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A model and exotic dancer says she suffered a heart attack after attempting a dangerous new TikTok trend.
Briatney Portillo, 20, swallowed a spoonful of dry workout powder before hitting the gym, in what is known as the “dry scooping craze.”
Proponents of the fad claim the practice boosts the “energising” benefits, though Portillo proved that, in reality, the effects can be horrifying and even life-threatening.
The 20-year-old OnlyFans star told Buzzfeed News that she started to feel “tingly and itchy” all over her body after the unadvisable pre-workout hit, but “Googled it” and read that it was a “normal side effect.”
As she carried on with her exercise routine she said: “I started to feel a heavy feeling in my chest and slight pain, but it wasn’t too bad. I thought it was maybe anxiety or a bad panic attack, so I decided to just ignore it and push through my workout.”
Her chest pains began to subside, although she still felt nauseous and light-headed, so she went home to shower.
Deciding she was fit to head to work as a performer at a strip club, things soon took a turn for the worse.
As Portillo prepared for her striptease, her body prepared to suffer a heart attack.
“I started sweating a lot and was drenched even though I was wearing a bikini,” she told Buzzfeed.
“Then my chest pain came back and this time it was more intense. The pain went to my back and to my left arm and my left arm went slightly limp, so I knew those were symptoms of a heart attack.”
At that point, she realised it was time to call 911, and was soon rushed to hospital.
Portillo posted a video from her hospital bed lamenting her attempt at the dangerous crazebritvny/TikTok
Following a series of tests, health workers determined that she had suffered a less damaging form of heart attack, known as an NSTEMI.
Doctors told her to avoid caffeine and to be careful when taking workout supplements, however, she was given the go-ahead to start exercising again within a few days of her hospitalisation.
San Francisco-based cardiologist Dr Nicole Harkin told Buzzfeed that she was sceptical about some of the ingredients in pre-workout products, which typically contain “a massive amount of caffeine”, as well as sweeteners and emulsifiers.
“Taking such a large amount at once could certainly be detrimental to the body, by increasing the heart rate and blood pressure acutely,” she told the news site, adding that we often have “no idea” what is in these supplements as they are not regulated by food and drug authorities.
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