Mum 'minutes from death' when £25 'Barbie tanning nasal spray poisoned body'
A mum says she is "grateful to be alive" after she ordered a tanning nasal spray online that "poisoned" her body and nearly killed her.
Edith Eagle, 47, from King's Lynn, Norfolk, purchased the "Barbie drug", which included no ingredients on the bottle for £25. The mum-of-four was left struggling to breathe after her face ballooned shortly after using the product. The chef has warned others from using similar products which are illegal to sell or advertise if they contain the substance Melanotan, in the UK. The spray, which aims to develop a "darker" skin pigmentation, sparked alarming side-effects when Edith tried it herself.
She decided to use the product five days before her family vacation to Fuerteventura in April last year. But just two days into the trip, she was hospitalised after her face ballooned from an allergic reaction. Melanotan is an artificial substance which stimulates the pigment cells in your skin to produce more melanin, and this makes the skin look darker. Edith said the ingredients were not listed on the nasal spray and believes the product may be illegal.
The mum purchased the spray for £25 online (Kennedy News and Media)
Edith's face became swollen just days after using the product (Kennedy News and Media)Speaking about the lead-up to the "frightening" ordeal, she said:"My step-daughter Kayla suggested getting a nasal tanning spray to me as a way to get a quick tan. We get tanned quite quickly anyway on holiday and were going away to Fuerteventura. So I googled it and saw it pop up online and ordered it. I think I paid £25 for the bottle. I like being tanned because I prefer not using makeup. I always liked looking fresh-looking with a tan."
She added: "On the first day, we were so brown, I've never experienced anything like it. I was very tanned after one day. But the next morning, I woke up and realised I couldn't breathe properly. I then noticed I was completely swollen. I was so out of breath and had to concentrate so much on breathing. It was really difficult to breathe.
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"My neck was so swollen that my necklace was tight. I was just swollen everywhere. I realised it must be an allergic reaction." Edith contacted the hotel reception who called a taxi to drive her to the nearest hospital where she was fast-tracked through A&E. There, she was treated with a high dose of steroids and discharged later that day - but said her symptoms took more than a week to subside.
Edith was on holiday with her daughter Eliana Eagle when the disaster happened (Kennedy News and Media)
Edith said the product didn't list the ingredients (Kennedy News and Media)Edith said': "I said to the consultant the only thing I've done differently this week is take this nasal spray. I've never had an allergic reaction in my whole life to any foods or anything. I think it was definitely the spray. I wouldn't be standing here if the hospital staff hadn't acted so quickly.
"I wouldn't be standing here if the hospital staff hadn't acted so quickly. I was rushed straight through. It was so frightening. Since then, I've seen other people have reactions to the spray like me on social media and their symptoms are the exact same. There's no ingredients on the bottle - you don't know what you're putting in the body."
Edith's step-daughter, Kayla Fox, shared a post warning others about the spray on social media. It read: "Please don't use nasal tanners as this is what they can do to you. Poisoned my step-mum's body and she's had an allergic reaction. Stay away from them. The poison has been building up over time. They are so dangerous for some people."
Edith said the product didn't list the ingredients (Kennedy News and Media)
Edith believes the product is illegal (Kennedy News and Media)Edith said she feels lucky to be alive and is urging others not to make the same mistake as her."I could've died that day. If they hadn't been so hands-on that day in the hospital, I wouldn't be here to tell the tale," the mum said. "I will never again buy anything like this again - especially from the internet. How they can sell sprays with no ingredients listed is so worrying. I'd rather not have a tan.
"It was frightening for my family to see me like that. I feel grateful to be alive. Please don't make the same mistake as me. If this can save someone's life then I would rather suffer for anyone else before they make a stupid decision like me! I blame myself."
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