BMJ 1994;308:1162 (30 April)

Letters

Remedies may contain cocktail of active drugs

EDITOR,--We wish to add to the information given by David J Atherton about the use of traditional remedies.1 Exported herbal remedies have been adulterated with synthetic drugs to improve their activity and most likely their popularity in Western countries. We describe a dangerous evolution in the formulation of a Chinese herbal arthritis cure, Chuifong Toukuwan, manufactured by Nan Lien Pharmaceutical Company, Hong Kong. Since 1974 the following undeclared drugs, in association with 23 declared herbal drugs, have been detected: aminopyrine, phenylbutazone, indomethacin, hydrochlorothiazide, chlordiazepoxide, diazepam, and corticosteroids.*RF 2-5*

A 75 year old Belgian woman with gonarthrosis had been treated for five years with sulindac. She had also been treated for hypertension for more than 10 years with hydrochlorothiazide, triamterene, amlodipine, and atenolol. On 5 May 1993 she stopped taking sulindac and took, on her own initiative, Chuifong Toukuwan (eight pills daily for one month), which she obtained by mail order. . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

Towards the safer use of traditional remedies
D J Atherton
BMJ 1994 308: 673-674. [Extract] [Full Text]

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