Drug regulator bans DMAA after fatality
Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration has banned the use of a substance believed to have contributed to the death of a Busselton flyin, fly-out worker last year.
Mark Andrew Dahlenburg, 45, had a brain haemorrhage after putting dimethylamylamine, commonly known as DMAA, into his beer at a friend’s house.
On Wednesday, the TGA banned the sale, supply and use of DMAA.
State Coroner Alastair Hope this week started examining Mr Dahlenburg’s death on April 16 or 17 last year, and was told the father-of-two had no underlying health conditions, with medial experts believing his first try of DMAA was likely to have causes his cerebral haemorrhage.
The court was told DMAA, developed as a nasal decongestant, is believed to be used by miners, body builders and in sports and diet supplements, and could have an effect similar to amphetamines.
Mr Dahlenburg shared the $200 cost of buying 35g of DMAA from overseas with workmate Justin Guglielmana, ordering it on the internet while working at the Hope Downs mine in the Pilbara.
Mr Hope said it was worrying people were buying such untested and unreliable drugs over the internet.
He said DMAA was dangerous and appeared to produce all the toxic effects of amphetamines and little of the side effects people who took it had probably hoped for when opting to take the drug.
