Molecule, a pill promising rapid weight loss, went viral on Russian TikTok earlier this year. Young people's feeds started filling up with captions like Take Molecule and forget food exists and Do you want to sit in the back of the class in oversized clothes? Clips showed fridges lined with blue boxes featuring holograms and Molecule Plus labels. The orders began piling in, as teenagers shared their weight-loss journeys on social media.
But there was a catch. Maria, 22, had purchased the pill from a popular online retailer. She took two pills per day and, after two weeks, noticed severe side effects including extreme dryness in her mouth and a total loss of appetite, which caused severe anxiety. Other users reported similar experiences, with reports of dilated pupils, tremors, and insomnia.
Serious cases of overdoses also emerged, with teenagers requiring hospital care for hallucinations and panic attacks, raising concerns among health authorities regarding the unregulated sale of such substances online.
The packaging for Molecule often claims to contain natural ingredients, but investigation revealed it contained sibutramine, a substance banned in multiple countries due to its harmful side effects. The ease of access to this drug has prompted warnings from health officials who classify its self-administration as dangerous, especially among vulnerable youths.
Maria, who suffered from the pill's negative side effects, is now actively discouraging others from its use, sharing her story in various online forums aimed at preventing similar experiences among other young women.
But there was a catch. Maria, 22, had purchased the pill from a popular online retailer. She took two pills per day and, after two weeks, noticed severe side effects including extreme dryness in her mouth and a total loss of appetite, which caused severe anxiety. Other users reported similar experiences, with reports of dilated pupils, tremors, and insomnia.
Serious cases of overdoses also emerged, with teenagers requiring hospital care for hallucinations and panic attacks, raising concerns among health authorities regarding the unregulated sale of such substances online.
The packaging for Molecule often claims to contain natural ingredients, but investigation revealed it contained sibutramine, a substance banned in multiple countries due to its harmful side effects. The ease of access to this drug has prompted warnings from health officials who classify its self-administration as dangerous, especially among vulnerable youths.
Maria, who suffered from the pill's negative side effects, is now actively discouraging others from its use, sharing her story in various online forums aimed at preventing similar experiences among other young women.
