Drug alert: The Department of Health urged consumers not to buy or use herbal products Asam Urat+ and Obat Asam Urat+ which contain undeclared Western drug ingredients.

Two brands of health products, Asam Urat+ and Obat Asam Urat+, were found to contain undeclared Western drug ingredients that may cause side effects, the Department of Health said today, urging the public not to buy or use them.

The department obtained the product samples in November for examination after a 50-year-old woman complained of stomach discomfort after taking the products. Her symptoms subsided after she stopped taking them. There is no import record of the products for sale in Hong Kong.

The Western drug ingredients found in the products were dexamethasone, phenylbutazone and piroxicam.

Dexamethasone is a steroid and taking it for a long time can cause central obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar. Phenylbutazone and piroxicam are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs which may cause gastro-intestinal discomfort, nausea, stomach pain and bleeding, and even liver and kidney toxicity.

All the three are classified as Third Schedule poisons under the Pharmacy & Poisons Ordinance and can only be sold on a doctor's prescription and under a pharmacist's supervision.

People using the products are urged to stop taking them immediately and seek doctors' advice if necessary. They should dispose of the product or submit it to the department.