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Woman Blames Stroke|on Diet Supplement

BELLEVILLE, Ill. (CN) - A woman suffered a stroke from taking a "Thyro-Drive" diet supplement, she claims in a lawsuit against the manufacturer, the distributor and the store that gave it to her.

Catherine Bauer sued 1st Phorm International, Supplement Superstore, its store manager Jordan Pea, and Buff Enterprises, in St. Clair County Court.

1st Phorm made the drugs, Buff distributed them and Pea gave them to her at the Superstore, Bauer says in the complaint.

Bauer claims in the lawsuit that she went to Supplement Superstore on July 26, 2011, to buy a weight-loss supplement she had used before.

"Plaintiff was 36 years old and was generally healthy with no history of stroke or cardiovascular problems," she says in the complaint.

She claims that Pea told her about the combination of 1-Db Goddess and Thyro-Drive, made by 1st Phorm. She claims Pea told her that they were the best weight loss pills on the market.

"Defendant Pea failed to discuss safety, warn of any potential side effects, or provide any detailed instructions or warnings on use," the complaint states.

"Instead, defendant Pea provided plaintiff with free samples of the drug in a clear, plastic bag. The bag contained a small piece of paper that described the color of the pills and instructed the user to take with water and a meal. No other warnings or information were given."

Bauer says she took the pills the next day as directed.

"The next morning, on or around July 28, 2011, plaintiff woke up with extreme weakness on the left side of her body and slurred speech," the complaint states. "Plaintiff was diagnosed as having a stroke."

Bauer claims the drugs are defective in design and that the defendants failed to properly warn the public.

Bauer seeks damages for product liability, negligence, breach of warranty, misrepresentation by omission, fraud, violations of the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act, and "disfigurement, conscious pain, suffering, mental anguish, mental suffering, embarrassment, shame, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of association, loss of earnings, loss of profits, [and] loss of salary."

She is represented by Michael Gras in Belleville, Ill.

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