Page 4 of 4 FirstFirst ... 234
Results 46 to 56 of 56

Thread: Toxic Chinese medicine

  1. #46
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    92% of the TCMs examined were found to have some form of contamination

    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)
    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.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  2. #47
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Heroin for coughs

    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

    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.


    Poisoned: A woman accidentally gave her granddaughter a heroin overdose in Kunshun city, east China


    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.


    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.


    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.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  3. #48
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    mercury and arsenic

    Good ol' mercury - the dan in dantien

    Traditional Chinese medicines often contaminated with mercury and arsenic
    Saturday April 9, 2016 7:30AM ET


    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. ■
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  4. #49
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Untested and uncertified ingredients from China

    Wed, Jun 15, 2016
    Chinese medicine seller probed over ingredients

    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...
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  5. #50
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Aconite

    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
    J.K. Dineen | on March 10, 2017


    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
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  6. #51
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    adulterants

    Adulteration of proprietary Chinese medicines and health products poses severe health risks
    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.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  7. #52
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Aristolochic acid & cancer

    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
    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.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  8. #53
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Evodia rutaecarpa & cardiac arrhythmia

    Evodia rutaecarpa is wu zhu yu (吳茱萸)

    Substance in Chinese medicine can cause cardiac arrhythmia
    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


    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
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  9. #54
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Tie Da Zhi Tong Gao

    Traditional medicine Tie Da Zhi Tong Gao found to contain scheduled poison


    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.

    [IMG][/IMG]
    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 is a Dit Da plaster (as in Dit Da Jow). Tie Da = Dit Da (same Chinese characters 跌打)
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  10. #55
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Canada!
    Posts
    23,110
    when in doubt...make your own hit/fall liniment.
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  11. #56
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Slightly OT

    Bacterial issues.

    Emily Pottier 28 Jan 2019
    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



    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.



    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?
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •