Wednesday, March 29,
2000 Herbs Containing Drug
Recalled
Two California
companies have announced the voluntary recall of two herbal products that were
found to contain high levels of a prescription diabetes
drug. SciQuest Lab Inc. of Brea,
Calif., and Diabetic Capital of Alhambra, Calif., announced the recall in
statements released by the Food and Drug Administration last week. Dianolyn
Capsules, made by Diabetic Capital, and Dimelstat, made by SciQuest, were found
to contain "dangerously high" levels of the drug glyburide,
according to the federal agency. The announcements warn people with low blood
sugar or diabetes that they may face "life threatening complications" if they
consume these herbal products. Dr. Marian
Parrott, vice president of clinical affairs and spokeswoman for the American
Diabetes Association, says diabetics should always consult their physicians
before trying any herbal therapies. This was, Dr. Parrott tells OnHealth, "a
double whammy for anybody with diabetes who purchased these products because not
only did they get something useless they also got something
harmful." Dianolyn is sold nationally and
has been promoted in Chinese language radio ads and newspapers. Dimelstat is
sold through mail order and is available in some specialty herb
stores. The FDA's announcement of the
voluntary recall came during the same week the prescription diabetes drug
Rezulin was pulled from the market only three years after approval because it
was linked to severe liver damage and fatalities. And just last month, the FDA
issued a warning about five other herbal supplements, some imported from China
and some distributed from California, that also were found to contain glyburide.
Health officials discovered the problem when a diabetic in California suffered
hypoglycemia after consuming the herbs. A
1994 federal law allows dietary supplements to be sold without being approved by
the FDA. Manufacturers of dietary supplements are not allowed to make specific
health claims on their products. For example, a label for an herbal remedy
cannot say it "helps treat diabetes," but it could say something vague like
"promotes healthy blood sugar levels." --ByKatrina Woznicki
