Chronic silica gel poisoning – two year follow up

A 43-year-old woman with a history of hyperthyroidism presented to the hospital with recurrent heart burn, muscular pain, difficulty in walking, giddiness and numbness in all four limbs. She had a history of hyperthyroidism and had been on carbimazole 20mg twice daily for 6 months and ingested beads of silica gel provided as a desiccant in bottles with carbimazole tablets. She was treated with rabeprazole 20mg daily and carbimazole 10mg daily while she was being investigated. After completion of investigations, she was reassured and carbimazole was continued. She was followed up at six months, twelve months and two years. She was symptom free. We believe this is the first reported case of chronic ingestion of silica gel.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/jccp.v44i1-2.7690

Journal of the Ceylon College of Physicians, 2013, 44, 38-39