Consumers Told to Stop Using Two Herbal Products

[Guest guest]

Consumers Told to Stop Using Two Herbal Products

 

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Consumers should stop taking two herbal

supplements promoting prostate and immune system health found to

contain prescription drug ingredients that need medical supervision

and may cause serious problems such as bleeding, U.S. health

officials said on Friday.

 

BotanicLab, based in Brea, California, has issued a nationwide

recall of the capsules, called PC SPES and SPES.

 

The Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) (FDA) is

investigating whether the products have harmed any users, FDA

official Dr. Victor Raczkowski said. BotanicLab is not aware of any

health problems caused by the products, spokesman John Sonego said.

 

The products were available through stores, mail-order and the

Internet. Worldwide, at least 3,000 people have used PC SPES while

fewer have used SPES, according to Sonego.

 

Tests by the California Department of Health Services found PC SPES,

marketed to help ``prostate health,'' contained warfarin, a

prescription anti-clotting medicine sold under the brand name

Coumadin.

 

Warfarin can cause serious bleeding, particularly when combined with

other medicines such as aspirin, antibiotics, antidepressants and

cholesterol-lowering drugs.

 

BotanicLab, in a statement on its Web site

(http://www.botaniclab.com), said further testing was needed to

determine whether the ingredient was warfarin or a natural compound

that may mimic warfarin in laboratory tests.

 

SPES was promoted as strengthening the immune system. It contains

alprazolam, an anti-anxiety drug known by the brand name Xanax,

health officials said. Alprazolam exacerbates effects of alcohol and

other depressants and may be addictive.

 

BotanicLab said its tests verified the presence of alprazolam in

some samples of SPES. The company said the contamination may have

occurred in China, where the company obtains raw materials.

 

Consumers should stop taking the products and seek medical advice,

especially if they are using other prescription medications, health

officials said.

[Guest guest]

, " jramholz " <jramholz> wrote:

 

>

PC SPES,

contained warfarin,

>

> SPES contains

> alprazolam, an anti-anxiety drug known by the brand name Xanax,

 

It will be interesting to see what comes of this. I have always

suspected that these products contained drugs.

 

[Guest guest]

SPES was promoted as strengthening the immune system. It contains alprazolam, an anti-anxiety drug known by the brand name Xanax, health officials said. Alprazolam exacerbates effects of alcohol and other depressants and may be addictive.>>>Do they think that eventually these type of "contaminations" would not be picked up or what.

Alon