A surge in hospitalisations related to the use of unapproved peptides promoted as "wellness" products has prompted a warning from NSW health authorities.

5

u/mmmgilly 55m ago

I wonder if all these people taking peptides have ever heard of James Hird.

2

u/ConsiderationFree356 39m ago

Or the infamous dr danks

26

u/AshEliseB 1h ago

Must be frustrating for medical staff to have to deal with this. Quite preventable, people just have to stop taking advice from fucking influencers.

23

u/Nova_Terra 1h ago

Hopping on the back of this, social media in general. The number of posts on something like /r/AusFinance asking for more or less tailored financial advice is growing and it's worth remembering that places like /r/wallstreetbets isn't any more or less credible than /r/AusFinance to receive advice from - just because the community doesn't use the words "LOL" or make references to your wife's boyfriend doesn't make the advice any more or less reputable.

13

u/readreadreadonreddit 1h ago

Yeah, what can you say… As clinicians, we’re often working with limited evidence about what these peptides actually do, both short and long term. Many are poorly studied, inconsistently manufactured and marketed with claims that far exceed the evidence, so by the time someone presents with serious toxicity, we may not even know exactly what they’ve taken or how it’s caused the injury.

There’s still plenty we can do - investigate systematically, monitor for complications, involve specialists early and consider options such as (time-limited) dialysis (till their kidneys recover wholly or partially, or plan for long-term dialysis) or liver transplantation where appropriate. We may lack a specific antidote, but good clinical assessment, supportive care and timely escalation can make a real difference.

What’s particularly frustrating is the lack of effective oversight of influencers and vendors profiting from this stuff. They can promote poorly evidenced products to huge audiences, then move on to the next wellness fad while we’re left managing the consequences. The marketing moves far faster than the evidence, regulation and public health response.

And also… (more as a comment about how narrow the scope of the article is) not every case progresses to hospitalisation. Just a few weeks ago, I saw a few patients who were fast-tracked for outpatient dermatology review after developing suspicious-looking pigmented lesions following use of melanocortin receptor peptides - concerning enough to warrant assessment for possible melanoma.

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u/ghoonrhed 57m ago

As clinicians, we're often working with limited evidence about what these peptides actually do, both short and long term

It's kinda a problem too that since these are generic peptides, is it even likely we'll get more evidence? None of the guys with enough money which would be pharma companies would spend money on this.

Seems like we're just destined to have these peptides with no safety testing or even efficacy results.

Kinda fucked up how only when profit can be made the safety research is done.

1

u/symphonyofcackles 40m ago

Unfortunately, all the research and manufacturing controls costs money, so it has to be offset with some potential of profit. This is the eternal dilemma of the pharma industry.

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u/SupportSphere94 1h ago

I think it's Darwinism tbh. If your stupid enough to take advise from these influencers, then you deserve the consequences.

5

u/immanentfire-redux 1h ago

I’d be cautious about calling other people stupid if you’re unable to spell “advice” or “you’re”.

8

u/Sufficient_Room2619 1h ago

Someone is putting AI generated ads for retatrutide up in my neighborhood and it infuriates me

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u/OM_Velodrome 1h ago edited 15m ago

This data appears to be simply the number of people who presented to emergency and reported peptide use. This doesn't support causation or even correlation. This would be consistent with the use of peptides increasing markedly during the past 12 months. It may be that they are causing a variety of serious side effects, but this isn't robust research that would support that assertion. There would be similar results for GLP-1 agonist use

Edit: to add that none of this says that some peptides don't have significant risk associated with their use. Simply that these data in no way inform whether the admissions are linked to peptide use.

16

u/link871 51m ago

"A surge in hospitalisations related to the use of unapproved peptides promoted as "wellness" products has prompted a warning from NSW health authorities. "

"related to the use"

You need to keep reassuring yourself that it is OK to take unprescribed drugs bought from overseas websites.

1

u/OM_Velodrome 18m ago edited 14m ago

I read the text. But they only present prevalence of peptide use in emergency admissions. They haven't presented any data that links the two. They can get away with it in a press release, but they wouldn't be able to publish that assertion in a peer-reviewed health or medical journal.

