Toxic Chinese medicine

[GeneChing]

Given that our poisonous chinese medicine (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37035) thread got locked down, I'm starting a new thread on this subject. Toxins in OTC TCM is a great concern, especially given dubious regulation standards. It's a very relevant discussion here, not just as a caveat, but also so TCM practitioners and users can dispose of these products properly.


Page last updated at 09:59 GMT, Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Harmful Chinese medicine on sale in St Helier (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/jersey/8544083.stm)

People in Jersey who have taken a herbal medicine that has been linked to cancer have been urged by the health department to contact their GP.

Aristolochia, banned under Jersey Law was found in a product at Dr Beijing, St Helier.

Dr Rosemary Geller, medical officer of health, said it can affect kidneys and urged anyone who had taken "Jing Zhi Ke Sou Tan Chuan Wan" to see a doctor.

Police said the shop's owner had been cooperative and no arrests were made.

'Medicine shared'

Dr Geller said: "I am very concerned that this issue has arisen in Jersey but am confident that action has been taken urgently to loook into the mattter."

Dr Susan Turnbull, the deputy medical officer of health and police, visited the shop and ensured all the medicine containing the substance have been removed from stock.

They could identify some customers who had bought the product from shops records and have contacted them.

Dr Turnball said: "There may be more people who have taken this product than the records suggest.

"People may also have shared the medication with others believing as the product is herbal, it must therefore be safe.

"This is simply not the case."

Aristolochia is banned under the Aristolochia, Mu Tong and Fangi Prohibition (Jersey) Order 2002

[Dale Dugas]

Hence I go to great lengths to find clean sources of herbs.

There are no such things as organic Chinese herbs. at least 100%. some are just unable to be certified.

Aristolochia is an acid that can shut down your kidneys and kill you.

xi xin has it in it as well as certain forms of Mu Tong and other herbs.

If you cook it you destroy it.

It can been used external only for pain. Internal usage is not a very good choice for it due to the risk of kidney failure.

[GeneChing]

I just saw Wicked. Oz makes me think of that. I know, that's not OT, but I have to write something with each news post as the forum won't allow just a quote.

Lack of Government Regulation in Traditional Medicine 'Alarming' (http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/30937/)
By Sonya Bryskine
Epoch Times Staf Created: Mar 7, 2010 Last Updated: Mar 7, 2010

SYDNEY—The absence of national registration standards for traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, herbalists, and even naturopaths is putting consumers at risk, says the former president of the Australian Medical Association.

Professor Kerryn Phelps believes that natural medicine deserves the same level of government regulation as other health professionals like optometrists, dentists, or doctors.

“I think we need to move to registration of naturopaths and herbal medicine practitioners so that people who call themselves naturopaths and herbalists have a minimum level of education,” said professor Phelps, who is the current president of the Australian Integrative Medical Association—an organization that promotes integration of alternative and conventional treatments.

She says that the lack of regulation in alternative medicine is “alarming” and makes consumer vulnerable to being treated by under-qualified practitioners.

“Consumers need to look whether the practitioner they are seeing is qualified and what qualification they have, and make sure that the courses [they completed] are from a recognized institution,” she said.

In all states, except Victoria, overseas, qualified Chinese medicine practitioners can open consulting clinics without meeting Australian standards. There are no mandatory registration requirements or knowledge tests.

Naturopaths have, up till now, also been exempt from registration. However, a new push from the Australian Register of Naturopaths and Herbalists (ARONA) for national recognition may see naturopaths finally become accredited to uniform standards some time this year.

In 2005, a New South Wales state Parliament inquiry into regulation of Chinese medicine was made. Recommendations included introducing quality and uniformity of training, accreditation, continuing professional education, and the feasibility of a national registration system. To date, no legislation has been introduced.

One of the alarming aspects of unregulated herbalists is the lack of standards for prescribing alternative medicines.
Imported Herbs a Risk

Professor Phelps cautions against poorly labeled herbal mixtures, which could potentially be made from imported ingredients and fail to pass Australian safety standards.

“There needs to be greater regulation in the importation of herbs,” says professor Phelps.

“The problem is not with standardizing manufacturing of herbal medicines in Australia. The problem lies with raw herbs that are coming from overseas where they don’t have the manufacturing practices that we have in Australia,” she said.

A recent study by Adelaide professor Roger Byard, revealed that in the United States, many herbal medicines that came from Asia contained dangerous levels of toxins or heavy metals. In an Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio interview, he revealed that out of 250 products studied in California, 46 percent were found to have arsenic and 35 percent had mercury, while a significant number also contained lead.

While Australian regulations for importing packaged medicines are among the strictest in the world, raw ingredients do not fall under the same stringent guidelines.

The Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA), responsible for monitoring and regulating the pharmaceutical industry, specifies that raw herbs and homeopathic medicines are exempt from listing or registration by the TGA.

Another concerning factor is that many practitioners may do individual mixtures of herbs, without sufficient education of the possible adverse reactions they may cause, says professor Phelps.

While adverse reactions to herbal treatments are less reported than for conventional drugs, the dangers are no less significant.

Many side effects related to herbal medicines come from interactions with chemical drugs. If the herbalist is unaware of these potential problems, the effect can be fatal.

For example, simple alternative supplements like garlic, gingko, or ginger may increase bleeding if taken together with blood thinning agents. A report published in the Malaysian Journal of Pharmacy detailed a case of spontaneous bleeding in the eye when a patient took ginkgo biloba together with aspirin. A more serious side effect of this could be bleeding in the brain, otherwise known as a stroke.

However, cases like these can be easily avoided with proper education of consumers, as well as with nationally-enforced regulation of practitioners, believes professor Phelps.

“It comes to down to consumer education about the importance of getting advice from a qualified practitioner.”

[PlumDragon]

Importing herbs into Australia is definitely an issue, from both sides of the fence. Ive had who knows how many customers in Australia make orders that were then either seized by customs and taxed heavily, sprayed with pesticides or radiated, or downright destroyed. Customs there is very strict about what they will allow in to their borders.

Even if they fix all the issues with the alternative medicine market, customs will still require some attention in terms of changing laws and regulations and such for importing.

[mawali]

Another concerning factor is that many practitioners may do individual mixtures of herbs, without sufficient education of the possible adverse reactions they may cause, says professor Phelps.

While adverse reactions to herbal treatments are less reported than for conventional drugs, the dangers are no less significant.

Many side effects related to herbal medicines come from interactions with chemical drugs. If the herbalist is unaware of these potential problems, the effect can be fatal.

For example, simple alternative supplements like garlic, gingko, or ginger may increase bleeding if taken together with blood thinning agents. A report published in the Malaysian Journal of Pharmacy detailed a case of spontaneous bleeding in the eye when a patient took ginkgo biloba together with aspirin. A more serious side effect of this could be bleeding in the brain, otherwise known as a stroke.

This is a serious problem but very few are unaware of the consequences!
When one mentions this to TCM practitioners they think you are trying to disrupt their business so sadly, such problems will increase to the detriment of herbal medicine profession.

As an example, co-administration of chemotherapy and herbal prepared medicine is a potentially deadly combination hence the rule of stopping one, allowing for a sufficient washout period (no drug/herbal product) and when sufficiently merited, start with the other regimen!

[Xue Sheng]

My wife (from China) , who is a TCM Doc trained in TCM in China, is the first to tell her patients the things that western Medicine does better and the things that Chinese medicine does better and the things that don’t mix. But then part of her TCM training included western medicine bits and in China she had to know interactions since she could and did also prescribe western medication from time to time.

She also goes to great lengths to purchase quality herbs here and has more then once been amazed at some of the prescriptions that some of her patients have brought to her form others. Some (not all) are not complete, and some (not all) were just plain wrong.

[GeneChing]

It's pretty easy to find this stuff on the market still, at least online.
Jingzhi Kesou Tanchuan Wan 京制咳嗽痰喘丸. It's an OTC for "scattered wind heat, cough. For exogenous phlegm-heat resistance lung, cough, shortness of breath, asthma, itching throats, nausea." List price is only a few bucks a box.


Page last updated at 11:46 GMT, Monday, 29 March 2010 12:46 UK
Banned Chinese medicine still on sale (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8592980.stm)

The pills were banned in July 1999

A Chinese medicine which can cause cancer is on sale in the UK despite warnings to take it off the market.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency says more than 900 packs of poisonous Jingzhi Kesou Tan Chuan Wan are circulating in shops.

The news comes weeks after a criminal court heard how a UK woman developed kidney failure and cancer after taking pills containing toxic Aristolochia.

Anyone who may have taken the medicine should call their doctor, experts say.

The unlicensed herbal product was distributed to 20 traditional Chinese medicine and herbal medicine outlets throughout the UK.

The distributor, Ekong International (UK) Ltd, issued a recall last month, but more than three quarters of the stock has still not been returned.

Packs of the product, brought to the UK from China, have had a new English label put on to hide the original label which contained the Chinese symbols for Aristolochia, a banned toxic and carcinogenic derivative of a plant.

The medicine is packed in white plastic bottles, each containing 180 round white tablets.

Richard Woodfield, head of herbal policy at the MHRA, said: "This is a clear example where natural does not necessarily mean safe.

"Aristolochia is a highly toxic plant that can cause serious injury and even death if taken.

"I would strongly advise anyone who has used this product to stop taking it and to immediately consult their doctor."

[Drake]

I dunno... if I ever required these herbs, I'd likely buy from Dale Dugas, as he seems to be one of the few people who not only knows what he's talking about, but also gives a hoot about whwther or not he's giving you a safe product.

I wouldn't buy smack from China, as they can't even get their paint, toys, or even baby formula right.

[Dale Dugas]

Drake,

thank you for the kind words.

I am always trying to source the best herbs as well as GMP certified patent medicines as well.

It is getting harder, but there are great companies out there that offer herbs that have been tested for pesticides, heavy metals, and such.

Let me know how I can be of service to anyone on this board.

[GeneChing]

Underground radio stations and through advertisements on television but no internet?

Updated Friday, April 2, 2010 9:45 am TWN, The China Post news staff
Investigators crack down on counterfeit medicine (http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2010/04/02/250838/Investigators-crack.htm)
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Investigators and prosecutors yesterday launched nationwide raids to stop the sale of counterfeit drugs, local media reported.

The suspected sellers and manufacturers of the illegal drugs were charged with violating the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law and Food Sanitation Act. Taipei investigators seized 920,000 fake herbal tablets from 9 a.m. to noon.

Authorities searched at least 20 Chinese medicine sellers and manufacturers in the raid ordered by Premier Wu Den-yih due to the drugs' link to kidney failure and increased number of dialysis patients in Taiwan.

Counterfeit drugs can be easily obtained from underground radio stations and through advertisements on television, authorities said.

The law stipulates that manufacturers and sellers of counterfeit drugs can receive prison sentences of up to 10 years and a maximum fine of NT$10 million.

Individuals who wilfully participate in the supply, prescription, delivery, display, and storage of the drugs could face prison sentences of up to seven years and a fine of up to NT$5 million.

