China woman, 82, swallows 8 live frogs to treat back pain, hospitalised for infections

An 82-year-old woman in Hangzhou, China was sent to the hospital after she swallowed eight live frogs for her lower back pain in September 2025.

According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), the woman, surnamed Zhang, experienced major abdominal pain after consuming the frogs as she believed that it was a traditional remedy that could cure her illness.

Doctors at the Zhejiang University Hospital later found parasitic infections in her body.

Asked family to catch frogs

Zhang, who was suffering from a herniated disc, had believed claims that swallowing live frogs could ease lower back pain.

She then asked her family to catch some live frogs without telling them what she planned to do with the frogs.

Zhang did not cook the frogs, which were around the size of an adult's palm each, but swallowed them alive over two consecutive days.

She later experienced mild stomach discomfort.

When the pain worsened over the next few days, Zhang told her family that she had swallowed the frogs alive.

Infected with parasites

Her son told doctors at the hospital that she was unable to walk due to a "sharp pain".

A physical examination revealed that Zhang had a significant increase in oxyphil cells, which is a sign associated with various illnesses, including parasitic infections and blood disorders.

Further tests also confirmed that she was suffering from a parasitic infection.

A doctor said that swallowing the frogs had resulted in damage to Zhang's digestive system, and the presence of parasites in her body.

She was discharged after two weeks of treatment.

According to SCMP, a senior doctor at the hospital said that Zhang's case is not rare.

"We have received several similar patients in recent years. Besides swallowing frogs, some individuals consume raw snake gall or fish gall, or apply frog skin to their own skin," he added.

He said that such patients are typically seniors who seldom discuss their health problems with their families and seek medical help only when their condition becomes serious.

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