One dead, two ill after consuming illegal health product
Posted: 03 October 2012 1458 hrs
SINGAPORE: Three adulterated health products -- two of which were purchased overseas -- have caused problems for some consumers here.
The three products are Flutulang, Kapsul Gaut and True Prolife Vegrow.
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said on Wednesday that an elderly woman died after she developed a serious rash linked to the consumption of an illegal health product tainted with potent western medicines.
It added that the woman, in her 70s, was hospitalised after taking Flutulang to relieve muscle ache.
Flutulang was found to contain two undeclared medicinal ingredients.
One was phenylbutazone, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and gout.
Another was chlorpheniramine, a type of antihistamine used to relieve allergic reactions such as hay fever and asthma.
In August this year, the woman consumed Flutulang, which her son had bought in Indonesia.
HSA said she assumed she it was safe after a relative consumed it without any problems.
Unknown to her, Flutulang was tainted with phenylbutazone, which was responsible for a similar serious adverse reaction for her in 2006.
This time, she developed a similar life-threatening skin reaction and died.
HSA also highlighted two other patients who fell ill due to adulterated products sold as pharmaceutical and traditional herbal medicines.
One of them was a woman in her 50s who developed Cushing Syndrome -- a disorder that occurs when a person's body is exposed to high levels of steroid hormones -- after taking Kapsul Gaut (Asam Urat), a traditional herbal remedy, for four months.
She bought the product in Malaysia for the treatment of gout. The product claimed to contain herbal ingredients effective in the relief of pain, rheumatism and fatigue.
HSA said it contained dexamethasone, a potent steroid.
When the patient stopped consuming it, she suffered from steroid withdrawal symptoms, including body weakness, aches and pains, diarrhoea and vomiting.
She recovered after she was prescribed a tapering course of steroids to wean her off her dependence on steroids.
The other patient was a man in his 70s who took True ProLife Vegrow for three days and developed giddiness, headache, shortness of breath and backache.
He saw a doctor and was advised to stop taking the product, after which he recovered in a couple of days.
True ProLife Vegrow was marketed as a traditional herbal product that promises to strengthen the body and maintain health.
It was adulterated with propoxyphenyl-thiohydroxyhomosildenafil, a chemical similar to sildenafil, which is a drug used medically for sexual enhancement.
The man had obtained the product locally through a friend.
HSA said its officers recently checked 35 local shops selling traditional herbal medicines and found none of them selling Flutulang, Kapsul Guat and True ProLife Vegrow.
It advised those who have purchased Flutulang and True ProLife Vegrow not to consume them. Those who have consumed the products should see a doctor if they are unwell or are concerned.
However, those who have consumed Kapsul Gaut should not stop taking the product abruptly as it contains a potent steroid.
HSA said stopping a potent steroid abruptly can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, weight loss, nausea, diarrhoea, low blood pressure, joint pain and bowel obstruction due to the slowing down of intestinal contractions.
They should stop consuming the product with medical supervision.
Dr Raymond Chua, Group Director of Health Products Regulation Group in HSA, said the consumption of such illegal and adulterated health products could be life-threatening.
He said while they might appear to be safe and could provide temporary relief from medical conditions such as aches and pains, they could also cause serious adverse effects.
- CNA/lp/al
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