Reumophan – What Should You Know?
Several patients who suffer from arthritis swear by the effectiveness of dietary supplement called Reumophan, yet the US FDA says that the products contain some prescription drug ingredients, which aren’t listed on the label. Such active ingredients may be dangerous to users and FDA is advising the consumers about using Reumophan and see doctors immediately if possible. One of the main concerns is that there’s a presence of corticosteroid in Reumophan. Once stopped abruptly, it might result to dangerous withdrawal symptoms.
For safety alert, FDA linked use of Reumophan with serious side effects, which include stroke and death. Some reported health issues in those who are using Reumophan products included severe bleeding, liver injury, weight gain, alterations in the blood sugar level, adrenal suppression, and leg cramps.
According to experts, FDA has received at least 2 reports of death as well as one report of stroke in consumers who used Reumophan. Based on the provided limited information in reports, evaluations about causality or some contributory factors couldn’t be assessed.
The Reumophan products were manufactured by the Riger Naturals, based in Mexico. These were solid in retail outlets and famous online sites including Amazon and eBay. They’re billed as hundred percent natural and claimed to have ingredients including Holm oak, eastern teaberry, white willow, minerals, and windows. However, laboratory tests on Reumophan found that the prescription ingredients diclofenac, dexamethasone, and methocarbamol. Dexamethasome is a corticosteroid, while diclofenac is basically a prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. The methocarbamol, on the other hand, is a muscle relaxant.
FDA first issued warning about the possible danger of taking Reumopha in June. This was also the time when FDA reported that the Mexican health authorities ordered the Riger Naturals to recall the products. A distributor in the US also issued recall, yet there still might be bottles of the products out there. Since the product was manufactured by a certain company in Mexico and small distributors in US distributed it, it’s actually hard for the FDA to address the distributors that might be selling this product at a retail store and online.
A pharmacy expert also states that finding of such drug-tainted supplements isn’t all that surprising. Once you purchase a natural product, it is like a wild west. The reason behind it is that the regulatory authority of FDA over the supplements is actually limited. With the natural products, the bonus is on FDA to prove that such products supplements do not meet the standards on purity, that the ingredients inside the products are not safe.
That’s in contrast to the way the FDA regulates OTC and prescription medications. It is the manufacturer that should prove the safety and purity before the drug launched officially.
Experts on natural products say that the red flags for Reumophan products must have gone up for consumers before. Fortunately, there are some ways on how consumers can protect themselves. One of these is to get professional help as soon as possible to understand more about Reumophan.