Singapore - Traditional medicine to treat joint pain found with unapproved western medicines

SINGAPORE: Members of the public are being warned not to take four adulterated health products which are being sold as traditional Chinese and Malay medicines. 

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) says undeclared western medicines not approved by HSA are contained in the products identified as: Athri-Eze, Sear Heang Tienchi Tu Chung Wan, Cap Wijaya Kusuma (An Ki It) and Wiku Jahe Kencur (Akur Mujarab).

In an alert, the HSA warns members of the public who have the items to stop consuming the products as they can cause serious side effects.

Doctors and a Chinese physician raised the alert to the HSA after treating patients who had self-medicated.

Athri-Eze which is promoted as a traditional Chinese medicine and packaged in a bottle of 20 white capsules for the relief of backache, joint and muscular pain, contains three undeclared medicinal ingredients - dexamethasone, frusemide and paracetamol.

Claiming to treat rheumatic pain and backaches, Sear Heang Tienchi Tu Chung Wan that's sold in a bottle of 40 black pills with a red label, contains chlorpheniramine and dexamethasone. It resulted in symptoms of Cushing's syndrome such as a bloated face in a 70 year old who had consumed it over a year for arthritic pain.

Promoted as Malay Jamu medicine, Cap Wijaya Kusuma (An Ki It) and Wiku Jahe Kencur (Akur Mujarab) are packed in foiled sachets of either red or green, labelled to treat rheumatoid and arthritic conditions, swollen legs and stiff joints.

The brown powder products were found to contain phenylbutazone and paracetamol in the case of Cap Wijaya Kusuma (An Ki It), while Wiku Jahe Kencur (Akur Mujarab) had allopurinol, prednisolone and chlorpeniramine.

A 70-year-old patient was hospitalised suffering dizziness and low blood pressure on stopping use of the products and the likely cause is said to be the withdrawal of prednisolone, which is a corticosteroid.

The HSA says the western medicines used in the four traditional medicines have to be taken under strict medical supervision, and reminds the public that traditional medicines are not allowed to contain medicinal ingredients or substances controlled under the Poisons Act.

- CNA/sf


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