A Canadian woman who was repeatedly hospitalized due to abdominal pain and vomiting developed lead poisoning after ingesting Ayurvedic pills, a popular alternative medicine, a new case report reveals.
The 39-year-old woman had been taking up to 12 Ayurvedic pills daily for a year to treat infertility. ayurvedic medicine A type of traditional Indian medicine that has been used for 3,000 years, its products can contain dangerous amounts of lead, mercury, and arsenic.
After weeks of fatigue, nausea and abdominal pain, the woman was eventually found to have more than 25 times the normal amount of lead in her blood and was treated for lead poisoning.
Related: CDC’s new criteria could double the number of children diagnosed with lead poisoning
The core concept of Ayurvedic medicine is “Ayurveda,” which focuses on treating patients with natural remedies such as herbal remedies and lifestyle changes such as dietary adjustments and exercise.around it 240,000 American adults Although people use Ayurvedic medicines, there is little scientific evidence to support the health effects of this system, and the contents of the medicines have raised safety concerns.
heavy metal It is sometimes used because it is believed to have curative properties, and people can obtain Ayurvedic medicines by “private importation,” the authors of the case report write. “This avoids regulated pathways that could result in warnings that a product contains toxic substances.” In Canada, natural health products such as Ayurvedic medicines are regulated. Health Canada, to check product safety and effectiveness.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing the drug diet supplementsthe agency not too strictly regulated More effective than conventional medicines.
The woman in this case reported taking between “a few” and “a dozen” Ayurvedic pills every day for over a year. She told her doctors about the treatment after visiting the emergency room three times in six weeks with symptoms including abdominal pain, constipation, nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath and ringing in the ears. She was also found to have low iron levels.
During one medical examination, she showed signs of a rare disease known as . porphyriaThis affects how the body produces hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. Upon further investigation, the woman quickly revealed a history of taking Ayurvedic medicines and a blood test revealed 55 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood. This is more than 25 times the normal level.
People can be exposed to lead from a variety of sources. Contaminated food, drinking water, or household dust, but usually at a low level. Exposure to toxic substances is often associated with certain jobs, for example, people working in factories. construction industry, or a particular hobby such as shooting firearms. SSymptoms of lead poisoning These include abdominal pain, nausea, high blood pressure, and memory problems. In extreme cases, organ damage and death can occur.
Because the woman had no other possible sources of lead exposure, her doctor told her to stop taking the pills immediately and prescribed medication to treat lead poisoning. Within a year, her lead levels stabilized, her energy returned, and her nausea and abdominal pain were gone.
The Ayurvedic clinic that supplied the pills was later investigated by government health agencies. As a result of the investigation, hundreds of tablets were seized from the donor. Public health agencies sampled 15 of these tablets and found that 14 contained “high levels of arsenic, mercury, or lead.”The investigative authorities Official warning to consumers It claimed that the products sold at the store “cause health hazards.”
The authors of the report, published on Tuesday (August 8), said: Canadian Medical Association Journalwe think this incident should be a red flag.
“This case highlights the risks and clinical manifestations of lead toxicity from Ayurvedic medicines and the importance of collaboration between clinicians and public health authorities to control the health risks of lead in consumer products.” they wrote in the report.
