'Purely herbal' does not mean safe

The following report is by BENITA AW YEONG in Mind Your Body of The Straits Times dated Dec 23, 2010
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Medical experts warn patients to steer clear of untested herbal remedies in the wake of the death of a woman who consumed herbal medicine from Malaysia. BENITA AW YEONG reports


They were black, round and came in a flimsy plastic bag.

Named Huo Luo Jing Dan, the pills were accompanied by a yellow slip of paper which described its healing properties of treating joint pain.

But the pills, which claim to be a home-made blend of secret herbs, caused Madam K.H. Leong's liver to fail and left her critically ill last week.

The 51-year-old public relations executive, who had been taking the pills for at least eight months died in hospital on Sunday. She did not have the liver transplant she had hoped for.
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) found two Western medicines in the pills from Malaysia - an anti-inflammatory steroid and antihistamine, both of which are illegal in herbal medicine here.
Madam Leong's chronic wrist pain caused her to turn to the pills from Malaysia after an operation last year failed to give her relief.

Huo Luo Jing Dan is not sold in Singapore, but this is not the first time Singaporeans have fallen prey to its claims, only to pay for it severely later.

Just last year, a 50-year-old woman who had taken capsules sold under the same name over 12 years suffered a throat infection and altered facial features, a result of over-consumption of steroids, reported The Straits Times.

More recently, another Chinese health product named Jianbu Huqian Wan was declared illegal by the HSA, as dexamethasone and chlorpheniramine - two undeclared potent Western medicinal ingredients - were found in it.

A Washington Post report in September said that experts believe the global fake drug industry, worth about US$90 billion (S$118 billion), causes the deaths of almost one million people a year and is contributing to a rise in drug resistance.

General practitioner Leslie Tay from the Karri Family Clinic warned patients to steer clear of untested herbal remedies.

'I would be very wary of a new herb which touts itself as a miracle cure for many ailments and is sold by someone who is not a medical professional,' he said.

Dr Fung Foon Yin, an assistant physician at the Bao Zhong Tang TCM Centre located at the Singapore General Hospital, said consumers need to be wary of traditional and complementary medicine that claim to have quick and miraculous healing powers, especially if these products are bought from unreliable sources and claim to treat serious conditions.

Dr Tay said that a product which claims to be purely herbal does not mean it is safe for consumption.

'Even herbs can kill. Natural doesn't necessarily mean it's always safe,' he said.

Ingredients aside, the amount of active substances and chemicals in each dose needs to be strictly regulated and tailored for the patient, failing which the product may be detrimental to health.

His best advice for people looking to Chinese herbal medicine as a remedy for their aches and pains is to obtain them from a trained and registered TCM practitioner.

'If you're going to buy herbal medicine, you're taking a risk because Chinese medicine does not typically undergo the same kind of rigorous regulation, control and trials that Western medicine undergoes,' Dr Tay said.

Said Dr Fung: 'Chinese medicine should be bought under the instruction and guidance of a Chinese physician from a reliable TCM clinic. For peace of mind, consumers can also look into buying medicine from trustworthy sources and brands.'

Mr Wong Chin Nai, president of the Singapore Chinese Physician's Association, added that a good precautionary measure to take would be to look for information on a product's label or packaging with this statement: 'Allowed for sale as a Chinese Proprietary Medicine based on information submitted to the Authority. Consumer discretion is advised.'

An HSA spokesman said this indicates that the medicine has been listed with the authority and its ingredients have been screened and approved.

To err on the side of safety, consumers should also cross-check the label with a list of approved Chinese proprietary medicine products in Singapore, as well as a list of illegal health products on HSA's website, although the list is not an exhaustive one.

Sightings of illegal products being sold can also be reported to the HSA. Call 6866-3485 or e-mail hsa_is@hsa.gov.sg.