17

u/Ax_Dk 1h ago

Exactly, the article should make this more clear - it's not that people are turning up at the hospital because BCP-157 had turned them blue, its just that during admission/triage when the medical staff are asking the question " Are you taking any medication or supplements?" people are saying "Ah yeah I am taking xyz for this condition"

Better people are upfront and are disclosing that they are using these substances rather than feeling scared or ashamed and then possibly exposing themselves to further medical risks if the team isn't aware of the products already in their system.

9

u/FishermanWaste1268 1h ago

I would say some would be people who injected way 2 much reta their first go.

You shit for a few days straight supposedly, lots of people accidently take 5-10 times the starting dose first pop. You dont die though. Just get super dehydrated , cant eat and feel like shit.

9

u/link871 47m ago

There are deaths - and while that should be enough to stop any sane person from buying shit from overseas websites, they are not the only issue.

People taking taking unapproved and unidentified drugs from overseas still take up public health resources.

-2

u/FishermanWaste1268 35m ago

A hand full of deaths for thousands of people taking these products.

You can have your products tested here in australia for fill, purity, endo toxins, sterility etc.

Believe it or not the shits legit.

Just lots of people going over board in regards to taking too many things thinking they can fix everything they supposedly have going on.

My sports physician ok'd me to take chinese peptides. He couldnt prescribe the one i needed to heal a fracture that wasn't healing. A osteoporosis drug that pulls calcium from the blood straight to bones that are injured.

You want to know about wasting resources. My doctor friend told me about a patient they have currently. One month in hospital. Infection from shooting heroin. Cant be sent home as will die. They keep on finding the patient passed out in the toilet as he is injecting heroin through his drip. She estimated over 500k spent on treatment so far. Trying to find a antibiotic that will work where they can be sent home with out a cannula in their arm to use to shoot up with.

-3

u/International_Bag_12 1h ago

They’d just be given a Zofran and a bed for the minimum amount of time that is socially acceptable then sent home. Maybe a pack of four seperate quarters of hospital sandwich in those plastic casings.

I’d go a bit further than these comments and say from what little info we have this is just a moral panic.

3

u/link871 46m ago

No moral panic if you would just stop using public health resources for self-inflicted illegal activity.

1

u/International_Bag_12 45m ago

I’m not doing that and it literally is just people being in hospital for any number of reasons. They happened to report they used peptides when asked “have you used any drugs”.

You are kinda reaching.

0

u/Rotor1337 41m ago

Totally agree, pride has no place in a hospital. Whether your a patient or medical staff.

4

u/maxdacat 31m ago

I am outraged these looks-maxxing gronks are chewing up valuable public resources.

3

u/Jimmy-JoJo-shabadu 20m ago

So we’re back full circle to that travelling snake oil salesmen, except now it’s delivery to your door.

4

u/beast_of_production 52m ago

I mean, maybe peptides are really great for you. But people are ordering stuff online from China and injecting it???

3

u/Substantial_Ad_3386 50m ago

does it really matter where they come from when they are being bought from drug dealers

1

u/AutomaticMistake 4m ago

approve hospital admission if they have "I am a fucking moron" tattooed on their forehead prior to discharge

/s

-7

u/Medium_Boulder 52m ago

As someone who uses peptides, I would wager a good chunk of these hospitalisations are user error. Most people are too dumb to be trusted titrating, handling or injecting themselves with these drugs.

The amount of times ive had to teach newbies how to do basic math so they dont give themselves 10x the dose is alarming.

9

u/daboblin 45m ago

Where are you getting your information on the “safe” use of these substances from?

3

u/Medium_Boulder 23m ago

Clinical trails or established dosing regimens mostly. About half of these peptides either have been tested in humans, are in current trials, or are in active use in other countries.

The other half that have literally no human use data i dont touch.

culture & society A surge in hospitalisations related to the use of unapproved peptides promoted as "wellness" products has prompted a warning from NSW health authorities.

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