[GeneChing]

Correct me if I'm wrong - Zhuanggu Guangjie Wan is an OTC joint formula used a lot for arthritis. There's probably many products available from different companies. The one to avoid has the provisional registration number HKP-05345

DH surveillance captured an adulterated proprietary Chinese medicine (http://7thspace.com/headlines/344053/dh_surveillance_captured_an_adulterated_proprietar y_chinese_medicine.html)

Hong Kong (HKSAR) - The Department of Health (DH) today (May 11) urged members of the public not to buy or take a proprietary Chinese medicine for relieving joint pain called¡u999¡vZhuanggu Guangjie Wan (Wan) with provisional registration number HKP-05345 as analysis by Government Laboratory found undeclared chemicals. The appeal is made in view of the detection of two chemicals, psoralen and iso-psoralen in the Wan but are not on the product's label by DH's Chinese medicine surveillance programme. The presence of the two chemicals indicated that psoralen- and iso-psoralen-containing Chinese herbs, not declared as ingredients, are probably included in the Wan.

Common herbs containing the respective chemicals are Psoraleae corylifolia L which has the functions of invigorating the kidneys, easing asthma and stopping diarrheaand "Heracleum candicans Wall. ex DC" which can cure coughing and kill pains. The wholesaler, Hong Kong San Jiu Medical Limited, which imported the drug from the Mainland, is ordered by the DH to recall the Wan from consumers because although the undeclared chemicals are not known to pose health hazards, the findings pointed to quality and labelling defects.

The company has set up a hotline 2408 0789 to answer related enquiries. Meanwhile, investigation into the cause of the adulteration is to continue and DH has already been in contact with its Mainland counterpart. The spokesman reminded members of the public to check their Chinese medicine stock carefully and act accordingly.

For those who have used the product and feel unwell, they should seek the expert advice of healthcare professionals.

[TenTigers]

you should post pics of these products as well

[GeneChing]

Unfortunately, if it's an OTC, there's probably other similar OTC products that are fine. All they give is the distributor and the provisional registration number. That makes it hard to do an image search.

[GeneChing]

Still available here?

Denmark bans contaminated Traditional Chinese Medicines (http://www.ap-foodtechnology.com/Formulation/Denmark-bans-contaminated-Traditional-Chinese-Medicines)
12-Jul-2010

The Danish Food Administration has issued warnings about five Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) food supplements due to the presence of “dangerous herbal ingredients”.

The DFA said the products (Geng Nian An Pian; Liu Wei Di Huang Pian; Jin Kui Shen Qi Pian; Mingmu Dinhuang Wan and Jingxin Menocare Essence) were available from alternative therapists across the country.

“The products contain several dangerous plants that may cause various side effects such as damage to the central nervous system and hormonal influences,” the DFA said.

[Dale Dugas]

seems the Danes are giving out very little information other than there are dangerous plants they want to ban.

all the medicines mentioned should be prescribed by a trained herbalist/acupuncturist and not self prescribed.

Gene, I could only find the little quote from your linked source. Any more?

[GeneChing]

Chinese medicine death links (http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=107742&sid=31199360&con_type=1)
Samson Lee
Monday, February 07, 2011

More than a third of the about 4,400 cases of poisoning last year were self-inflicted, a study has found.

And four deaths were, for the first time, attributed to Chinese medicines, two of which were intentional. The study was jointly conducted last year by the Hong Kong Poison Information Centre and the United Christian Hospital's toxicology unit.

The unit's deputy director, Tse Man-li, said there were 4,420 cases of poisoning last year, a slight rise on the 4,338 cases in 2009. There were 40 deaths last year.

"Suspected self-harm was the major cause of poisoning, accounting for 36.36 percent," Tse said.

"The other causes were unintentional poisoning [22.19 percent] and the abusive use of drugs [12.99 percent]."

Two of the deaths involving the use of Chinese medicines were apparent suicides.

"A middle-age woman took mylabris [dried beetle] powder, which is used in Chinese medicine and which she bought in the mainland last year. She suffered a cardiac arrest and died several hours after admission to hospital," he said.

The medicine is used for serious skin ulcers. Tse added the use of mylabris is under control by the government in that it is not easy to buy in Chinese medicine pharmacies in Hong Kong. "If people misuse the medicine, it can cause them to vomit and defecate with blood," Tse said. "We do not know how this woman knew about this medicine but she committed suicide successfully.

"This is the first time I have come across the use of Chinese medicine to commit suicide."

Tse said nonpharmaceuticals such as washing liquids and shampoos accounted for 73 percent of the unintentional poisoning cases. Of these, 261 cases involved children under the age of five.Suicide by beetle. Vomit and defecate with blood? Nasty...

[curenado]

We buy US organic and lab certified because it has just gotten that way.

There is a BIG time herb supplier that handles tons of stores and practitioners - and offers no gaurantees that what you got sold is even what it was listed as.

Practitioners and stores can plan on having to move in that direction. There are good suppliers and more all the time.

It costs about $200 to have a crop tested. The outside sources we do use provide the certificates on request.

[chusauli]

Suicide by beetle. Vomit and defecate with blood? Nasty...

Gene,

That's nothing! All poisoning meets the same fate, more or less, along with liver and kidney failure.

We're being poisoned insidiously through health and beauty products like shampoo, conditioner, hair color, sun screen, make up, lipstick, etc.

Look at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

Worse yet, look up iatrogenic causes of death, being the leading cause of death here in the USA, next to Cancer and Heart Disease. Care to guess how many are because of prescription medications.

Don't get down on Chinese Medicine, we've a long history and Chinese medicines are generally low toxicity due to low dosages of different substances.

Yes, Chinese Medicine can be dangerous, especially if self prescribed and people not knowing what they are doing. You have to go to a professional.

Don't be an ostrich with its head in the sand...be informed!

[curenado]

Gene,

That's nothing! All poisoning meets the same fate, more or less, along with liver and kidney failure.

We're being poisoned insidiously through health and beauty products like shampoo, conditioner, hair color, sun screen, make up, lipstick, etc.

Look at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

Worse yet, look up iatrogenic causes of death, being the leading cause of death here in the USA, next to Cancer and Heart Disease. Care to guess how many are because of prescription medications.

Don't get down on Chinese Medicine, we've a long history and Chinese medicines are generally low toxicity due to low dosages of different substances.

Yes, Chinese Medicine can be dangerous, especially if self prescribed and people not knowing what they are doing. You have to go to a professional.

Don't be an ostrich with its head in the sand...be informed!

Oh the article was clearly propaganda - there are numerous deadly poisons and carcinogens in US pharma and food products at US determined "acceptable" levels.

It is ensuring the purity, potency and cleanliness of what you get that is the real concern these days.

I think in some cases it was pretty dumb of a experienced store owner to mass sell something dummies could abuse and hurt themselves with - again, not the plant or the med schools fault if the advisories are out there.

We have more practitioner, apothecary type clients and home do-it-yourselfers so our risks with the uninformed are lower. We are also up front and clear about properties, risks and guidelines because we bulk in raw materia medica.

I see a push by pharmaceutical interests to lump traditional medicine legal highs and incidents - which are actually much higher in US conventional medicine - into one more lever of financial and population control.

----------------

Yes, 2/3 of the world does not rely primarily on conventional and synthetic medicine, YET of the 1/3 that do, side effects, errors, injuries and deaths are MUCH much higher.

[GeneChing]

To say that western products are poisonous is a bit of a straw man argument. Sure, there's plenty of poisonous things out there. And I'm fully aware of TCM's long history. I'm also acutely aware of toxic issues. I'm allergic to a lot of TCMedicines. I'm allergic to most tiedajiu. I was recently given a TCM neck formula by a good friend who just got his acupuncture/herbalist license. I had a horrible reaction to it.

Don't get me wrong, though. I support TCM. I've had some fabulous results with some TCM, just like I've had both good and bad results with Western medicine.

My intention with this thread has just been to report on news stories concerning this topic, just to document how many come up on the newsfeeds over time. So to me, it's about TCM taking it's head out of the sand, especially when it comes to spreading into the west.

[chusauli]

To say that western products are poisonous is a bit of a straw man argument. Sure, there's plenty of poisonous things out there. And I'm fully aware of TCM's long history. I'm also acutely aware of toxic issues. I'm allergic to a lot of TCMedicines. I'm allergic to most tiedajiu. I was recently given a TCM neck formula by a good friend who just got his acupuncture/herbalist license. I had a horrible reaction to it.

Don't get me wrong, though. I support TCM. I've had some fabulous results with some TCM, just like I've had both good and bad results with Western medicine.

My intention with this thread has just been to report on news stories concerning this topic, just to document how many come up on the newsfeeds over time. So to me, it's about TCM taking it's head out of the sand, especially when it comes to spreading into the west.

Many Die Da Jiu ingredients are toxic. If your Rx contains Sheng Chuan Wu, Sheng Cao Wu, Sheng Ban Xia, Sheng Tian Nan Xing, or even cooked versions (Shou Chuan/Cao Wu, etc), Tu Bie Chong, and other exotics, they can be toxic.

Sounds like you were allergic to the neck Rx given by your friend. You might want to check the ingredients. Also "newly licensed" may also be "less experienced". You could always get a customized Die Da Rx made for you, specifically. What were the horrible reactions to it? Was it topical or internal? What were the ingredients?

A lot of toxins come from the foods we eat with artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives, etc. Walking around with extra pounds is also carrying around toxins in your fat, particularly if you're not training regularly with a sedentary job. Exercise and cleaning up diet will detox you.

The health and beauty products are a real threat, but a hidden one. I am not saying "that western products are poisonous" at all. There are a lot of dangers of drugs:

http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/30

and "Adverse Reactions to Prescription Drugs - 32,000" far exceeds TCM related deaths.

[GeneChing]

You got to remember who you are talking to, chusauli. I have excellent access to many top tiedazhang and TCM docs. I train regularly, undergo detoxing, and watch my diet quite well. Obviously I don't use beauty products. Come on now. Look at me. As if that would help. :rolleyes:

And I've experimented with varying tiedajiu recipes, toggling the ingredients - frankly it was too much work and now I just make do without it. Once you get past reliance on such liniments, you don't really miss them.

In short, I've been down this road for a long time. What amuses me is that whenever I bring it up to exponents of TCM, they always treat me as if I'm ignorant of all this, as if I haven't done my research, and they know that I do research in this field for a living. It makes me wonder if they are better at listening to their patients or at proselytizing TCM. And like I said, I *do* support TCM. I just don't believe it's a panacea. I don't believe anything is a panacea.

If you really want to know, I discuss many of my TCM issues in my book, Shaolin Trips (http://www.amazon.com/Shaolin-Trips-Gene-Ching/dp/1424308976/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276188031&sr=1-1).

[chusauli]

Gene,

No worries, just want to put my post out there so that those who don't do the research and education like you don't get the wrong impressions.

Sure, you do the research. How many others do? They see "Wow! Chinese medicine Suicide by beetle. Vomit and defecate with blood? Nasty..." or a whopping "400 deaths caused by a mushroom" and TCM wrongly gets labeled as "deadly - poison and can kill you". Even the editor (you) got "horrible reactions" from "top guys in the field". What is the layman to think?

