and that awareness should be created among the public regarding this.
Also Read:Woman dies during childbirth at home, YouTuber husband arrested
Dr Suresh of the General Medicine Department at Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital said, "Whether it is Allopathy, Siddha, Ayurveda, or Homeopathy, consuming medications without the advice of doctors in that field is extremely dangerous and can even become fatal," reports ETV Bharat.
With a keen interest in storytelling and a dedication to uncovering facts, Rumela De Sarkar joined Medical Dialogues as a Correspondent in 2024. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of North Bengal. Rumela covers a wide range of healthcare topics, including medical news, policy updates, and developments related to doctors, hospitals, and medical education

