I am a 72 year old retired pensioner living
in the republic of Panama. The purpose of this post is to bring to your
attention my experiences with an individual by the name of Michael Orlin
Sigler, a US citizen, who goes by the title Dr. Michael O. Sigler MD, Executive
Director at Live Well Pharmaceuticals Inc., and founder of Age Management
Panama. My intention is to also bring to light the lack of action of the
Panamanian authorities regarding matters of public health and safety, as it
relates to my experience with Mr. Sigler, and his companies.
I first met with Mr. Sigler in person for a
medical consultation in March of 2013. During the consultation, my entire
medical history and current medications, which include medications to treat
diabetes, high blood pressure, and coronary heart disease, were discussed with
him. My health information was also documented on a 26 page Medical Health
Assessment Form, which I filled out and returned to him.
During this meeting, Mr. Sigler confirmed to me that he was in fact a
medical doctor and surgeon, that he had practiced medicine in the US, and that
he used to perform several bypass surgeries a day at Mount Sinai Hospital in
Miami, FL. He also explained to me that the drugs he prepares were brought in
from China, and compounded at the Live Well Pharmaceuticals compounding factory
in Panama. He went on, at lengths, about how the drugs he would prescribe to me
would improve my quality of life. He also assured me that the drugs would make
me feel better, and even promised to return all of my money if the drugs did
not work as intended.
After several hours in the consultation, Mr. Sigler provided me with a
prescription, listing all of the drugs he would supply. He went on to explain
that the prescription could be used to legally bring the drugs into the United
States and other countries.
• Sermorelin: 0.2 ml daily, 5 times/week
• HCG 5000iu: 0.2 ml daily, 5 times/week
• IGF LR3 100mcg: 0.2 ml daily, 5 times/week
• Mechano Growth Factor 2000mcg: 0.2 ml daily, 5 times/week
• GW501516: 2mg daily, 7 times/week
• DHEA Capsules: 75mg twice daily, 7 times/week
• Natural Thyroid: 2 grain 125mg, once daily, 7 times/week
• Anavar: 25mg daily, 7 times/week
• Oxytocin: 2ml daily, 7 times/week
• Testosterone Cypionate 250mg.ml: 1ml, 2 times/week
• Anatrazole: 1mg twice daily, 7 times/week
• Testosterone Undecanoate 250mg/ml
After my consultation, I began doing some research in
order to learn more about the drugs I had been supplied. I read an alert
published by the World Anti-Doping Agency, regarding one of the drugs I was
supplied called, GW501516. The alert stated that GW501516 was a “black market
substance”, that the side effects of taking this substance are very serious,
and that it was a developmental drug, which was withdrawn from research by the
pharmaceutical company and terminated when serious toxicities were discovered
in pre-clinical studies. I questioned Mr. Sigler, on several occasions, about
this drug. I asked him specifically if he knew about the alert regarding the
drug, if he was aware of any possible side effects or risks this drug could pose
to my health, and as to whether or not it was safe for me to continue taking
it. His response to me was, “this product was recommended for obesity”, and
that I should “continue” taking it. Below you will find an image of Mr.
Sigler's response, and images of the GW501516 drug that I was given, which
states "For Oral Administration" on the label.
I began taking the drugs on
March 21, 2013. Over the span of 1 week, my health began to deteriorate rapidly
and dangerously. I began to experience the following symptoms:
• Blister-like formations on skin (largest 2 inches in diameter);
• Reddish tone to the skin on his forearms;
• Swelling of feet;
• Trouble breathing;
• Trouble getting to sleep and maintaining sleep;
• Suicidal thoughts;
• Intense fatigue sluggishness throughout the day;
• Frequent headaches, most severe during the mornings after waking, and consistent throughout the day with less severity; and,
• Weight gain: 8lbs in 1 week, 14lbs in 2 weeks, 30lbs in 3 weeks.
I informed Mr. Sigler of my condition 1 week
after beginning the drugs, and explained to him that the drugs were making me
very ill. I requested my money back, as per the promise he made to me if the
drugs did not work as intended. He responded by recommending that I continue
taking all of the drugs at half of the original dose. He also offered to set up
an appointment with a doctor by the name Dr. Temistocles Diaz Lezcano (Dr.
Diaz), which Mr. Sigler claimed had extensive knowledge of the types of drugs
he supplied to me, and who would be able to provide clarification as to why I
was feeling the way I was.
I accepted Mr. Sigler’s offer and visited Dr.
Diaz on April 10, 2013. Dr. Diaz’s recommendation to me was that I, first,
immediately discontinue all the drugs I had been supplied from Mr. Sigler.
Secondly, that I should increase my regular dosage of Furosimide, by double,
until the swelling in my feet went down, and my breathing improved. Third, that
I continue on with my regular regimen of medications, as, according to him, it
will make me feel better. It was at this point where I felt that I could
conclude, with enough certainty, that the drugs, which I had been taking at the
recommendation of Mr. Sigler, were in fact causing serious harm to my health
and well-being.
I informed Mr. Sigler of the recommendation
from Dr. Diaz, and his response to me was that I should still continue taking
the drugs at half the original dosage.