So before you tell me about not listening - I am hearing your mixed messages of * supporting Chinese medicine. Finally Gene, I've seen you clean up pretty well... LOL! I am not talking about "beauty products" - I am talking about everyday stuff like soap, toothpaste, daily essentials, etc. Check out the website I posted again.

[GeneChing]

This forum is full of wrong impressions. It's a failing of the internet. If an infinite amount of monkeys were on an infinite amount of keyboards, one would come up with the complete works of Shakespeare. Meanwhile, the rest of us are stuck with an infinite amount of stupid posts and tweets. :p

I'll temper my posts by saying I've had some very positive TCM experiences. It did wonders for me when I lived in the Silicon Valley and suffered from debilitating allergies. It's also done well by me in other situations. But at the same time, I'll keep adding news items to this thread as they pop up on the newsfeed. As an editor, 'nasty suicide by beetle' is just too irresistible to pass by.

[chusauli]

You editors are all the same! :)

Sensationalism and vague remarks, Tiger moms, iPhone 4 G and whatever else is hot!

We're cool! :cool:

[GeneChing]

...or more scientifically, aristolochic acid.

Study finds herbalists at higher urinary cancer risk (http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/11/30/study-finds-herbalists-at-higher-urinary-cancer-risk/)
Published November 30, 2012
Reuters

A small new study from Taiwan links a widely banned substance traditionally used in Chinese medicine to an elevated risk for kidney and bladder cancers among professional herbalists.

Herbs, such as fang chi, that contain the plant-derived aristolochic acid, are known to cause cancer as well as kidney failure, and the current study suggests that working with these herbs raised urinary cancer rates among Taiwanese herbalists who handled fang chi before its ban in 2003.

"This is the first study that looks at an occupational group that has been heavily exposed to aristolochic acid," said the study's lead author Dr. Hsiao-Yu Yang, an occupational medicine professor at Tzu Chi University in Taiwan.

Previous research has found that Chinese herbalists have three times higher risk for urinary system cancers compared with the general population, but those reports didn't connect the pattern to a specific work-related factor.

To see whether fang chi exposure could be involved, Yang's team used national databases to track 6,564 Chinese herbalists working in Taiwan between 1985 and 1998. In 2002, the herbalists took surveys about their recollections of processing medicines such as fang chi in their practices.

The occupational researchers honed in on 24 herbalists who had contracted cancer of the urinary system, including the kidneys, bladder and urethra, and compared that group with 140 herbalists who were healthy at the time of the 2002 survey.

About two-thirds of the herbalists in both groups were women.

Herbalists who packed or sold fang chi had 2.6 times the risk of urinary cancer compared with herbalists who avoided fang chi in their practice, Yang's team reports in the Journal of Urology. Those who ground the herb had 2.2 times higher risk.

The results took into account other potentially cancer-causing factors such as cigarette smoking, use of hair dyes or exposure to arsenic from deep-water wells.

An ongoing threat

In 2001, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers of the dangers of aristolochic acid-containing herbs, and regulations established in the Europe Union in 2004 effectively banned the substance. However, Internet sites still sell the processed drug or source plant, which remains legal in China and several other countries.

For Yang, the study also highlights the fact that little-regulated Chinese herbal medicines in many cases still contain aristolochic acid.

"We want to push our government to prohibit all drugs that contain aristolochic acid," Yang said. One example, xi xin, a common cold medicine still in use in Taiwan, contains aristolochic acid, he pointed out.

Yang and colleagues also found that 19 percent of Taiwanese herbalists had traces of aristolochic acid in their blood three years after the ban, indicating that the drug was probably still in use.

That possibility is among the reasons at least one expert dismissed the new study as flawed.

"It's a low quality study, and I wouldn't rely on it at all," said Mikel Aickin, methodology editor at BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, who was not involved in the research.

The report's main weakness, Aickin told Reuters Health, was that many of the herbalists personally used fang chi outside of the clinic, making it impossible for researchers to determine whether the increases in urinary system cancer came from a work hazard or personal consumption.

The claim that handling fang chi is an occupational danger to herbalists isn't true, Aickin said. "It's really just a very clumsy study that's rediscovered what's already known about the carcinogenesis of taking it as a treatment. They're producing nonsense," he added.

Yang agreed that the study could not determine whether the Chinese herbalists put themselves at additional risk by personally consuming fang chi.

"This occupational group may also take fang chi - I cannot say that it is not impossible that the disease comes from taking the herbs - but their occupation contributes to the etiology greatly," Yang said.

"Now that this paper is out, I suspect and hope that there will be more interest in worker safety in this industry," said Steven Given, dean of clinical education at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco. "I think this is a very good sign."

A "global disease"?

Beyond herbalists, and despite near-worldwide bans, cases of aristolochic acid-linked cancers and other illnesses continue to crop up from the Balkans to Beijing.

Fang chi was traditionally used to treat arthritis and swelling, but aristolochic acid has been found in a wide variety of dietary supplements and alternative medicines (see list of examples here: 1.usa.gov/V8MkNx).

"This is a potential global disease," said Graham Lord, a nephrologist at King's College London who worked on the first case of kidney failure from aristolochic acid reported in the U.K.

"It may be under-recognized, but in the last two or three years, there has been an increasing number of epidemiological studies coming out showing that there could be potentially tens of thousands of patients out there that have been exposed," Lord told Reuters Health.

Doctors may not immediately associate kidney diseases with the ingredient that contaminates some herbal preparations and can be easily bought over the Internet, experts said.

'It's quite hard to diagnose, there is no simple test that you can perform, it's a fairly specialized form of testing," Lord said.

To help in the diagnosis, Lord and colleagues in Belgium are currently working on a checklist for doctors to help determine if aristolochic acid is at the root of a patient's kidney failure or urinary system cancer.

[GeneChing]

I didn't realize there were that many TCMers injecting stuff. I've never had a TCM injection, and frankly, I wouldn't trust that.

Govt looks into woman’s death at illegal TCM clinic (http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/755135.shtml)
Global Times | 2013-1-11 0:08:01
By Zhang Zihan

The government has announced a clinic in Chaoyang district is illegal after a woman died allegedly caused by an injection of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Huang Yazhe, a 47-year-old woman from Fujian Province, died in Dingcheng TCM Clinic in Ligezhuang village on New Year's Eve. Her son Guo Jianxiong told the Global Times Thursday that he believes the clinic should assume full responsibility for his mother's death.

An official from Chaoyang District Health Bureau, surnamed Xu, told the Global Times they need to check the autopsy report before they take further action, but confirmed the clinic is illegal.

"It has been proved the clinic has no license, and is not registered with us," said Xu.

Guo said that he and his mother both caught a cold, so they decided to consult a doctor on New Year's Eve.

Huang was given an injection of asarone, which is made with TCM. Their first dose was fine but when the second dose started, Huang suddenly said she felt uncomfortable and quickly slumped.

Guo said Huang's heart had already stopped beating before she was sent to 263 Hospital in Tongzhou district.

A report from 263 Hospital said Huang suffered a cardiac arrest and an allergic reaction when she was admitted.

Guo said the clinic has been closed since his mother's death, but its director has not appeared, and no government official has been in contact.

According to Guo, the clinic had been operating in this place for more than two years, and continued to operate despite the government launching several crackdowns on illegal clinics during this time.

A local police officer responsible for the investigation, surnamed Jia, refused to comment.

The Global Times tried to contact the head of the clinic but he could not be reached.

Asarone injections have been used to treat respiratory disease for a long time in China, but in 2011 the State Food and Drug Administration warned it may trigger a serious allergic reaction.

Also in 2011, 1,500 cases of adverse reaction have been reported by patients receiving Mailuoning, another TCM injection, and 189 of them suffered from serious problems including respiratory damage or heart disease.

[mawali]

...or more scientifically, aristolochic acid.
This is a major problem with herbal medicine especially when mixed with Western drugs. Another major problem is misidentification of the herb, no purity or sanitized materials, and lack of GCMP (Good Manufacturing Principles).
Add ADME (absorption distribution, metabolism and excretion) with mis-identiifcation and combining herbal medicine+Western drugs and you have created a bad combination.
The reports pertaining to adverse events associated with this is out there!

[GeneChing]

I've used a lot of Yunnan Baiyao over the years. I used to like that product. :mad:


TCM maker urged to boost drug awareness (http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90778/8124973.html)
(Xinhua)
08:35, February 07, 2013

BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's drug safety watchdog has ordered traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) maker Yunnan Baiyao to boost awareness of one of its drug's side effects and remind patients to use it properly.

Yunnan Baiyao manufactures a drug of the same name that is used to treat open wounds and muscle pain. The composition of the drug is under state-level protection.

The Department of Health of the Hong Kong special administrative region on Tuesday recalled the drug after finding that it contained an undeclared amount of aconitum alkaloids.

Aconitum alkaloids can be toxic. If ingested improperly, they can cause numbness of the mouth and limbs, nausea, vomiting and peripheral weakness, and even lead to life-threatening conditions like breathing difficulties and cardiac arrhythmia, according to the department.

An official from the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) said Wednesday that the administration has followed related cases concerning the drug's safety.

The SFDA also ordered the drug maker to warn patients that they should not use the drug without authorization, increase their dosage or prolong the duration of use, the official said.

Yunnan Baiyao responded in a Wednesday statement, saying that through special production processes and techniques, the toxicity of the aconitum alkaloids contained in the drug can be removed or alleviated.

According to statistics from Yunnan Baiyao, the company detected a total of 28 adverse reactions to its product between 2010 and 2012, mostly skin allergies and itching. No serious adverse drug reactions were found.

[mawali]

There is also an ethnic variation on how drug acts on certain groups! I don't think that the present system acknowledges this but I have seen some that do address the problem that 'Western' audiences may need more of a specific TCM herbal medicnie than an Asian audience based on their dietary choices.

[GeneChing]

This really bums me out. I used to use this product a lot.

TCM found to be 'poisonous' in HK sells on mainland (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2013-02/08/content_16214001.htm)
Updated: 2013-02-08 07:38
By Wang Qingyun in Beijing and Kahon Chan in Hong Kong ( China Daily)

Traditional Chinese medicine Yunnan Baiyao has not been recalled on the mainland despite Hong Kong health authorities claiming to have discovered "undeclared" poisonous ingredients in some batches of the product and ordering it to be taken off shop shelves.

The Department of Health of Hong Kong announced on Tuesday that it had tested samples of capsules, powder, plaster, aerosol and tincture of Yunnan Baiyao distributed by wholesaler Fung Wah (Hong Kong) Co, and found they contained "undeclared aconitum alkaloids".

"According to the products' registration details and the Chinese medicine literature, the ingredients in the products cannot account for the presence of aconitum alkaloids as detected," said the department in its statement.

According to the statement, if used improperly, aconitum alkaloids can "cause discomfort, such as numbness in the mouth and limbs, nausea, vomiting and peripheral weakness, and even lead to life threatening conditions such as breathing difficulties and cardiac arrhythmia".

Produced by Yunnan Baiyao Group, a medicine maker in Yunnan province, the product is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine that is effective in stopping bleeding and treating pain in muscles and joints caused by bruises and rheumatism.

