Tapeworms in humans isn’t very common today, but a woman in Iowa went to extreme measures to lose weight and swallowed a tapeworm to achieve weight loss.

According to USA Today, the woman had purchased the tapeworm online and after receiving it she then procedeed to swallow the tapeworm. When she informed her doctor about the incident, a call was made to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, the department’s medical director, suggested an anti-worm medication be administered to the woman.

“Ingesting tapeworms is extremely risky and can cause a wide range of undesirable side effects, including rare deaths,” Quinlisk wrote. “Those desiring to lose weight are advised to stick with proven weight loss methods – consuming fewer calories and increasing physical activity.” A tapeworm can’t absorb enough food to allow significant weight loss, but it can cause dangerous diseases such as anemia.Tapeworms in humans are parasites that live inside the intestines of the body. Most tapeworms in humans are ingested after they have consumed undercooked meat. Symptoms include mild stomach ache, appetite loss, upset stomach, and diarrhea. But according to the CDC a tapeworm ingested from pork, taenia solium, can cause seizures.

A woman who has ingested a tapeworm does not only in a health risk but the tapeworm can potentially spread fertilized eggs each time she goes to the restrooms; worms have both male and female reproductive systems. After 2-3 months of ingestion worms have been detected in the stool of the infected person. Not to mention that a tapeworm can grow up to 30 feet long.

The medical director stated that about a century ago, people used to sell tapeworm eggs in the form of a pill to aid with weight loss. Ingesting a tapeworm is a very serious issue, but there is medication to treat the issue.