Award-winning actress claims she thought her breast implants were killing her

An award-winning actress had her breast implants removed because she thought they were killing her.

Sandra Luesse, who lives in California, wanted to look ‘perfect’ and decided to go from a B-cup to a triple D in 2016.

But the 37-year-old regretted her decision almost instantly because her breasts felt disproportionately large and made her ‘top heavy’.

And, 18 months after getting the implants, she began suffering an array of peculiar symptoms that were ruining her day-to-day life.

They included constant yeast and urinary tract infections, a white film on her tongue, pain in her breasts, thinning hair, foggy memory and mood swings.

However, some of her symptoms disappeared the same day her ‘toxic bags’ were taken out. The others took around a month to vanish.

Sandra Luesse, who lives in California, wanted to look ‘perfect’ and decided to go from a B-cup to a triple D in 2016 (pictured with her implants)

But the 37-year-old regretted her decision because her breasts felt disproportionately large and made her ‘top heavy’ (pictured holding her implants after they were removed)

Ms Luesse, who is originally from Berlin, Germany, said: ‘Before getting implants, I was super healthy and hardly ever got sick.

‘I literally thought I was dying because I went to so many doctors and specialists who couldn’t diagnose me.’

Ms Luesse, who played a role in American Pie 2 and has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, claims one doctor wanted to put her on antibiotics for life.

She added: ‘After a year of going to all these doctors and specialists, a friend of mine asked me if I thought it could be my implants.

‘I laughed at her because I couldn’t imagine them being the problem since most of my symptoms were not in my breasts.’

Her friend sent her information about breast implant illness, a poorly understood condition which isn’t officially recognised by health officials.

And, 18 months after getting the implants, she began suffering an array of peculiar symptoms that were ruining her day-to-day life (pictured in hospital)

However, some of her symptoms disappeared the same day her ‘toxic bags’ were taken out. The others took around a month to vanish

Ms Luesse, who played a role in American Pie 2 and has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, claims one doctor wanted to put her on antibiotics for life (pictured with implants)

Her friend sent her information about breast implant illness, a poorly understood condition which isn’t officially recognised by health officials. Pictured left before her implants were removed, and right after

IS BREAST IMPLANT ILLNESS REAL?

Neither the NHS or the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acknowledge a single condition called breast implant illness.

They do, however, provide long lists of potential – and publicly known – side effects of having breast implants.

Implants are not designed to last a lifetime, the FDA says, and the longer a woman has the implants in her body the higher the risk of complications occurring.

Complications occur in around one per cent of all patients and can happen at any time after the surgery.

As well as changes to the appearance and feel of the breast some potential side effects include pain, infection, swelling or irritation, swollen lymph nodes, skin rashes or bruising.

Reported symptoms of BII include fatigue, chest pain, hair loss and headaches chills, light sensitivity, chronic pain, anxiety, brain fog, sleep disturbances and depression.

The NHS urges any women suffering side effects to contact the clinic where they had the implants put in, and to report it through an official Yellow Card Scheme, to add to information on the safety of implants.

Source: FDA and NHS

But women are adamant they’ve been left completely exhausted, losing their hair, in pain and struggling to think straight by silicon breast implants.

Ms Luesse said her ‘heart dropped’ when she realised her implants could be behind her mystery symptoms.

She stumbled across a Facebook group with 80,000 women sharing similar tales of how their implants ruined their lives.

Ms Luesse said: ‘It was the first time I’d found other people who could relate to me and what I was going through.

‘I felt like a chicken with my head cut off when I was going to all these doctors trying to see what was wrong with me and I finally connected the dots.’

Ms Luesse had her implants removed in July – exactly three years after they were put in – and said: ‘[It] was the easiest decision in the world.’

Discussing why she opted for bigger breasts, Ms Luesse said: ‘I was always on the fence about getting implants, but I pulled the trigger in 2016.

‘I thought bigger breasts are what society viewed as beautiful and I just wanted to look “perfect”.

‘I felt like they were a little too big for me though. It made me feel top heavy because I’m such a petite woman.

‘I was also a bit frustrated because the scars were so prominent from the surgery and they never went away. I thought to myself, what have I done?

Ms Luesse had her implants removed in July – exactly three years after they were put in – and said: ‘[It] was the easiest decision in the world’

Ms Luesse said her ‘heart dropped’ when she realised her implants could be behind her mystery symptoms. She stumbled across a Facebook group with 80,000 women sharing similar tales (pictured before her implants, left, and with them in right)

Now a size 34-B again, the district manager at Arbonne added: ‘I couldn’t be happier with my breasts (pictured with her implants)

‘I had perfect boobs before and I was left with implants and scars, all because I wanted to follow what society viewed as beautiful.’

She added: ‘I noticed the strange symptoms starting around the year-and-a-half mark after getting my implants.’

As well as her infections, pain and mood swings, Ms Luesse claims she also had a ‘chemical taste’ in her mouth.

She said: ‘I had a thick white film on my tongue, heavier periods and cramps, sharp excruciating pain in both my breasts, numbness in my hands and arms

‘I felt I was getting arthritis. I had an increased urge to urinate, I had mood swings and lower energy, my hair was thinning, and my memory was foggy.

‘The worst was the chronic yeast infections because it was every day for months and months.

‘It became my new normal. It was awful having to deal with it and so embarrassing, especially in a relationship.’

Now a size 34-B again, the district manager at Arbonne added: ‘I couldn’t be happier with my breasts.

‘The difference in my health now compared to with the implants is like night and day. I feel like myself again, I’m full of energy.’

When asked for her advice for fellow women with symptoms, she said: ‘To anyone experiencing BII, I would get your implants out immediately.

‘What breaks my heart is that there are women who have had them in for years and are suffering with all kinds of chronic symptoms.

‘If you’re on the fence about getting implants, it’s not worth losing your health over. Embrace your beautiful body. Implants are ticking time bombs.

‘I know from experience what it feels like going day to day and feeling like something is terribly wrong with you, so it’s my commitment to help others now.’

Ms Luesse won best breakout actor at the Action on Film International Film Festival in the US in 2010 for her role as Gina Cassidy in Cartel War.

Ms Luesse said: ‘The difference in my health now compared to with the implants is like night and day. I feel like myself again, I’m full of energy.’

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