The department said although it has not yet received any reports of users suffering adverse effects from the product, it ordered the recall.

Yunnan Baiyao Group confirmed in an online statement on Wednesday that such products contain aconitum alkaloids, but the toxicity is "greatly reduced" after "unique methods of preparation".

The medicine is still available in pharmacies in Beijing. Three stores in the capital's Chaoyang district said they are still selling the medicine over the counter.

"It has always been a solid seller and sales have not been affected," a saleswoman at Hedantang Pharmacy said, adding that she had not heard the news of recall in Hong Kong.

The discovery of the poison has ignited heated public discussion because the ingredients of Yunnan Baiyao are not readily available.

A Yunnan Baiyao tincture purchased in Beijing, one of the products whose samples have been found to contain aconitum alkaloids in Hong Kong, has written on its instructions that its ingredients are "nationally classified", but advises against use by pregnant women and people allergic to alcohol.

The government classified the medicine's formulation and the way it is processed in 1956, and more than 100 million people have used the medicine in the past decade, the company said in a statement.

The State Food and Drug Administration has graded the medicine as "level one" TCM to be protected by the government, and its formulation and preparation are classified until August 2015.

But the administration said it has asked the company to revise the medicine's instructions and keep a close watch on reports of adverse reactions. The administration has also warned the public to only use the medicine under a doctor's instruction.

A Notification Letter for a Statement on a Dietary Supplement, that a California-based distributor filed to the US Food and Drug Administration in June 2002, named the ingredients of a product called Yunnan Baiyao Ding, which claimed to be manufactured by the Yunnan Baiyao Group.

The statement did not include aconitum-related ingredients.

On Jan 17, Luo Qiulin, a lawyer, filed a lawsuit in Hunan province against Yunnan Baiyao, claiming that the company infringed on consumers' dignity and their right to know.

However, Huang Jianyin, undersecretary-general of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, said it makes sense for Yunnan Baiyao Group to classify its ingredients in order to protect its intellectual property rights.

"The national regulations justify it, and if other medicine makers got its formula, they may make generic medicines and harm the company," he said. "If consumers don't trust Yunnan Baiyao, they can switch to replacements."

With regard to its ingredient statement to the US, Huang said domestic medicine makers need to adjust to laws in other countries in order to get into markets overseas.

In an online survey conducted by Sina, more than 8,600 Internet users said they would use the product despite the incident, accounting for 51 percent of the people polled. Nearly 30 percent said they would not use the products of Yunnan Baiyao.

Contact the writers at wangqingyun@chinadaily.com.cn and kahon@chinadailyhk.com

Wang Xiaodong and Gao Liangliang contributed to this story.

[GeneChing]

Never tried it. Anyone?

Popular Chinese medicine used for migraines could be FATAL, warn health watchdogs (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2310587/Popular-Chinese-medicine-used-migraines-FATAL-warn-watchdogs.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490)

Zheng Tian Wan is unregulated but available in the UK
Medicine contains herb known as Queen of Poisons
Could be toxic for the heart and nervous system
Experts urge anyone who has taken herb to visit GP

By Rachel Reilly
PUBLISHED: 11:40 EST, 17 April 2013 | UPDATED: 10:45 EST, 18 April 2013


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/04/17/article-0-195A0719000005DC-297_233x423.jpg
The plant remedy contains aconite a herb once dubbed the 'Queen of Poisons'

A herbal medicine used by alternative practitioners to treat migraines could be fatal.

Zheng Tian Wan is unregulated but is available in the UK, and it has been linked to serious health complications and death, health authorities say.

The plant remedy contains aconite – a herb once dubbed the ‘Queen of Poisons’ by the ancient Greeks - and could be toxic for the heart and nervous system.

The ingredient is on a UK list of restricted herbal ingredients and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have issued a statement warning against using the product.

The MHRA said the issue came to their attention after a herbal practitioner supplied a patient the unlicensed migraine pills, which have not been tested for safety and quality.

The agency said it has previously received three reports of suspected side effects to aconite.

One patient suffered kidney problems, a second was hospitalised after suffering dizziness and paraesthesia (pins and needles) and the third experienced palpitations, aches and pains with shortness of breath but recovered after stopping taking the product.

Andrea Farmer, Herbal policy manager at the MHRA, said in certain circumstances herbal medicines could be extremely dangerous: ‘Herbal medicines can have a very significant effect on the body.

'In certain circumstances, such as when aconite is taken orally, they can be extremely dangerous.

'Natural does not mean safe. To help you choose a herbal medicine that is suitable for you, look for a product that has a Traditional Herbal Registration or product license number on the packaging. These products have met the acceptable quality and safety standards.

'And if you think you have suffered a side effect to an herbal medicine, please tell us about it through our Yellow Card Scheme.'

Websites selling Zheng Tian Wan advertise it as a ‘formula with a thousand year history that stops headache and migraine’.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/04/17/article-2310587-195A112B000005DC-143_468x333.jpg
Experts are urging those who have taken the medicine to visit their doctor

However, MHRA guidelines dictate that aconite should not be used in unlicensed products for oral use and herbal practitioners in the UK are only allowed use aconite externally on unbroken skin.

Products intended for oral use containing aconite are not permitted in the UK without authorisation, while only qualified doctors can prescribe aconite's use in oral medicines, under the prescription-only medicine scheme.

An MHRA spokesman said: 'It's difficult to say how much is out there, because it's a traditional Chinese medicine, so it's not something we regulate.

‘It is also difficult to tell what the levels are in a product without testing it but the fact is, aconite is a particularly toxic product so regardless of the levels we would advice people not to take it.

‘If it was sold online we could have it taken down to have it removed from sale but we do not know where every traditional Chinese practitioner is working.’

They urge anyone who has taken Zheng Tian Wan, which is made by the Shenzhen 999 Chinese Medicine Investment Development Co, or any other aconite-containing product, to speak to their GP or healthcare professionals as soon as possible.

[GeneChing]

If you follow the link, there is a pdf of the Greenpeace study.

View From Asia June 25, 2013, 2:14 am
Study Asks if Tainted Chinese Herbs Are Harming, Not Healing (http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/25/study-asks-if-tainted-chinese-herbs-are-harming-not-healing/?_r=0)
By SUE-LIN WONG

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/06/25/global-home/25rdv-field/25rdv-field-tmagArticle.jpg
A farmer from the Miao minority sprays pesticide on his pseudo-ginseng field in Yunnan Province, China.© Simon Lim / Greenpeace A farmer from the Miao minority sprays pesticide on his pseudo-ginseng field in Yunnan Province, China.

BEIJING — Chinese herbal medicine, an ancient tradition that is supposed to heal, may be doing the opposite: is it also harming people’s health and polluting the environment with pesticides, as a Greenpeace study released Monday suggests?

The study, “Chinese Herbs: Elixir of Health or Pesticide ****tail?” tested 65 popular Chinese herbs from nine pharmacies in nine Chinese cities and found 48 tested positive for pesticide residues. Six of the residues (found in 26 of the samples) were from pesticides banned in China, including some the World Health Organization has classified as extremely hazardous. Alarmingly, one pesticide residue was 500 times over the European Union maximum, the study found.

That Chinese traditional herbs are tainted is known here; last year, People’s Daily online posted an article that said, “Don’t let poor quality herbs destroy the practice of traditional Chinese medicine!” The piece went on to describe the severity of pesticide residue and chemical pollution in traditional Chinese medicines.

China’s 600 million farmers use close to two million tons of pesticides each year but the effective utilization rate is only about 30 percent, the Greenpeace study found. The rest turns into hazardous soil, water and air pollution.

Over the past few years, China has spent 21 billion renminbi on genetic engineering research and development, far outstripping the 700 million renminbi spent on ecological farming, the study said.

Health implications from long-term exposure to toxic pesticide levels may include learning difficulties, hormone disruption and reproductive abnormalities, Greenpeace said.

Sometimes drunk as teas, also brewed then dried, powdered and turned into capsule form, traditional Chinese medicine has been used for thousands of years to cure ailments ranging from the common cold to ovarian cysts.

“Chinese herbs are trusted and used as food ingredients for healing purposes by millions of people around the world,” said Jing Wang, an ecological farming campaigner and project leader of the Greenpeace study. “They are an iconic part of our heritage we must preserve. Chinese herbs should heal, not harm people and must be pesticide free.”

China needs to do far more to combat the use of potentially dangerous pesticides in farming and the food chain, Ms. Wang said.

“From when we first started paying attention to this issue of pesticides until now, China hasn’t done much to change agricultural practices,” she said. “If the government were to realize the magnitude of this problem and make it a priority, I believe they would have the ability to improve food safety and reduce the use of pesticides. But at present, we haven’t seen this happen.”

Greenpeace has been warning against pesticides in Chinese foods, drinks and other ingested products for years. Last year, 12 of the 18 tea products it tested were found to contain at least one banned pesticide.

In 2011, it found 35 of 50 vegetables and fruits tested, from major supermarket chains across China, contained pesticides.

[GeneChing]

There is fallout of this in the UK (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1247480#post1247480).

Date: 20 August 2013
Time: 10:30
Subject: Warning over dangerous Traditional Chinese Medicines (http://www.mhra.gov.uk/NewsCentre/Pressreleases/CON307398)
Contact: Press Office 020 3080 7651
or press.office@mhra.gsi.gov.uk
Out-of-hours 07770 446 189

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is warning people not to use a number of unlicensed Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) after they were found to contain dangerously high levels of lead, mercury and arsenic.

One product, Bak Foong Pills, which is used for the treatment of menstrual pain, has been recalled in Hong Kong after it was found to contain up to twice the level of lead permitted by the Hong Kong Government.

Another TCM, Hairegenerator, used for the treatment of hair loss, has also been recalled in Hong Kong after a sample was found to contain 11 times the permitted level of mercury.

The Swedish National Food Agency (SFNA) has also found extremely high levels of arsenic in products going by a variety of names. These include Niu-Huang Chieh-tu-pein, Divya Kaishore Guggul and Chandraprabha Vati.

These are used for the treatment of mumps, sore throat, tonsillitis, toothache, skin infections, anorexia and fever in young children.

All of these products are unlicensed and are not authorised for sale in the UK. They have, however, been found to be available on the internet and people are warned to exercise extreme caution when buying unlicensed medicines as they have not been assessed for safety and quality and standards can vary widely.

Richard Woodfield, MHRA’s Head of Herbal Policy said:

“The adulteration of traditional Chinese medicines with heavy metals is a significant international problem and can pose a serious risk to public health.

“Natural does not mean safe. To help you choose an herbal medicine that is suitable for you, look for a product that has a Traditional Herbal Registration (THR) or product licence number on the packaging. These products have met the acceptable quality and safety standards.

“If you think you have taken any of these products please speak to your doctor for advice. If you think you have suffered a side effect from these, or any medicines, please tell us about it through our Yellow Card Scheme.”

Notes to Editor
1. Link to Herbal Safety Alert.

2. Herbal remedies should be used with the same caution and care as any other medicines as their use will have an effect on the body. While many herbal remedies are reasonably safe, it is important to remember that just because a product contains natural ingredients and extracts this doesn’t guarantee it is safe. You should always consult with a pharmacist or doctor to make sure that an herbal remedy is suitable for you to take and will not interact with any other medicines you may be taking.

3. The Traditional Herbal Registration (THR) symbol is a type of trade mark which indicates that an herbal medicine has been registered with the MHRA under the Traditional Herbal Registration (THR) Scheme and meets the required standards relating to its quality, safety, and evidence of traditional use as well as other criteria. Information about herbal medicines regulation.

4. Read about the Yellow Card Scheme.

5. The MHRA is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe. Underpinning all our work lies robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks. The MHRA is a centre of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency which also includes the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) and the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health. www.mhra.gov.uk

[GeneChing]

Those product names say it all really.

'100pc herbal' traditional Chinese medicine contained serious health risk ingredients (http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/100pc-herbal-traditional-chinese-medicine-contained-serious-health-risk-ingredients-29718519.html)
Tom Tuite – 01 November 2013

A TRADITIONAL Chinese medicine practitioner believed she had stocked “100 per cent herbal” viagra-like products which turned out to be laced with drugs that carry serious public health risks, a court has heard.

The prosecution at Dublin District Court was brought by the Irish Medicines Board (IMB), which had carried out an inspection at a premises called Dr Acupuncture, at the Nutgrove Shopping Centre, in Rathfarnham.

WDZ Partnership Ltd, which has an address at Henry Street in Dublin, and one of its directors Ms Sonya Hui Wang (aged 36), who resides at Portland Street in Dublin city-centre but is originally from China, pleaded guilty to breaking medicinal products regulations.

The IMB alleged that prescription controlled medicines were on sale at the Dr Acupuncture premises on April 6, 2011.

The woman and their company, which she runs with her husband, were accused of stocking medicines containing the active ingredient Sibutramine which was once used in slimming tablets.

According to summons issued against the defendants, the traditional medicine shop had stocked various other medicines, including products called “Strong Lion Viagra” and “Hard In the End”, which contained the active ingredient Sildenafil.

Sildenafil is used to treat erectile dysfunction, confined to prescription control and requires advise of a medical practitioner.

It was also alleged that the defendants advertised a herbal Viagra medicine which had the ingredient Tadalafil, another drug used in the treatment of impotence.

Brenda Kirby, an enforcement officer at the IMB, told the court that products seized were analysed and found to contain prescription controlled medicines.

She told the IMB's solicitor Ronan O'Neill that Sibutramine was an ingredient in one product and Ms Kirby added that it has been “withdrawn from the market because the risks outweighed the benefits”.

The court heard that the text on the labels of the products was in Chinese and Ms Wang had told Ms Kirby that this led her to believe all the products were “100 per cent herbal”.

The products containing the active ingredients Tadalafil and Sildenafil had public health and safety issues and they are also subject to prescription control to ensure the user is getting the correct medicine, the court heard

They can cause health risks to a person with underlying medical problems, Judge John O'Neill was told.

Judge O'Neill heard that the stock had three sources: a closing down sale of another business in Swords in Dublin, a supplier in the UK and some of the products had been bought from a salesman.

The woman told the IMB that she thought there should be list available of medicinal products that are subject to prescription control. However, Ms Kirby explained that was difficult to do in relation to the type of products at the centre of the investigation as they regularly changed their names.

The defence lawyer said that the potency of the products was not known but Ms Wang was remorseful that they could have had dangerous and tragic effects.

The charges, on conviction, can result maximum fines of €2,000 as well sentences of up to 12 months imprisonment per offence.

Judge John O'Neill noted that the mother-of-two had no prior criminal convictions and had paid €4,300 to cover the IMB's legal costs. He also took her guilty plea and co-operation with the IMB into consideration and ordered her to donate €1,500 to the Fr Peter McVerry Trust.

He told Ms Wang that if this is done by December 9 he will apply the Probation Act which would see her spared a conviction as well as possible jail term.

However, fines totalling €2,000 were levied against the company WDZ Partnership Ltd.

[mawali]

I cannot help but repeat something I saw about a doctor taliking to his patient:
doc; patient, you need to watch your weight, eat properly and exercise x times/week.
patient; I canot do that doc, I have a lot of things to do
doc: do you prefer to exercise 30-40 minutes a day or be dead 24 hrs a day!:D
at least, he would be stiff for the latter:confused:

[GeneChing]

The verdict....

Chinese medicine woman admits 'herbal Viagra' offence (http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/chinese-medicine-woman-admits-herbal-viagra-offence-29823259.html)

http://cdn3.independent.ie/incoming/article29823402.ece/ALTERNATES/h342/Wang.jpg
9/12/2013 Ms Sonia Hui Wang with an address at Portland Street in Dublin city-centre pictured leaving the Four Courts yesterday(Mon) after she appeared before the Dublin District Court on charges related to breaking medicinal products regulations.Pic: Collins Courts

Tom Tuite – 10 December 2013
A TRADITIONAL Chinese medicine practitioner, who believed she was stocking 100pc herbal Viagra-like products but which turned out to be laced with drugs that carry public health risks, has been spared a sentence and a criminal conviction.

The prosecution at Dublin District Court was brought by the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) which had carried out an inspection at a premises called Dr Acupuncture at the Nutgrove Shopping Centre, Rathfarnham, Dublin.

WDZ Partnership Ltd, with an address at Henry Street in Dublin, and one of its directors, Sonya Hui Wang (36), who resides at Portland Street in Dublin city centre but is originally from China, pleaded guilty to breaking medicinal products regulations.

The charges, on conviction, can result in maximum fines of €2,000 as well as sentences of up to 12 months in prison per offence.

Judge John O'Neill heard that the mother of two had no prior criminal convictions and had paid €4,300 to cover the IMB's legal costs. He also took her guilty plea and co-operation with the IMB into consideration and had earlier ordered her to donate €1,500 to the Fr Peter McVerry Trust.

He noted yesterday that Ms Wang had complied with the order and he applied the Probation Act. However, fines totalling €2,000 have already been levied against the company WDZ Partnership Ltd.

The IMB found that prescription-controlled medicines were on sale at the Dr Acupuncture premises on April 6, 2011.

The woman and their company, which she runs with her husband, stocked medicines containing the active ingredient sibutramine which was once used in slimming tablets.

According to summons issued against the defendants, the traditional medicine shop had stocked various other medicines including products called 'Strong Lion Viagra' and 'Hard In the End', which contained the active ingredient sildenafil.

Sildenafil is used to treat erectile dysfunction, confined to prescription control and requires the advice of a medical practitioner.

The text on the labels of the products was in Chinese and Ms Wang told the court that this led her to believe all the products were "100pc herbal".

Irish Independent

[SoCo KungFu]

This isn't limited to TCM. I've read enough stuff from ethnobotanists describing events in South America and the like. A village shaman would mix herbs for a treatment and at the end, throw a few tylenol into the concoction. The implication here being far more than just questioning the validity of the folk medicine, but more their entire process of analyzing what is good from bad, how they weigh evidence (and set up some potentially dangerous scenarios for the locals that are taking this stuff, particularly as more western med reaches isolated areas). Usually the answer is not much at all. In China, this phenomenon is what leads to the slaughter of rhinos for horn, not knowing something so basic as that rhino tusk isn't even made of bone (never mind that even the claim of bone being in any way medicinally useful is total nonsense itself).

[GeneChing]

I've never used this stuff. Anyone else use it?


Eu Yan Sang says product safe following FDA warning (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/eu-yan-sang-says-product/1389360.html)
By John Leong
POSTED: 30 Sep 2014 13:03
UPDATED: 01 Oct 2014 00:00

A herbal cold remedy by Eu Yan Sang was associated with the lead intoxication of an 18-month-old toddler in New York City. However, the company says the version of Bo Ying Compound sold there is made in US and in line with country's stringent health standards.

SINGAPORE: Traditional Chinese medicine retailer Eu Yan Sang on Monday (Sep 29) moved to reassure customers after a herbal cold remedy, purportedly manufactured by the company, was associated with the lead intoxication of an 18-month-old toddler in New York City.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert last Friday, warning of a lead poisoning risk from the "Bo Ying Compound" product manufactured by Eu Yan Sang (Hong Kong). The powdered product is marketed in retail outlets and online for use in infants and children for treatment of a variety of conditions including influenza, fever, sneezing, and nasal discharge, the FDA said.

"The product was tested and found to contain high levels of lead," it said. "FDA has received one adverse event report of lead poisoning in an 18-month-old child who was given this product."

The FDA advised parents and caregivers not to purchase or use the product, and added that anyone using this product or providing it to a child should immediately consult a health care professional.

Exposure to lead can cause serious damage to the central nervous system, the kidneys, and the immune system. In children, chronic exposure to lead, even at low levels, is associated with impaired cognitive function, including reduced IQ, behavioural difficulties and other problems, according to the FDA.

However, Eu Yan Sang said in a statement on Monday that the company does not export the product in question to the United States. Instead, the company said at a media briefing that it exports a made-in-the-United-States version of Bo Ying Compound, and this product is in line with the country’s stringent health standards.

“Eu Yan Sang (Hong Kong)'s Bo Ying Compound complies with safety requirements set out by the Hong Kong Department of Health, and has passed all required tests for safety, including lead content, long term toxicity test, clinical trials, quality and stability,” the statement said. The company has appointed lawyers in the US to handle the matter, it added.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/blob/1389368/1412053163000/bo-ying-2-data.jpg

Hong Kong measures permissible lead levels by micrograms per day. The rest measure the allowed levels by parts per million. The allowed level in the Hong Kong version far exceeds that in other countries, including the US and Singapore. In any case, the Hong Kong version should not have been sold in New York, where the poisoning case occurred in July.

Said Eu Yan Sang Group CEO Richard Eu: "In this instance, they measured the product, which we did not export, and which is only for sale in Hong Kong. They measured it as a food, as opposed to being a dietary supplement, and the standards are different even within the US. As as a food, it was found to contain excessive lead content, as a dietary supplement, that would not have been the case."

The packaging on the product that is approved for sale in the US is similar but slightly different from the one made in Hong Kong, which is at the centre of investigations. Both, however, claim to be able to do the same thing, and that is to alleviate symptoms associated with cough and cold in children.

Eu Yan Sang says it has been trying to get more information on the case and the infant's condition from New York health authorities, but has yet to receive any. That is despite the company sending two requests, the first more than a month ago.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/blob/1389366/1412053126000/bo-ying-1-data.jpg

"We've had this product for 100 years, this is the first time that something like this has happened," said Mr Eu. "I think what happened was that the mother made a complaint to the Department of Health, said that the child had apparent lead poisoning and that he had it after ingesting this particular product. They tested the product and they found that as a food, it had excessive lead content, but they did not make the conclusion that it was this product that caused the poisoning."

The company said the lead poisoning could have been caused by other sources, such as tap water or even a counterfeit product. It emphasised that all of its products meet safety requirements set out by the various countries, and these are safe to consume, including the version sold in Singapore.

