Bubble tea addiction lands teen in coma

A teenage girl addicted to bubble tea landed herself in a coma for five days after having two cups a day for a whole month.

The 18-year-old, whose name was not reported, has been given the nickname ‘Bubble Tea Girl’ after her doctor revealed she recorded blood sugar levels roughly 25 times higher than normal.

According to her mum, the girl was addicted to sugary drinks including bubble tea - also known as boba tea - and cola, spending more than 100 RMB ($20) on the beverages every day for a whole month.

Emergency department medic Lu Yiming said the girl - who weighed 125kg - fell into a diabetic coma caused by hyperglycemia, or dangerously high levels of blood sugar.

She was found unconscious by family members, having also experienced symptoms including thirst, nausea and frequent urination in the lead up - all signs of the related complication known as diabetic ketoacidosis or DKA.

The girl was put on a ventilator and haemodialysis before finally waking from her coma five days later. On June 1 her condition was considered stable, and she was transferred to Nanxiang Hospital for follow-up care.

By the time she was discharged from Ruijin Hospital, she had lost 35kgs, reports said. The teenager also promised never to drink bubble tea again.

Doctor Lu revealed he has treated three similar overweight patients in recent months.

According to reports, a typical 750 millimetre cup of bubble tea contains 99g of sugar - or roughly 20 single packets of white sugar.

In January, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University in Central China’s Henan province admitted a 13-year-old boy who had failed to digest the starchy tapioca pearls in two cups of bubble tea.

They formed two large lumps in his intestines and had to be removed in emergency surgery.

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