SINGAPORE - The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has warned the public against buying or consuming three medicinal products, after checks revealed that they contained ingredients that could cause serious harm.
Two people had experienced “adverse effects” after taking these products, the agency said in a statement on Tuesday.
The three products are: “Lorenxo delicious pure chocolate supplement”, which was marketed as a dietary supplement; “DND Rx9”, a product marketed to treat gout; and “Mofa coffee”, a weight-loss supplement.
A man in his 30s experienced severe headaches after taking the Lorenxo chocolate supplement.
HSA said it was “falsely labelled to contain only natural ingredients”, and tests found it contained tadalafil, a medicine to treat erectile dysfunction. The use of tadalafil without medical supervision is dangerous and can increase the risk of serious adverse effects, including heart attacks, strokes, headaches, irregular heart rate as well as painful erections.
In another case, a man in his 30s developed Cushing’s syndrome, a serious steroid-induced condition with characteristics such as weight gain and a “moon face” appearance, after taking DND Rx9 for several months for gout.
Tests found that DND Rx9 contained the potent steroids dexamethasone and prednisolone, and the painkiller diclofenac.
Long-term unsupervised use of dexamethasone and prednisolone can cause increased blood sugar levels, which could lead to diabetes and other serious adverse effects.
Unsupervised use of diclofenac can lead to damage to and bleeding of the stomach.
Mofa coffee, which claims to suppress appetite and contain natural ingredients such as coffee extract and white kidney bean extract, was found to contain high levels of sibutramine.
It is a weight-loss medicine that was banned in Singapore in 2010 due to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Other serious health consequences include psychosis and hallucinations.
Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officers had noticed anomalies in scanned images of two parcels from Malaysia. They found Mofa coffee in these parcels and referred them to HSA for further investigation.
HSA advised those who have taken the Lorenxo supplement and Mofa coffee to stop immediately and see a doctor if they feel unwell.
People who have consumed DND Rx9 should see a doctor as soon as possible because the product contains potent steroids.
DND Rx9 and Mofa coffee were obtained from Malaysia, said HSA, adding that it has alerted its Malaysian counterpart to both products.
HSA advised consumers to be cautious when buying products that claim to be “herbal” or “natural”, or from unknown or unfamiliar sources online, because they could be adulterated with harmful ingredients.
“Adulterated products are often manufactured under poor conditions with no quality control, and different batches of the same product may contain variable amounts of ingredients and/or different types of adulterants,” HSA added.
It also said all sellers and suppliers must stop selling these products immediately.
Those found guilty of doing so can be jailed for up to two years, fined up to $10,000, or both.