SINGAPORE VERSION OF BO YING COMPOUND IS SAFE: HSA

Singapore's Health Sciences Authority (HSA) confirmed that a similar product called “Eu Yan Sang Bo Ying Compound” is sold here, but that it is manufactured by Malaysia’s Weng Li. HSA took a precautionary measure of testing the product sold in Singapore and found that its lead levels were within acceptable limits of international and regional guidelines for herbal medicines.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/blob/1389372/1412053174000/bo-ying-3-data.jpg
(Photos: FDA)

- CNA/cy/xy

[curenado]

No I haven't, but I like the alerts.
The distinction between inherent and acquired dangers is important because some have come to possess both.
The medicine is Jacks or better powerful but tcm's respect that more than some people who equate digitalis to green tea.

But I (still) purvey primary materials and botanicals and what I wanted to point out about people getting selective is that the world needs growers. This stuff just opens up more for here and some countries to meet that standard demand (not hard?) and be cash cropping.
If you work local your buyers know but the first real hill is large crop testing (200) but completely worth it.
A bit like endangered species except the endangered one is us.
To say also that if people use a plant as a staple growing it now means your beds are established in times "of changing fortune" and you know where it came from.

[GeneChing]

If you want to see the vid, follow the link. I couldn't cut & paste it into this article repost.

Hunan man almost dies after eating raw fish gallbladder (http://shanghaiist.com/2015/02/24/hunan_man_almost_dies_after_eating.php)

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/katienelson/fish-cut.jpg

A man in Hunan province nearly died from severe gallbladder poisoning after dining on a grass carp gallbladder in hopes that it would improve his health and vision, as the traditional Chinese belief goes.

Watch the Tomo News report here:

Cases of acute renal poisoning as a result of fish gallbladder consumption have been reported in China, Hong Kong, Japan, India and the US.

Please don't eat raw fish gallbladder.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
By Katie Nelson in News on Feb 24, 2015 1:30 PM

[curenado]

We shall watch it with the consuming of others organs and parts....
That's one of the stranger examples. That's when that "gross!" Instinct pays off...

[GeneChing]

VIAGRA found in Chinese 'Kung Fu rice wine' (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/08/03/viagra_found_in_chinese_kung_fu_wine/)
It provokes the desire and makes the performance BIGGER AND HARDER

https://regmedia.co.uk/2015/08/03/chinese_booze_bust.jpg?x=648&y=429&crop=1
Chinese officials inspecting Viagra-tainted rice wine

3 Aug 2015 at 12:57, Simon Sharwood

China's Liuzhou Food and Drug Administration has warned that distilleries in Liunan District are producing booze contaminated with chemicals used in the production of erectile dysfunction treatment Viagra.

The Administration reported that products named “Kung Fu wine pot of gold” and “Liu Pa god health wine” were found to contain sildenafil, the name of the compound sold as Viagra.

The beverages aren't actually wine, but are known as “baijiu”, a sprit made with rice and sold in varying strengths, which is immensely popular throughout China.

While adding a little Viagra to booze may sound like an amusing antidote to The Bard's timeless observation that drink “provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance”, (Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 3), China takes food contamination seriously. This follows incidents in 2008 in which tainted infant formula kill several children.

While a tragedy in its own right, that incident was also seen as harmful to China's export prospects. Food quality has been high on government agendas ever since, making this new incident very serious indeed in China.

I just wanted a nitecap and wound up with a boner.... :p

[GeneChing]

Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Illegally Added to Medical Wines (http://en.yibada.com/articles/56642/20150824/erectile-dysfunction-drugs-illegally-added-medical-wines.htm)
Francis Eduard Ang | Aug 24, 2015 10:52 PM EDT

http://images.en.yibada.com/data/images/full/50512/medical-wines-are-part-of-traditional-chinese-medicine.jpg?w=685
Medical wines are part of traditional Chinese medicine. (Photo : Wikimedia)

China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) has announced that 69 medical wines produced by 51 businesses have illegally added chemicals, including sildenafil, causing many to be concerned about the safety of traditional Chinese medicines in the country.
Some of the businesses involved in the scandal include known brands like Hainan Yedao Group, which produces deer-tortoise wine.
One of the most prominent drugs found in the medical wines is sildenafil, which is used to treat erectile dysfunction in men. It is the main ingredient in the popular drug Viagra by U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc.
This is not the first time medical wines have been found with illegal additives. Healthcare foods are often tainted with additives, especially sexual stimulants or prescription weight-loss drugs.
In 2014, several wines produced in Hebei and Guangxi have been found to contain erectile dysfunction drugs.
Back on June 2, a sting on a wine factory in Liuzhou, Guangxi, found that several products contained erectile dysfunction drugs.
On June 23, authorities inspected a wine factory and found their medical wines to contain several illegally added chemicals, including erectile dysfunction drugs.
Despite the lack of approved health benefits, there is still a strong market for these medical wines.
Regulators have often run into problems in cross-regional inspection, as more medical wines are being sold over the Internet. At present, there are no rules in China that prevent the selling of healthcare products over the Internet.
According to Wang Zhong, deputy secretary-general of the China Health Care Association, adding western drugs to health products and common food products is illegal.
However, many who make traditional Chinese medicine add Western medicine to their products because traditional Chinese medicine does not have the immediate effects that Western medicine does, he added.


I've had a lot of medicinal wines back in the day. They were all very stimulating, but none of them left me with an erection.

[GeneChing]

Man in hospital after eating 3 boiled toads (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/metro/Man-in-hospital-after-eating-3-boiled-toads/shdaily.shtml)
By Zhang Ningning | August 27, 2015, Thursday | Online Edition

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/newsimage/2015/08/27/020150827163507.jpg

A 70-year-old man in Shanghai was sent to hospital after eating three boiled toads believing it to be a folk remedy for his skin disease, Jiefang Daily said yesterday.

The man, surnamed Gao, had a skin disease for many years. He was told eating toads could help clear toxins in the body and was an effective treatment for skin diseases, the report said.

Gao boiled the toads into a soup and ate them. He started to vomit and feel dizzy about an hour later. He went into shock with his heart rate dropping to as low as 30 beats per minute. After emergency treatment and washing of the stomach, Gao was sent to the intensive care unit of Songjiang District Central Hospital, the report said.

Some parts of toads can be used to make medicines but are also toxic. These parts can damage the human central nervous system and digestive tracts, the report said.

"Folk remedies like eating toads to cure skin diseases or cancer don’t work," an unnamed doctor at the hospital told the paper. The doctor also said that in severe cases, eating toads could cause death from respiratory and circulatory failure.


At least it didn't cause priapism.

[GeneChing]

This study is being quoted all over the web right now. Here's a link to the actual study. I've only cut & pasted the abstract. Follow the link for the rest.


Combined DNA, toxicological and heavy metal analyses provides an auditing toolkit to improve pharmacovigilance of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) (http://www.nature.com/articles/srep17475)
Megan L. Coghlan, Garth Maker, Elly Crighton, James Haile, Dáithí C. Murray, Nicole E. White, Roger W. Byard, Matthew I. Bellgard, Ian Mullaney, Robert Trengove, Richard J. N. All****, Christine Nash, Claire Hoban, Kevin Jarrett, Ross Edwards, Ian F. Musgrave & Michael Bunce

Scientific Reports 5, Article number: 17475 (2015)
doi:10.1038/srep17475

Mass spectrometry | Metabolomics | Next-generation sequencing
Received: 11 August 2015
Accepted: 30 October 2015
Published online: 10 December 2015

Abstract
Globally, there has been an increase in the use of herbal remedies including traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). There is a perception that products are natural, safe and effectively regulated, however, regulatory agencies are hampered by a lack of a toolkit to audit ingredient lists, adulterants and constituent active compounds. Here, for the first time, a multidisciplinary approach to assessing the molecular content of 26 TCMs is described. Next generation DNA sequencing is combined with toxicological and heavy metal screening by separation techniques and mass spectrometry (MS) to provide a comprehensive audit. Genetic analysis revealed that 50% of samples contained DNA of undeclared plant or animal taxa, including an endangered species of Panthera (snow leopard). In 50% of the TCMs, an undeclared pharmaceutical agent was detected including warfarin, dexamethasone, diclofenac, cyproheptadine and paracetamol. Mass spectrometry revealed heavy metals including arsenic, lead and cadmium, one with a level of arsenic >10 times the acceptable limit. The study showed 92% of the TCMs examined were found to have some form of contamination and/or substitution. This study demonstrates that a combination of molecular methodologies can provide an effective means by which to audit complementary and alternative medicines.

[GeneChing]

In all fairness, it wasn't HEROIN. It wasn't even that similar to it. This sounds closer to opium. Heroin takes a little more processing. Great headline though.


Grandmother accidentally overdoses baby with HEROIN after using old wives recipe to treat the child's cough (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/peoplesdaily/article-3476690/Grandmother-accidentally-overdoses-baby-HEROIN-using-old-wives-recipe-treat-child-s-cough.html?ITO=applenews)

Ms Huang gave the little girl the oil from crushed poppy seeds in China
On the morning of February 28, the child became lethargic and confused
She was rushed to hospital with heroin overdose but is now out of danger

By CHLOE LYME FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 09:13 EST, 4 March 2016 | UPDATED: 09:26 EST, 4 March 2016

A woman in China almost killed her 10-month-old granddaughter when she accidentally gave her a substance similar to heroin, causing her to overdose.

Ms Huang made a folk medicine using poppy seeds and gave it to her when she became sick early in the morning on February 23 in Kunshun city, Suzhou Province, reports the People’s Daily Online.

After taking the remedy, the child became lethargic and was rushed to the hospital where she needed emergency treatment. The child later recovered and Ms Huang was not arrested after the incident.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/03/04/14/31D8A3FE00000578-3476690-Poisoned_A_woman_accidentally_gave_her_granddaught er_a_heroin_ov-m-19_1457100024990.jpg
Poisoned: A woman accidentally gave her granddaughter a heroin overdose in Kunshun city, east China

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/03/04/14/31D8A40600000578-3476690-Disciplined_Instead_of_arresting_Ms_Huang_the_poli ce_gave_her_ad-m-17_1457099996570.jpg
Disciplined: Instead of arresting Ms Huang, the police gave her advice on what medicine is dangerous or not

The child was taken to hospital by her father and Ms Huang who was responsible for looking after her at the time.

Speaking to the People’s Daily, the doctor on duty in the emergency room said when he saw the baby she looked exhausted and he did not feel very optimistic that she would survive.

However, she was rushed into intensive care where she was given oxygen, ECG monitoring and administered a series of treatments until she was out of danger.

After the little girl recovered, the doctor fell into shock when he realised she had all signs of a heroin overdose.

Her body contained traces of heroin that had been given to her as medicine to stop her coughing. If she did not get to the hospital in time the doctor said she would have died.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/03/04/14/31D8A40200000578-3476690-Poppy_seed_oil_The_elderly_woman_ground_up_the_see ds_and_fed_the-a-21_1457100059045.jpg
Poppy seed oil: The elderly woman ground up the seeds and fed the oil to her granddaughter as medicine

Ms Huang told the police she was taking care of her granddaughter who had a very bad cough.

