Cyriac Abby Philips ‘The Liver Doc’ On How “Pseudoscientific Unani” Put A Woman Full On Life Support
A tragic case of acute liver failure has highlighted the dangers of alternative medicine, with Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, a hepatologist known as “The Liver Doc” and also a ardent critic of traditional medications, linking the fatality to Unani treatments. The patient, a previously healthy woman, was admitted to his ICU in a critical condition with severe jaundice, multiple organ failure, and swelling in her brain. Despite exhaustive efforts by the medical team, she succumbed to her condition, which Dr Philips attributed to the prolonged use of Unani medications for osteoarthritis.
Sharing the case on social media, Dr Philips described the patient’s rapid deterioration. “She was hale and hearty just a week ago, travelling and spending time with her family. Now, she was on a ventilator, in multiple organ failure – an event brought on by a sudden failure of her liver functions,” he wrote.
Her condition escalated quickly, with toxic ammonia levels from her failing liver causing brain swelling and encephalopathy. “Her brain swelling worsened so badly and so rapidly that her brain fell down through the holes at the base of the skull – a condition called herniation. It was instant brain death,” Dr Philips explained.
The woman had no pre-existing liver disease and had been using Unani treatments for four months. Dr Philips emphasised that these medications, often touted as natural and safe, can be lethal. “Unani is to the Muslim community what Ayurveda is to the Hindu community. Both are pseudoscientific practices without any benefits whatsoever but with well-documented harms. Some fatal,” he said.
The family, devastated by the expected loss, performed religious rites in the ICU as the patient neared the end of her life.
“She is on full on supports. The tubed-machine is breathing for her. The CRRT machine is doing what her kidneys were supposed to do and the vasopressors and inotrope drugs were forcefully making her heart beat and pump until they fatigue and give away. An ultimate event that was likely to happen tonight. She will die. I spoke to her sons and told them this is what it was going to be. Their healthy, beloved mother who was smiling and laughing with them last week, was now going into the dark without even the chance for them to say proper goodbyes. They asked me for a space in the ICU for them to complete their religious ceremonies for the dying so that she can go in peace and unto God. I allowed them,” he wrote.
Dr Philips later identified the Unani medications as the likely cause and plans to analyse them at his own expense to confirm their toxicity. “A cousin in the family promised me that he will get them to me for analysis because I told him the greatest probability for her avoidable death were those Unani medications – toxic herbs, liver-toxic adulterants,” he wrote.
Unani medicine, rooted in ancient Greek principles, is widely practised in South Asia and the Middle East. It claims to balance bodily humours for better health, but critics argue it lacks scientific validation and poses serious health risks. Dr Philips called on patients to choose evidence-based treatments, stating, “If you have to make a choice for your healthcare, make sure it is modern, science-based medicine. Because it is not built on lies and deception but objective evidence.”
A woman was admitted to my Liver ICU.
She was jaundiced since five days.
Her eyes were a deep yellow, her bilirubin levels were 23 mg/dl (normal <1.2)
She was in altered behaviour since three days. When she was in my ICU, she was unresponsive and gasping. We put her on a… pic.twitter.com/MkueMS1VEh
— TheLiverDoc (@theliverdr) December 10, 2024
This case has reignited debate about the safety of alternative medicines and the regulatory gaps that allow such practices to thrive. Dr Philips ended his post with a stark warning: “Choose the science, because it does not dramatise to promote but only acts to your benefit.”
