A CORONER has issued a warning when a beauty therapist died after taking slimming pills she bought online.

Shouhong Du, 48, died in hospital after she collapsed at the back of a Chinese medicine and massage parlour.

Paramedics found slimming tablets in the 48-year-old purse and her husband confirmed she had used them regularly, the inquest heard.

A post mortem found her cause of death was oxygen starvation to the brain, multi-drug toxicity and self-medication, Crawley Coroners’ Court heard.

Concluding “death by misadventure”, Senior Coroner for West Sussex Penelope Schofield said: “I would like to offer the family of Shouhong Du our sincere condolences for the sad loss of her in these circumstances.

“I hope that the details of her death can be shared to prevent others from buying tablets over the internet when they are not sure of the exact contents.”

The inquest heard Mrs Du left behind life with her husband in China to work at as a health assistant in Worthing.

She was admitted to hospital after being found collapsed and unresponsive at the Tranquility Chinese medicine and massage parlour on March 15.

Medics found slimming pills in her purse that she had bought over the internet from China but she died after a 16-day coma.

The inquest heard Mrs Du’s family knew she wanted to lose weight and had been self-medicating.

She suffered from multiple organ-failure after prolonged use of the tablets caused severe damage to her body, a post mortem held at the hospital on April 9 found.

Tests at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospital found the pills contained two types of diuretic, which help expel water from the body, and an appetite suppressant.

The quantity in each tablet was unknown.