Going to the hospital was too much trouble and too expensive for her so she made her own ‘herbal medicine’.

She ground up poppy seeds to make oil, which she then gave to her grandchild.

Ms Huang thought that her granddaughter would begin to feel better but actually she got worse and her cough became more serious.

Her face became flushed and she fell into a coma - this is when Ms Huang realised the seriousness of the situation and took the girl to hospital along with her father.

According to the report, Ms Huang blamed herself for what had happened. When she was talking to reporters she was constantly crying and her eyes were swollen from tears.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/03/04/14/31D8A3F600000578-3476690-Emergency_Doctors_were_shocked_when_they_realised_ the_little_gir-m-20_1457100040602.jpg
Emergency: Doctors were shocked when they realised the little girl had all the signs of a heroin overdose

She said she was at home and thought she could use a ‘folk remedy’ on her granddaughter, which can be very useful, not knowing it would lead to disaster.

The little girl recovered from her ordeal and was soon in a stable condition to go home.

Police interviewed Ms Huang after the incident, she was allowed to keep her poppy seeds because they are legally a food ingredient.

The grandmother was not arrested over the incident.

Instead, the police educated the family about what medicines can and cannot be used on children.

Home remedies are often used in Chinese medicine. The doctor at the hospital said they see similar cases where children have been given poisonous fish guts for medicine.

Fish guts can damage a child’s heart and liver, also causing chronic kidney dysfunction.

Sometime parents will give their children extremely strong alcohol, which is inhaled through the skin and lungs which can be life-threatening.

[GeneChing]

Good ol' mercury - the dan in dantien ;)


Traditional Chinese medicines often contaminated with mercury and arsenic (http://www.poandpo.com/in-sickness-and-health/traditional-chinese-medicines-often-contaminated-with-mercury-and-arsenic-9-4-2016/)
Saturday April 9, 2016 7:30AM ET

http://res.cloudinary.com/cmyallfiles/image/upload/chs0416/traditional_chinese_medicine.jpg
Using a stringent two test method, researchers have found that 32 out of 32 traditional Chinese medicines tested were contaminated with mercury and arsenic.

a study published in Toxicological & Environmental Chemistry has raised questions about what controls should be implemented regarding the use, importation and production of traditional Chinese medicines.

The research team, led by Dr. Etsuko Furuta from Ochanomizu University and Professor Nobuaki Sato from Tohoku University, found that many medicines contained toxic mercury, arsenic and sulfides.

Furuta and Sato analyzed the chemical make-up of 32 Chinese medicines, 21 of which were purchased online and the rest from Japanese markets and pharmaceutical companies.

They employed two non-dissolving methodologies to test the medicines; instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) to examine the concentrations of any hazardous elements present, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to determine chemical structures of high concentration elements present.

The results from these tests showed the presence of arsenic and mercury in all samples. Additionally, the results showed that medicines with identical names but different places of production had considerably inconsistent concentrations of these hazardous elements.

The tests also revealed that the use of INAA and XRD together yielded the most accurate results for quantitative and structural analysis; XRD alone failed to detect low levels of arsenic and mercury in some samples but without it the chemical structure of elements present could not be determined.

Most of the traditional Chinese medicines purchased had no ingredient sheet, which would make product evaluation difficult for the customer. However, those which did have an ingredient sheet were not always right; tests revealed the presence of unlisted hazardous ores and again widely varying concentrations of others or different ingredients in identically named medicines. ■

[GeneChing]

Wed, Jun 15, 2016
Chinese medicine seller probed over ingredients (http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/06/15/2003648664)

SIX-TONNE HAUL:Investigators said they confiscated about 10,000 cartons of ‘illegal medication products’ that were allegedly made from ingredients sourced in China

Staff reporter

Ministry of Justice investigators yesterday said that they raided Tainan-based Hua Chang Biopharma (華昌製藥) and confiscated traditional Chinese medicine products, which officials said were made from untested and uncertified ingredients from China and might pose a danger to consumers due to presence of chemical residues and illegal substances.
Investigation Bureau officials in Changhua County said that they conducted raids over the past few days at the company’s headquarters and production plants — which manufactures traditional medicine, herbal tonics and “folk” remedies.
Investigators said that they confiscated more than 6 tonnes of “illegal medication products” allegedly made from ingredients sourced in China of questionable origin, and about 10,000 cartons of about 120 unlicensed products.
Hua Chang Biopharma has been in business for 60 years and has Good Manufacturing Practice certification, a government-issued badge of approval for product safety and hygiene standards.
Investigators said that Hua Chang Biopharma sold the packaged products through a subsidiary and a retailing company based in Changhua County, distributing to more than 40 pharmacies, as well as other retailers across Taiwan.
The bureau said it began monitoring Hua Chang’s activities after receiving reports that the company was engaged in producing “illegal medicine,” buying low-cost, uncertified Chinese-sourced ingredients from importers and merchants and grinding them into powder to create different products.
The bureau said the products were being sold for prices ranging from NT$200 to NT$1,000.
Hua Chang’s owner, surnamed Chen (陳), was taken in for questioning.
He said the company produces food products, not medical products, thus it should not be subjected to the more stringent safety standards and regulations for medication.
Investigators warned consumers not to purchase uncertified medical products, due to the possibility of harm to the health, with past test results showing that many Chinese ingredients of unknown origin used in traditional medicine contain excessive amounts of heavy metals, pesticides, chemical residue and other illegal substances.
Wonder what it was exactly...

[GeneChing]

I know the Sun Wing Wo Trading Co. I wonder what the aconite was in...


Toxic tea from Chinatown shop in SF sends 2 to hospital (http://m.sfgate.com/health/article/Toxic-tea-from-Chinatown-shop-in-SF-sends-2-to-10994054.php)
J.K. Dineen | on March 10, 2017

http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/57/63/40/12531717/3/920x920.png
Photo: Google Maps
A woman in her 50s and a man in his 30s became sick within an hour of sipping a tea made from leaves sold by the Sun Wing Wo Trading Co., an herbalist at 1105 Grant Ave.

Two people are critically ill and remain hospitalized after consuming a toxic herbal tea bought on Grant Avenue in Chinatown, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

In separate incidents in February and March, a woman in her 50s and a man in his 30s became sick within an hour of sipping a tea made from leaves sold by the Sun Wing Wo Trading Co., an herbalist at 1105 Grant Ave.

Both victims rapidly developed weakness, followed by life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms that required resuscitation and intensive hospital care. A plant-based toxin, aconite, was found in lab tests of the patients and the tea samples they provided.

Inspectors from the city’s health department are removing the products consumed by the two patients from the shelves at Sun Wing Wo Trading Co. The health department is also working with the shop owner to trace the source of the contamination and ensure that no future customers are exposed to it.

“Anyone who has purchased tea from this location should not consume it and should throw it away immediately,” said Dr. Tomás Aragón, health officer for the city. “Aconite poisoning attacks the heart and can be lethal.”

Known to treat pains, bruises and other conditions, aconite — also called called monkshood, helmet flower, wolfsbane, chuanwu, caowu and fuzi — has been used in Asian herbal medicine for thousands of years. While the plant’s raw flowers are highly toxic in their natural state, once properly processed, they can be safely consumed. There is no antidote for aconite poisoning.

While people who have purchased and consumed the tea without experiencing symptoms are safe, they should stop consuming it, according to health officials. Anyone who experiences symptoms after consuming the tea should call 911 or go immediately to the nearest hospital. Symptoms usually begin within a few minutes or up to a couple hours and can include: numbness or tingling of the face, mouth or limbs; weakness in the limbs; paralysis; low blood pressure; chest pain; palpitations; nausea and diarrhea.

The connection to the Sun Wing Wo Trading Co. emerged after both cases were referred to the California Poison Control System at San Francisco General Hospital.

“The investigation is just starting, but we know that the tea in both instances came from the same place,” said Rachael Kagan, spokeswoman for the San Francisco Department of Public Health. “And in each instance the person had drank the tea recently.”

A woman who answered the phone at the herbal shop said she could not comment.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen

[GeneChing]

Adulteration of proprietary Chinese medicines and health products poses severe health risks (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171002084836.htm)
Date: October 2, 2017
Source: Wiley
Summary:
Traditional Chinese medicine is widely used as a form of complementary medicine all over the world for various indications and for improving general health. Various reports have documented the adulteration of pCMs and health products with undeclared agents, including prescription drugs, drug analogues, and banned drugs. Such adulation can have serious and even fatal consequences.

FULL STORY
Traditional Chinese medicine is widely used as a form of complementary medicine all over the world for various indications and for improving general health. Proprietary Chinese medicines (pCMs) -- which are composed solely of Chinese medicines and formulated in a finished dose form -- are generally believed to be natural and safe, but a new analysis in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology reveals serious dangers.

Various reports have documented the adulteration of pCMs and health products with undeclared agents, including prescription drugs, drug analogues, and banned drugs. Such adulation can have serious and even fatal consequences. To examine the problem, Tony Wing Lai Mak, MBChB, MBA, FRCPath, FRCPA, FHKCPath, FHKAM(Path), Chor Kwan Ching, MBChB, MSc, FRCPA, FHKAM (Pathology), and their colleagues at the only tertiary referral clinical toxicology laboratory in Hong Kong retrospectively reviewed cases involving use of pCMs or health products adulterated with undeclared drugs referred to the centre from 2005 to 2015.

The investigators identified 404 cases involving the use of 487 adulterated pCMs or health products with a total of 1,234 adulterants. The adulterants consisted of approved drugs, banned drugs, drug analogues, and animal thyroid tissue. The six most common categories of adulterants detected were nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (18%), anorectics (15%), corticosteroids (14%), diuretics and laxatives (11%), oral antidiabetic agents (10%), and erectile dysfunction drugs (6%). Sibutramine, an anorectic that has been withdrawn from the market due to its association with increased cardiovascular events and strokes, was the single most common adulterant identified.

The sources of illicit products included over-the-counter drug stores, the Internet, and Chinese medicine practitioners. Importantly, 65% of patients experienced adverse effects attributable to these illicit products, including 14 severe and two fatal cases. Psychosis, iatrogenic Cushing syndrome, and hypoglycaemia were the three most frequently encountered adverse effects.

"These illicit pCMs and health products pose severe health hazards to the public," said Dr. Mak. "Previous reports of pCM and health product adulteration were mainly routine surveillance data or case reports/series with a small number of affected patients. The present study, to our knowledge, is the largest case series that reports an overview of the use of various adulterated pCMs and health products and the resulting adverse effects."