Since my experience with Mr. Sigler, and the
effects on my health, I have been examined by several doctors, both in Panama
and the UK. In speaking with medical professionals, I have learned that a
person in my state of health should never take the drugs Michael provided to
me, as they would pose a serious risk to my health and well-being.
The information, and medical advice that I
received from several licensed medical professionals regarding the matter,
confirms that the drugs I was supplied by Mr. Sigler, were directly linked to
the rapid and dangerous deterioration of my health. What frightens me the most,
is that even after being provided with a 26 page Medical Health Assessment Form
on my current and past medical conditions, as well as after being advised by
Dr. Diaz, Mr. Sigler still recommended that I continue taking the drugs he supplied.
Had I continued, as per his recommendation, I fear I would have certainly
caused myself permanent damage, or worse, I fear I would have died.
My experience with Mr. Sigler prompted me to
begin doing some additional research into him in order to confirm his claim to
be a medical doctor, and his claim to be affiliated with other medical
agencies/organizations. A video (seen below) on his website
(http://www.agemanagementpanama.com), which has recently been removed from the
internet, says he was “trained as a surgeon at Mount Sinai in Miami”, and
“spent 3 years at the Cenegenics Medical Institute and the University of Miami
School of medicine”, and that he “now works at an International Medical Center
associated with John Hopkins”.
As I mentioned previously,
during my consultation with Mr. Sigler, he said he used to perform several
bypass surgeries a day at Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami. However, I have
recently confirmed that Mr. Sigler does not have a license to practice medicine
in Panama. I also received confirmation that he is not affiliated with
Cenegenics Medical Institute, or Hospital Punta Pacifica, or John Hopkins
Medical Institute, or Mount Sinai in any manner. Below is an image of the
document I received from the state, confirming that Mr. Sigler is not licensed
to practice medicine in Panama, as well as images of the confirmations I
received from the various organizations confirming that share no affiliation
with Mr. Sigler.
As Mr. Sigler does not have a license to
practice medicine in Panama, as he makes himself out to appear, it follows that
he did not have the authority to administer a medical consultation, as well as
prescribe, and supply me the drugs that he did.
Furthermore, Mr. Sigler has no affiliation
with the agencies/organizations that he referred to in the consultation with
me, as well as not having any affiliation to the agencies/organizations he
refers to in the marketing of his business.
In addition, as I stated earlier, Mr. Sigler
provided me with a prescription for the treatments he supplied to me. The
prescription I was provided was stamped and signed. I originally thought that
the stamp and signature were that of Mr. Sigler, but it wasn’t until I started
questioning his credibility, that I noticed that the stamp and signature
belonged to a doctor by the name of Dr. Karla K. Montoya G. (Dra. Montoya), who
was not present at the time the prescription was written and provided to me. As
I understand, it is an offence to prescribe treatments to anyone if you are not
licensed to do so. Furthermore, administering prescriptions with the stamp and
signature of a doctor who is not present is also an act I understand is
prohibited. I questioned Mr. Sigler regarding the prescription, and Dra.
Montoya, but I received no response from him regarding the subject. Below is a
copy of the prescription Mr. Sigler gave to me.
I then continued my research
by verifying the reliability of Mr. Sigler’s claim that the drugs he supplies
can be legally brought into the United States. I confirmed that travelling into
the US with controlled substances is a violation of US law unless certain
requirements are met, which include, but are not limited to the following:
• The drug is imported from a licensed pharmacy for personal use by an individual, not for resale, in quantities that do not exceed a 90-day supply;
• The drug is accompanied by a copy of a valid prescription; and
• The drug is a prescription drug approved by the Secretary;
My next step was to verify if Mr. Sigler’s
companies, and the drugs they supply meet the requirements in order to allow
their customers to legally travel into the United States with their products. I
learned that Live Well Pharmaceuticals is neither authorized nor registered by
the FDA, and that some of the substances sold by Live Well Pharmaceuticals are
not prescription drugs that are approved by the FDA. In addition to possibly
not being provided with a valid prescription, this means that I would be in
violation of law, on various accounts, and thus arrested and charged, if I had
attempted to bring the drugs, which Mr. Sigler supplied, into the US. The
research I have done so far, regarding this concern, indicates that Mr.
Sigler’s claim, that I can legally travel into the US with his drugs, was also
untrue.
In my search for more answers, I came across
information on the internet that stated that Mr. Sigler has a criminal record
in the United States. After looking into the matter further, I eventually
confirmed that Michael was convicted in Santa Rosa, Florida, and pleaded no
contest, for drug trafficking. Discovering this fact really helped explain, and
put into context my experience with Mr. Sigler. There is no other word
other than criminal, which can be used to describe Mr. Sigler’s business
practices/ethics, and treatment towards me. In my opinion, Mr. Sigler should be
in prison solely based on his conduct in my case, not to mention all the other
people that may have been victimized by him over the years.
I am appalled, and extremely concerned that a
criminal has been operating a pharmaceutical drug company in Panama, with
little to no regulation to safeguard the well-being of the general
public.
