These pills have alarming side effects, says UAE Ministry of Health

  DUBAI - The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has issued public warnings on the use of four dietary supplements due to their alarming side effects, including poisoning and sharp drop in blood pressure. The Ministry said it recalled various products for failing to meet safety standards, including food supplements that contain salmonella and a malfunctioning medical device.

Shedfat Maxx

The Ministry has ordered the recall of Shedfat Maxx capsule, a weight loss pill produced by Shedfat LLC. The capsule contains yohimbine, a chemical substance that is banned worldwide and symptoms like anxiety, irritability, nervousness, and a rapid heartbeat.

Depakine

The Ministry also warned against the use of Depakine, an anti-epileptic medicine containing sodium valproate and valproic acid forms. The drug can interact with estrogen-containing contraceptives and can lead to mood change, seizures and an increase of valproate in the bloodstream. Depakine is registered with the Ministry's Drug Department and has not been recalled in the market but health care practitioners are directed to take caution when prescribing the medicine to patients.

Kratom products

The Ministry has also ordered the recall of Kratom products, which are not registered with the UAE authority's drug department. The products have been recalled in the US where the Food and Drug Administration said these products may contain salmonella, leading to poisoning and other symptoms including fever, diarrhoea, nausea, and abdominal pain. The US FDA said that the banned products are produced by PDX Aromatics; DBA Kraken Kratom; Phytoextractum; and Soul Speciosa and sold on krakenkratom.com, ciosa.comsoulspem, and phytoextractum.com.

Omacid Chewable

The Ministry has also issued a health warning against Omacid Chewable tablets produced by Oman Industries Co. National Pharmaceutical. The medicine is used to relieve heartburn and acid indigestion but it has not passed the Assay test. The Saudi Drug and Food Administration has also recalled one batch of the tablets. The manufacturer said the product is not available in the UAE, but the Ministry has issued a warning as a precautionary measure.

Centricity Universal Viewer

The Ministry has also issued a warning against the use of General Electric's (GE) Centricity Universal Viewer, a device for medical image management. GE said some radiological images disappear after the tests and that it is working with suppliers to fix the malfunction. The product is not registered with the Ministry's drug department.

Where to report

The Ministry urged the public to report incidents of side effects resulting from the use of any medical drug or device to the hotline 04-3201448, 02-3201947 (fax), or pv@moh.gov.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