March 26, 2013

The Department of Health today urged the public not to buy or consume slimming product Conting Qianweisu Slimming Herbs Capsule, as it may contain undeclared and banned drug ingredients that are dangerous to health.
 
The Hospital Authority notified the department that a 23-year-old woman was admitted to Prince of Wales Hospital on March 16 with confusion and hallucinations. She described a history of over-consumption of the product before admission.
 
Laboratory tests on it found the presence of two undeclared and banned Western medicines - sibutramine and phenolphthalein. She was transferred to Sha Tin Hospital for further treatment on March 19 and is stable.
 
Sibutramine is a Part I poison. Products containing sibutramine have been banned since November 2010 because of increased cardiovascular risk.
 
Phenolphthalein has been banned for its cancer-causing effects.
 
Anyone who bought the product should stop using it immediately and consult a doctor if they feel unwell.