I recently read an article online regarding
an incident that occurred in Panama, where hundreds of people died due to
taking tainted drugs provided by the Panamanian government, which were imported
from Asia. As I mentioned earlier, Mr. Sigler explained to me that he was using
the Free Trade Zone in Panama to receive, and ship his drugs. He specifically
told me that he received some of the drugs in granulate form from China, and
would compound them into capsules in his compounding factory in Panama. I fear
the same lack of oversight may be occurring in my case, only a few years after
lack of oversight lead to the circulation of tainted drugs in Panama. I would
have thought that after the occurrence of such a tragic incident, that the
Panamanian authorities would have become much more vigilant in terms of the
control and oversight of pharmaceuticals entering the country, so as to prevent
a similar incident from happening again.
However, as I have learned, the tainted drug
incident had little to no impact on the way the Panamanian authorities approach
matters regarding the pharmaceutical market in their country. In May 2013, I
brought all of these concerns to the attention of the Ministry of Health in
Panama, who are responsible for processing and investigating these sorts of
claims, but 5 months have passed, and I have not received a reply from them
regarding the issue. I have called them once every week since submitting the
claim, and I have only been told that they can confirm having received the
claim, but cannot provide any additional information, and that I should
continue to call back every week.
I also brought my concerns to the Panamanian
National Police, but I was told that they would not accept my complaint unless
the Ministry of Health first investigated, and issued an official report on the
matter.
I have reached a point of paralysation in
terms of my options in receiving any form of justice for the illegal and
dangerous conduct that I have become a victim of. As we speak, my complaint is
sitting on the desk of some representative at the Ministry of Health being
ignored, while Mr. Sigler continues to conduct business, and endanger lives.
I am baffled at how something so blatantly
dangerous and illegal can occur, and receive no attention/interest from the
authorities who are responsible for policing these offences. In theory, anyone
could come to Panama and start a pharmaceutical company, operate fraudulently,
provide untested, and potentially dangerous drugs to people, and nobody would
do anything about it.
I also learned that the lack of action also
extended to the banks and creditors, which were used to complete my transaction
with Mr. Sigler. At the point of sale, I was informed that Visa was accepted as
a form of payment for the drugs and services rendered. At the time, knowing
that I could pay by Visa gave me peace of mind thinking that I would receive
certain protections against fraud and illegal transactions. As I understand,
businesses are thoroughly vetted, and must meet the requirements of Visa’s operating
Regulations, before being grated the ability to use Visa as a method of
charging clients, and maintain compliance with these regulations as it relates
to Visa transactions. I brought my concerns to my credit card bank, CrediCorp.
They filed a claim on my behalf, and the claim was denied, based on the sole
fact that I signed the credit card voucher. All of the other facts involved in
the case were ignored by my bank. When I questioned my bank about the
resolution, I was told that the decision came directly from Visa’s corporate
office.
I then brought the claim to
Visa’s board of directors, who initially agreed to look at the claim. Very
shortly after bringing the claim to their attention, I was told that the
decision to deny my claim came directly from my bank, that the decision was
final, and that they would no longer participate in a dialogue with me about
the matter.
It is also important to note, that
the bank who issued the Visa point of sale account to Live Well Pharmaceuticals
is Banco General in Panama. I also brought this issue to their attention
several times, but received absolutely no response from them
whatsoever.
Visa’s international operating regulations
clearly state that “A member must comply with applicable laws or
regulations", that "a transaction must be legal in both the
Cardholder's jurisdiction and the Merchant Outlet's jurisdiction”; and that
"in the event of any conflict between the Visa International Operating
Regulations and any applicable laws or regulations, the requirements of the
laws or regulations govern". The regulations also state that "an
Acquirer must not knowingly accept from a Merchant for submission into the Visa
payment system, any transaction that is illegal or that the Merchant should
have known was illegal”; and that “the Merchant is responsible for its
employees' actions”.
Despite having presented all of the
information regarding my case to my bank, the merchants bank, and Visa Inc.,
which clearly showed that the transaction that took place between me and Live
Well Pharmaceuticals, was facilitated illegally and fraudulently, on various
levels, my concerns again fell upon deaf ears.
The fact that Mr. Sigler has been able to
push his drugs, and not face any sort of recourse for his actions is absolutely
terrifying to me, and I encourage everyone to be cautious when seeking medical
advice or purchasing drugs from anyone in Panama. There is no way of confirming
if a person is or is not a licensed medical practitioner in this country, there
are virtually no regulatory safeguards in place to protect you from tainted
drugs or medical fraud, and there is practically no consumer protection
protocols in place to protect people from being swindled out of their money. I
understand now that the inefficiency of the government and financial
institutions in Panama is ideal for criminals to exploit for their personal
gain, at the expense of your health.
I ask that you review this post and provide
your thoughts and assistance in this matter. If you cannot help, I would appreciate
any recommendations you may have regarding who I may contact to seek further
help.
I hope I have provided you with enough
information. Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have any
questions, or if you require additional information.
UPDATE: If you would like to read the most recent info on this case, I have published an important update on April 8, 2014, which you can view by visiting the following link: http://harmfuldrugs.blogspot.com/2014/04/exposing-criminal-michael-o-sigler-live.html
