HSA warns against three products
Woman develops Cushing's syndrome after taking unlabelled pills for headache
A woman in her 50s developed Cushing's syndrome after taking unlabelled pills for three to four months for her headache.
Tests done by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) found the pills contained steroids. Her doctor had alerted the HSA.
Cushing's syndrome is a serious medical condition that may cause high blood pressure, decreased immunity, weight gain, and round or "moon" face.
Yesterday, the HSA warned against purchasing or consuming three products, Skinny Lolita, Xtreme Candy and unlabelled clear capsules containing dark brown powder, sold by a peddler at Redhill Market.
The unlabelled capsules came with a leaflet printed in Chinese claiming they contained herbal ingredients that could treat medical conditions like cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
HSA tests also found they contained other potent medicinal ingredients like diclofenac, a painkiller, and sildenafil, an erectile dysfunction drug.
Skinny Lolita and Xtreme candy were sold on multiple e-commerce websites based in Singapore and Malaysia.
Skinny Lolita was marketed as a traditional all-natural slimming remedy that contained only plant and herbal extracts.
Tests found the capsules to contain sibutramine, a medicine that has been banned in Singapore since 2010 due to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Xtreme Candy was seized from a woman in her 40s who had imported them from Malaysia. It was marketed as a candy containing ginseng and other plant ingredients.
The product was tested to contain an analogue of tadalafil, a potent prescription-only medicinal ingredient used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Inappropriate use of tadalafil or its analogues can cause strokes, heart attacks, low blood pressure and priapism, or painful and exceedingly long erections, said HSA.
It told the respective local website administrators to remove the postings of both products and also alerted the Malaysian authorities about the product postings.
HSA advised consumers to see a doctor immediately if they took the unlabelled capsules, as discontinuation of steroids without proper medical supervision can cause serious withdrawal symptoms such as fatigue, confusion, and low blood pressure.
HSA added consumers should avoid buying health products from unfamiliar sources such as street peddlers or unknown sellers on e-commerce platforms, even if they are recommended by close friends or relatives.
Anyone who supplies adulterated products can be jailed up to three years or fined up to $100,000, or both.
Members of the public who have information on the sale and supply of these products can contact HSA at 6866-3485 during office hours or e-mail hsa_is@hsa.gov.sg
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
