Dietary Supplement Update–Beware

Beware of taking dietary supplements. Marketers touted Reumofan Plus as a natural dietary supplement to treat many conditions including arthritis and bone disease. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves drugs and food substances, they only check dietary supplements for public safety. Twice the FDA warned the manufacturers of Reumofan Plus that it contained prescription drugs which needed monitoring by health professionals for safety. According to the FDA, after the warnings many distributors relabeled Reumofan Plus as “Wow.”

The FDA found that these products have undeclared ingredients including the following drugs.
 Corticosteroid (dexamethasone) is often used to treat inflammatory conditions of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Risks include infection, low blood sugar levels, changes in blood pressure, bone damage, and psychiatric problems.
 Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (diclofenac) may increase risks of heart attacks or stomach problems.
 Muscle relaxant (methocarbamol) may result in a drop in blood pressure and cause dizziness. Additionally, these and other ingredients may react with medications.

Anyone taking these substance should immediately consult with a health care professional since abruptly discontinuing can cause adverse and dangerous reactions. Withdrawal symptoms include nausea, low blood pressure, low blood sugar, and other adverse conditions. As of February 2013, the Reumofan website no longer listed Reumofan Plus or Wow. Instead, it promoted ReumoPlan USA for arthritis. How safe is this supplement?

While you may not have heard of or used Reumofan products, other dietary supplements can have the same dangers. Remember, not only do many dietary supplements fail tests for being healthful, some are potentially harmful. Beware!

For more information see http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm306360.htm

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