Kathy Richmond was left seriously ill and needed to have her breast implants removed (Collect/PA Real Life)

A woman says she spent around 50,000 on alternative remedies after falling seriously ill as a result of her breast implants.

Kathy Richmond, 38, spent the money over a nine-year period on homeopathy, reiki, cupping, acupuncture, reflexology, a functional healer, craniosacral (a therapy involving light touch).

But she was still very ill.

Kathy, a mother-of-four from Reading, Berkshire, increased the size of her breasts from an A to a G cup.

She had the 5,000procedure done in 2007 on a whim following the birth of her two eldest children.

I never hated my breasts, she explained. But they changed after I had my two oldest children.

Being 6ft, I could carry off bigger breasts, so I decided to get implants. We had the money in the bank, so I thought, Why not?.

But two years later she became seriously ill and she now believes it was Breast Implant Illness an anecdotal problem that is not recognised by the NHS.

However, the NHS does warn of the dangers of breast implants with a long list of potential side-effects, including allergic reactions.

I didnt realise it was because of the implants then, she explained. My asthma, which Id last had as a child came back and my nails started flaking.

I also suffered with extreme fatigue to such an extent, I had to give up work as a fitness instructor.

She visited a GP in Reading, who suggested thyroid problems as a possible reason for her illness.

I did have thyroid problems, she accepted. But I didnt know why. I also had ring worm, a type of fungal infection and all sorts of other problems.

Kathy said: Initially I loved my implants, I didnt regret them at all. After a while, though, I started feeling very sick.

I experienced various issues from 2009, but became very sick from late 2014. I suffered from hives, brain fog, with weight gain, depression, vertigo, hair loss and more.

There were stains on my face that looked like tea, the asthma Id not had since I was a child worsened, I developed anxiety and fungus formed on my nails. It was terrible.

She suffered with persistent ill health for the next nine years so she tried a variety of alternative therapies.

She said:I saw a reflexologist, underwent lymph drainage, saw a functional healer a type of medicine which focuses on interactions between the environment and the gastrointestinal, endocrine, and immune systems and even had craniosacral, a therapy involving light touch.

I had reiki healing, cupping an ancient form of medicine and acupuncture. But still I was very ill. It was devastating.

In 2014 a homeopath suggested her breasts could be the cause of the problems. As soon as she said it, I wondered, Kathy said said. The dates added up.

Two years later she had them removed at a cost of 6,000 and that seems to have sorted the problems.

She said: The good news is, Im feeling better. As soon as they were removed, I felt a lightness in my chest. Thats why I am speaking out so other women dont have to suffer like I did.

She adds that she now regrets having the breast augmentation.

To understand whether a treatment is safe and effective, we need to check the evidence.

You can learn more about the evidence for particular CAMs by reading about individual types of treatment see our index for a list of all conditions and treatments covered by NHS Choices.

Some complementary and alternative medicines or treatments are based on principles and an evidence base that are not recognised by the majority of independent scientists.

Others have been proven to work for a limited number of health conditions. For example, there is evidence that osteopathy and chiropractic are effective for treating lower back pain.

When a person uses any health treatment including a CAM and experiences an improvement, this may be due to the placebo effect.

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