In honor of the poster in the colloidal silver thread (who claims that complaints about the product are an example of Big Medicine colluding to deny consumers a cheap and effective remedy), here’ s a classically shady story from the wild and wacky world of unregulated “dietary supplements” - a pain remedy that’s claimed to be “a mixture of truly natural products from Mexico, Cuba, and India” and purchased eagerly by sufferers from arthritis and other painful ailments.
Only problem is that Reumofan (or WOW, as it’s sometimes labeled) is spiked with potentially dangerous prescription drugs* and sold by a Mexican company that doesn’t appear to exist in any tangible form.
*"…consumers who buy Reumofan products are risking dangerous side effects and trusting their lives to a company that uses fake addresses, lies about the ingredients in its products and may not even exist, a USA TODAY investigation has found…
Meanwhile, U.S. consumers — desperate to curb arthritis and joint pain — continue to buy Reumofan over the Internet and by crossing the border. They are running a high risk: Dozens of Reumofan users have suffered serious and sometimes life-threatening health effects after taking the pills, including liver injury, strokes and severe episodes of bleeding, according to federal records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Three reports involve deaths, though the full toll of those injured will never be known because most adverse events involving supplements and drugs are never reported to the FDA…
Lab tests by U.S. and Mexican health authorities have detected up to three powerful and potentially dangerous prescription drugs hidden in Reumofan products…Last summer, the FDA began issuing a series of safety alerts after tests found hidden pharmaceutical ingredients in Reumofan products. One version of the pills, Reumofan Plus, contained three medications: dexamethasone, a corticosteroid; diclofenac sodium, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; and methocarbamol, a muscle relaxant."*
The hidden corticosteroid is especially dangerous because long-term use can cause a variety of medical problems including increased susceptibility to infection, and suddenly stopping steroids is potentially life-threatening.
Gotta love the “who, me?” comment in the article by the supplement industry flack who suggests that this case doesn’t reflect badly on other manufacturers and that better regulation won’t help.
No doubt Reumofan users are telling themselves that crackdowns are due to Big Pharma and the Medical Establishment trying to eliminate competition.
*this is a common problem with “dietary supplements”, for example in products imported from China.
**the above-linked story suggests that this case may be another example of a drug company discovering that it is far more convenient and lucrative to market supplements under loose or nonexistent regulation, than it is to follow the normal pharmaceutical regulatory process.