CLENBUTEROL POISONING IN HUMANS

Report #6570

Clenbuterol is a drug that has been used by athletes to grow larger muscles and cattlemen to grow larger cattle. A report from Spain showed that humans can be poisoned by eating veal liver from cattle that had been given clenbuterol.

Clenbuterol belongs to a class of drugs called beta agonists that are used to treat asthma. Training for sports is done by taking a hard workout, waking up the next morning with sore muscles, and then taking easy workouts until the soreness goes away. Clenbuterol hastens recovery so it can shorten the recovery period from three or more days to just one or two. The athlete can do more work and therefore becomes stronger. All beta agonists are banned by the International Olympic Committee. It is also illegal for cattlemen to give clenbuteral or any other beta agonist to cattle.

Beta agonists are potent stimulants and are broken down in the liver. The report from Spain involved 113 cases of people who developed nervousness, rapid heart rate, muscle shaking, muscle pain and headache, 15 minutes to 6 hours after eating veal liver. Their symptoms lasted from 90 minutes to 6 days. Interestingly, blood levels of clenbuteral were very low, while urine levels from affected people were very high. This study shows that humans and animals can get very sick after taking clenbuteral and so can people who eat animals that take that drug.

By Gabe Mirkin, M.D., for CBS Radio News
Checked 8/9/05