Increasing frequency of severe clinical toxicity after use of 2,4-dinitrophenol in the UK: A report from the National Poisons Information Service
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVE: 2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP) increases energy consumption by uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation. Although not licensed as a medicine, it is sometimes used by 'body sculptors' and for weight loss as a 'fat burning' agent. This research was performed to characterise patterns of presentation, clinical features and outcomes of patients reported to the National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) in the UK after exposure to DNP. METHODS: NPIS telephone enquiry records and user sessions for TOXBASE, the NPIS online information database, related to DNP, were reviewed from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013. RESULTS: Of the 30 separate systemic exposures to DNP reported by telephone to NPIS during the study period (27 males, 3 females, with a median age of 23.5 years), there were 3 during 2007-2011 (inclusive), 5 during 2012 and 22 during 2013. TOXBASE user sessions also increased sharply from 6 in 2011 to 35 in 2012 and 331 in 2013. The modes of exposure reported in telephone enquiries were chronic (n=2), acute (n=12) and subacute (n=16). Commonly reported clinical features were fever (47%), tachycardia (43%), sweating (37%), nausea or vomiting (27%), skin discolouration or rash (23%), breathing difficulties (23%), abdominal pain (23%), agitation (13%) and headache (13%). There were five (17%, 95% CI 6.9% to 34%) fatalities, four involving acute overdose. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates a substantial recent increase in clinical presentations with toxicity caused by exposure to DNP in the UK with an associated high mortality. Further steps are needed to warn potential users of the severe and sometimes fatal toxicity that may occur after exposure to this compound.
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Reported side effects of DNP include acute cataract, sensory axonal polyneuropathy, fever, tachycardia, sweating, nausea, rash, breathing difficulties, abdominal pain, agitation, headache, and death.
“The reported side effects of DNP include acute cataract [261,262], sensory axonal polyneuropathy [263], fever, tachycardia, sweating, nausea, rash, breathing difficulties, abdominal pain, agitation, headache, and death [264,265].”
From Mitochondrial Uncoupling: A Key Controller of Biological Processes in Physiology and Diseases (2019) · cites this paper as [264]
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“The reported side effects of DNP include acute cataract [261,262], sensory axonal polyneuropathy [263], fever, tachycardia, sweating, nausea, rash, breathing difficulties, abdominal pain, agitation, headache, and death [264,265].”
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- Authors
- Kamour, A., George, N., Gwynnette, D., Cooper, G., Lupton, D., Eddleston, M., Thompson, J. P., Vale, J. A., Thanacoody, H. K. R., Hill, S., & Thomas, S. H. L.
- Affiliations
- Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- University Hospital Llandough (GB)
- Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (GB)
- Birmingham City Hospital (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Thomas, Simon Hugh Lynton
- Venue
- Emergency Medicine Journal
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2014-06-23
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 383-386
- ISSN
- 1351-0622 (ISSN-L)
- 1472-0205
- 1472-0213
- OpenAlex
- W2314798742
- Cited by
- 47
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 4.98
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- Emergency Medicine Journal (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (submittedVersion)
- Newcastle University ePrints (Newcastle Univesity)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Emergency Medicine › Poisoning and overdose treatments
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Toxicology › Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmacology › Plant-based Medicinal Research
- Keywords
- 2,4-dinitrophenol, drug toxicity, mitochondrial uncoupling, weight loss supplements, body contouring, poisoning, clinical features, mortality, National Poisons Information Service
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Child, Dyspnea, Exanthema, Female, Fever, United Kingdom, Headache, Humans, Male, Nausea, Poison Control Centers, Sweating, Tachycardia, Vomiting, Abdominal Pain, Akathisia, Drug-Induced, 2,4-Dinitrophenol, Dietary Supplements, Young Adult
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