Delhi man swallows 39 coins and 37 magnets because he thought 'zinc helps in body-building'

A 26-year-old man in Delhi reportedly swallowed 39 coins and 37 magnets because 'he thought that zinc helps in body-building'.

As reported by the news wire agency ANI, the incident came to light when a patient came to the emergency ward of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital with complaints of repeated vomiting and abdominal pain for more than 20 days. The patient was also not able to eat anything.


The initial examination of the patient was conducted by Dr. Tarun Mittal, a senior consultant, in the outpatient department. According to the patient's relatives, he had been ingesting coins and magnets for several weeks and was also undergoing treatment for a known psychiatric condition.

An x-ray of the patient's abdomen revealed radio-opaque shadows resembling coins and magnets. A subsequent CT scan showed a significant accumulation of coins and magnets causing intestinal obstruction, prompting immediate surgical intervention.

During the surgery, it was discovered that the magnets and coins had formed two separate loops in the small intestine, with magnetic attraction causing them to adhere and erode the intestinal wall. The intestines were opened, and the foreign objects were removed. The affected loops were then reconnected through separate anastomoses. Additionally, a large quantity of coins and magnets was found in the stomach, necessitating its exploration and repair.

In total, 39 coins (in denominations of Rs 1, 2, and 5) and 37 magnets (of various shapes including heart, spherical, star, bullet, and triangle) were removed from the patient's stomach.

Post-surgery, an operative X-ray confirmed the successful removal of all foreign bodies. The patient recovered well from the procedure and was discharged in good health after a seven-day hospital stay.

Reportedly, the man was suffering from a psychiatric illness and was under the assumption that zinc helps in body-building.

The coins contained zinc and he ingested the magnets so that the coins would stay in the intestine to facilitate more absorption of zinc.

The team of doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital included Dr Tarun Mittal, Dr Ashish Dey and Dr Anmol Ahuja (consultants); Dr Vikram Singh (clinical assistant); Dr Tanushree and Dr Karthik (residents).

With ANI Inputs