The findings should serve as a serious warning to consumers and health professionals. "The public should be educated not to consume pCMs and health products from dubious sources, and frontline clinicians should have a high index of suspicion," said Dr. Ching.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Wiley. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Chor Kwan Ching, Sammy Pak Lam Chen, Hencher Han Chih Lee, Ying Hoo Lam, Sau Wah Ng, Mo Lung Chen, Magdalene Huen Yin Tang, Suzanne Suk San Chan, Candy Wai Yan Ng, Jana Wing Lan Cheung, Tina Yee Ching Chan, Nike Kwai Cheung Lau, Yeow Kuan Chong, Tony Wing Lai Mak. Adulteration of Proprietary Chinese Medicines and Health Products with Undeclared Drugs: Experience of a Tertiary Toxicology Laboratory in Hong Kong. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 2017; DOI: 10.1111/bcp.13420


I luv a report by Dr. Ching. ;)

[GeneChing]

Aristolochic acid is birthwort, pipevine or Dutchman's pipe, or in Chinese, : MA DOU LING - 馬兜玲 - FRUCTUS ARISTOLOCHIAE and QING MU XIANG - 青木香 - RADIX ARISTOLOCHIAE


Aristolochic acids and their derivatives are widely implicated in liver cancers in Taiwan and throughout Asia (http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/9/412/eaan6446)
Alvin W. T. Ng1,2,3,*, Song Ling Poon4,*, Mi Ni Huang1,2, Jing Quan Lim4,5, Arnoud Boot1,2, Willie Yu1,2, Yuka Suzuki1,2, Saranya Thangaraju4, Cedric C. Y. Ng4, Patrick Tan2,6,7,8, See-Tong Pang9, Hao-Yi Huang10, Ming-Chin Yu11, Po-Huang Lee12, Sen-Yung Hsieh10,†, Alex Y. Chang13,†, Bin T. Teh2,4,7,14,† and Steven G. Rozen1,2,3,7,†
See all authors and affiliations
Science Translational Medicine 18 Oct 2017:
Vol. 9, Issue 412, eaan6446
DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aan6446

The dark side of an herbal medicine
Aristolochic acid, an herbal compound found in many traditional medicines, had been previously linked to kidney failure, as well as cancers of the urinary tract. Because of these known toxicities, herbs containing this compound have been restricted or banned in some countries, but it is still available on the internet and in alternate formulations. By analyzing numerous samples from Taiwan and other countries in Asia and elsewhere, Ng et al. demonstrated the effects of aristolochic acid in hepatocellular carcinoma, a much more common tumor type. The authors showed that the use of this drug remains widespread in Asia and particularly in Taiwan, and that it appears to increase the risk of multiple different cancer types.

Abstract
Many traditional pharmacopeias include Aristolochia and related plants, which contain nephrotoxins and mutagens in the form of aristolochic acids and similar compounds (collectively, AA). AA is implicated in multiple cancer types, sometimes with very high mutational burdens, especially in upper tract urothelial cancers (UTUCs). AA-associated kidney failure and UTUCs are prevalent in Taiwan, but AA’s role in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) there remains unexplored. Therefore, we sequenced the whole exomes of 98 HCCs from two hospitals in Taiwan and found that 78% showed the distinctive mutational signature of AA exposure, accounting for most of the nonsilent mutations in known cancer driver genes. We then searched for the AA signature in 1400 HCCs from diverse geographic regions. Consistent with exposure through known herbal medicines, 47% of Chinese HCCs showed the signature, albeit with lower mutation loads than in Taiwan. In addition, 29% of HCCs from Southeast Asia showed the signature. The AA signature was also detected in 13 and 2.7% of HCCs from Korea and Japan as well as in 4.8 and 1.7% of HCCs from North America and Europe, respectively, excluding one U.S. hospital where 22% of 87 “Asian” HCCs had the signature. Thus, AA exposure is geographically widespread. Asia, especially Taiwan, appears to be much more extensively affected, which is consistent with other evidence of patterns of AA exposure. We propose that additional measures aimed at primary prevention through avoidance of AA exposure and investigation of possible approaches to secondary prevention are warranted.

[GeneChing]

Evodia rutaecarpa is wu zhu yu (吳茱萸)


Substance in Chinese medicine can cause cardiac arrhythmia (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180502104059.htm)
Date: May 2, 2018
Source: University of Basel
Summary:
A medicinal plant frequently used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) -- Evodia rutaecarpa -- contains substances that can cause cardiac arrhythmia.
Share:

FULL STORY

https://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2018/05/180502104059_1_540x360.jpg
Medicinal plants are an essential part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. However, these plants have rarely been scientifically examined. They may contain highly active substances with side effects, such as Evodia.
Credit: University of Basel

A medicinal plant frequently used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) -- Evodia rutaecarpa -- contains substances that can cause cardiac arrhythmia. This is what researchers from the Universities of Basel, Vienna and Utrecht have recently found out.

Extracts of the plant Evodia rutaecarpa are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for a variety of symptoms, such as headaches, nausea and vomiting as well as menstrual complaints and ulcers in the mouth area.

Researchers led by Professor Matthias Hamburger from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Basel investigated the effect of Evodia extracts in collaboration with pharmacologists and toxicologists from the University of Vienna. The natural substances dehydroevodiamine (DHE) and hortiamine isolated from the plant in Basel proved to be very potent inhibitors of potassium channels in the heart muscle. If these channels are blocked, the excitation processes in the heart muscle change, which can trigger severe heart rhythm disturbances -- so-called Torsade de pointes (TdP) -- and ventricular fibrillation and lead to sudden cardiac death.

Effect confirmed in animal models

The development of severe TdP arrhythmias following the administration of DHE was confirmed by researchers at the University of Utrecht in ECG studies on dogs, a model that is also used to test drug safety in the industry.

Further investigations showed that the two natural substances cause oscillations in the heart muscle cells even in very low concentrations, which can cause cardiac arrhythmia. For instance, these substances can get into a tea made from Evodia fruits.

For drugs that may potentially trigger cardiac arrhythmias, it is typically required that a cardiac examination using ECG is carried out before medication. This is especially true for heart disease patients for their risk to be assessed. To date, no clinical studies have been conducted to investigate the incidence of cardiac arrhythmias after taking Evodia preparations.

Re-evaluate security

Studies at the University of Basel have also shown that the DHE content of Evodia fruits is considerable. Hamburger currently investigates the extent to which these substances find their way into tea preparations. "If DHE and hortiamine are detected, the safety of Evodia products has to be re-evaluated," says Hamburger. TCM medicinal plants and products reach the European market relatively uncontrolled, and they can also be purchased on the internet.

The authors of the study, therefore, call for increased vigilance regarding possible toxic effects of Evodia preparations. "The popularization of medicinal plants from other cultures entails risks. These plants can contain highly active substances with side effects, as in the case of Evodia. A closer examination of such risks is therefore indispensable to protect the population," says Hamburger.

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Basel. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Igor Baburin, Rosanne Varkevisser, Anja Schramm, Priyanka Saxena, Stanislav Beyl, Phillip Szkokan, Tobias Linder, Anna Stary-Weinzinger, Marcel A.G. van der Heyden, Marien Houtman, Hiroki Takanari, Malin Jonsson, Jet H.D. Beekman, Matthias Hamburger, Marc A. Vos, Steffen Hering. Dehydroevodiamine and hortiamine, alkaloids from the traditional Chinese herbal drug Evodia rutaecarpa , are I Kr blockers with proarrhythmic effects in vitro and in vivo. Pharmacological Research, 2018; 131: 150 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2018.02.024

[GeneChing]

Traditional medicine Tie Da Zhi Tong Gao found to contain scheduled poison (https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2018/09/408251/traditional-medicine-tie-da-zhi-tong-gao-found-contain-scheduled-poison)

https://assets.nst.com.my/images/articles/img_20180214_102411_1536060549.jpg
Tie Da Zhi Tong Gao – a topical paste – had been marketed as providing relief for bruises and sprains, as well as muscle and joint pains.

By Irwan Shafrizan Ismail - September 4, 2018 @ 7:29pm

PUTRAJAYA: Traditional Chinese topical medicine Tie Da Zhi Tong Gao has been found to contain the scheduled poison Diphenhydramine – leading the Health Ministry to immediately cancel its product registration.

Tie Da Zhi Tong Gao – a topical paste – had been marketed as providing relief for bruises and sprains, as well as muscle and joint pains.

Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine which reduces allergic reactions – but when applied topically, leads to rashes, itchiness and sensitivity to light – which is why it is controlled under the Poisons Act 1952 and can only be prescribed by doctors and pharmacists.

The Health Ministry’s director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the selling and distribution of the product should be stopped immediately.

“The Drug Control Authority cancelled the product registration on Aug 28 following the discovery of the scheduled poison, which is not allowed in the formulation,” he said in a statement today.

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Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine which reduces allergic reactions – but when applied topically, leads to rashes, itchiness and sensitivity to light – which is why it is controlled under the Poisons Act 1952 and can only be prescribed by doctors and pharmacists.

He also urged the public to avoid buying and using the paste, and advised those currently using the product to seek medical help should they experience any discomfort or other unwanted symptoms.

Dr Noor Hisham warned that anyone selling or distributing Tie Da Zhi Tong Gao would be violating the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984 and could be penalised with a fine of not more than RM25,000, or imprisonment for not more than three years, or both, for the first offence.

“For the subsequent offence, (you could be sentenced to) a fine of not more than RM50,000, or jail time of not more than five years, or both.

“Companies that commit the offence can be fined up to RM50,000 for the first offence and RM100,000 for the subsequent offence,” he added.

Dr Nooh Hisham said consumers can check the registration status of any product at http://npra.moh.gov.my/.

“Those seeking information or want to lodge a complaint regarding a product can do so at http://moh.spab.gov.my,” he added.

This Toxic Chinese Medicine (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?56628-Toxic-Chinese-medicine) is a Dit Da plaster (as in Dit Da Jow (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?2816-Dit-Da-Jow)). Tie Da = Dit Da (same Chinese characters 跌打)

[David Jamieson]

when in doubt...make your own hit/fall liniment. :D

[GeneChing]

Bacterial issues.


Emily Pottier 28 Jan 2019
Macau | Two batches of Traditional Chinese Medicine products taken off market for bacteria content - Health Bureau (http://www.macaubusiness.com/macau-two-batches-of-traditional-chinese-medicine-products-taken-off-market-for-bacteria-content-health-bureau/)

The Health Bureau today announced that it found two batches of medicine with bacteria numbers exceeding standard regulations after a routine random check of Chinese patented medicine

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Macau (MNA) – In a routine random inspection of traditional Chinese patented medicines, the Health Bureau (SS) on Monday announced that it found two batches of medicine with bacteria numbers exceeding standard regulations.

The SS has ordered local pharmacies to stop selling these two types of medicine and is urging the public to not consume any of these medicines.

http://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/%E8%90%AC%E5%BE%97%E5%A0%82%E7%8C%9B%E9%BE%8D%E5%A 3%AF%E8%85%B0%E8%A3%9C%E8%85%8E%E4%B8%B8-185x300.jpeghttp://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/%E7%80%89%E7%97%A2%E4%B8%B9%E9%BB%83%E9%AB%94%E8%B 6%85%E7%9C%9F%E5%83%8F-300x234.jpeg

Batch number PP-40-802 produced in Taiwan (pictured above left), and batch 467 produced in Hong Kong (above right).

The SS release states that in addition to random medicine sampling that is conducted, it also has a drug quality and adverse reaction notification system that doctors, teachers, pharmacists and other health professionals can use to inform health authorities about drug issues.

Wait - a 'random' check? What about everything that went unchecked? :eek: