Stop taking PANADOL and POH CHAI pills

Both Panadol and Po Chai pills are household over-the-counter all purpose "medicine", commonly found in family medicine cabinets.  Please avoid or use them sparingly.

PANADOL

In 1955, Panadol was introduced to hospitals in the United Kingdom and can be available only by prescription. These days you can get hold of it at any pharmacies or departmental stores.

Paracetamol, the active ingredient in the Panadol products is widely considered by health professionals to be a safe and effective painkilling medicine for the relief of mild to moderate pain and fever associated with conditions such as throbbing headaches, migraine, toothache, teething, colds and flu. It works by reducing the production of prostaglandins in the brain and spinal cord which are produced by the body in response to injury and certain diseases. One of their actions is to sensitise nerve endings, so that when the injury is stimulated it causes pain (presumably to prevent us from causing further harm to the area). As paracetamol reduces the production of these nerve sensitising prostaglandins it is believed to increase our pain threshold, so that although the injury remains, we do not feel as much. It also helps in reducing fever by affecting an area of the brain that regulates our body temperature (the hypothalamic heat-regulating center).

On comparison, it is as effective as aspirin in relieving mild to moderate pain and reducing fever, but does not have the accompanying anti-inflammatory effect.

Safety aspects

+ The recommended dosage per day is 4g or 8 tablets @ 500 mg each. Medical advice is that as so long it is used as directed is deemed safe but can be dangerous if the recommended dosage is deliberately exceeded over prolonged periods. In most cases, excessive dosage occur accidentally amongst young adults ending up in the emergency department of hospitals. Immediate treatment using an antidote called N-acetylcysteine (NAC) prevents the paracetamol from causing liver toxicity. However, those who do not seek early treatment can end up having liver and kidney failure or even death.


+ A report published in The Medical Journal of Australia found people who did not eat enough, drank a lot of alcohol or took certain medications were vulnerable to toxic effects from paracetamol. Elderly people with kidney or heart and lung problems are most vulnerable. The same report indicates that healthy people are usually able to metabolise paracetamol, mostly excreted from the body in urine within few hours. However, the drug can accumulate in people with risk factors, rendering even a normal dose toxic.

+ Users should check that they do not take more than one medication containing paracetamol at the same time as this could lead to accidental overdose. Many cold and flu remedies and over-the-counter painkillers contain this similar ingredient.

+ Long-term or regular use of paracetamol may increase the anti-blood-clotting effect of warfarin and other anticoagulant medicines, leading to an increased risk of bleeding.

+ It is not advisable to give kids and pregnant women this medicine. Though there are no known harmful effects when this medicine is used during pregnancy small amounts may pass into breast milk. Kids should be given the recommended dosage based on their weight. Consult a pharmacist or doctor if in doubt.


+  Health Sciences Authority of Singapore (HSA) cautioned that it can cause reactions such as rashes and swelling of the lips or face in some individuals.

Full extract from source:  http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/aches-and-pains/medicines/panadol.html
For more, read link: http://www.drugs.com/sfx/panadol-side-effects.html
Attached article is published on Straits Times dated 10th Jan 2017 in consultation with Dr Grant Sklar, a senior principal clinical pharmacist at National University Hospital of Singapore.

PO CHAI PILLS

One of the most commonly used Chinese herbal pills in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia called, “Po Chai” have been recalled in Hong Kong. Investigations found two dangerous chemicals (phenolphthalein and sibutramine), and mercury in the manufacture of the pills known to cause serious brain damage.

 

Recall No :  PR100003
Date :	8 March 2010
Name of Product :	Po Chai Pills (Capsule Form) (保濟丸)
Batch No :	21217
Expiry Date :	6-2012
Pack Size :	10 capsules
Class of Recall :	2
Level of Recall :	Retail
Product Reference No :	108131
Local Company :	Li Chung Shing Tong (S) Pte Ltd
Manufacturer :	Li Chung Shing Tong (Holdings) Ltd
Country of Manufacture :	Hong Kong
Reason for Recall :	Contained phenolphthalein and sibutramine

Class I recall is initiated when the product defect poses a life threatening situation to users. Some examples are non-sterile injections, contamination with toxic substances and products with major labeling errors.

Class II recall is initiated when the problem or defect is unlikely to cause serious harm to users. Some examples include products with minor labeling errors or products which fail to meet product specification or pharmacoposis standards but are unlikely to cause minimal hazards to users.


Note:


-  Phenolphthalein was once used for treating constipation but had been banned in 2001 for its cancer-causing effect.  


-  Sibutramine is a Western medicine used as an appetite suppressant. Its side effects include increased blood pressure and heart rate, psychosis and possibly convulsion. People with heart problems should not take it. Any product containing sibutramine must be registered as such before it can be sold in Hong Kong. It can only be sold on a doctor's prescription and dispensed under the supervision of a pharmacist.
Ref: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/hkedition/2010-03/27/content_9650944.htm  


-  The bottled tablet form has since returned to the shelves, presumably no longer containing any carcinogenic laxatives, but presumably still claiming to be produced using the traditional recipe and procedure developed way back in 1896. However, the ingredients list ends with an “etc.”



Our comments


Many people take Panadol and Poi Cha pills too liberally to ease discomfort or pain and become addicted. The trouble may originate from another source (like organ or nerve) and easing it does not solve the problem. If the problem is recurring, it is advisable to seek medical help or do a health checkup to get to the root of the problem. Overdependence on such medicine can possibly put one into the risky category in a matter of time. How?


Liver is the largest detoxifying organ in our body and is known to be the last one to decay (at least 70 good years if well-maintained).  So imagine how much toxins are loaded before a total breakdown occurs?  Most drugs tend to stick around for up to 5 years waiting to be eliminated but may never make it.  Love your organ and avoid such harmful substances if you want to stay long and healthy.


Still don’t believe?  Read another article featured not long ago…


The vultures take any dead flesh. What have they to do with Panadol pills?

 

In Mumbai (India) a learned History professor there was told that the Parsees (a religious sect in western India of Persian origin) used to take their deads and laid them to rest at huge ‘Wind Towers’ (round structures that Look like Giant Water reservoirs, but open to the air).

 

The Parsees never buried their dead, nor burned their corpses. They simply left them to the Birds of Prey (Vultures) to be eaten thus completing the Life Cycle. Around 10 years ago, it was noticed that the birds were dying off for no apparent reason.  Not many of them were left to consume the dead bodies which started rotting away.

 

So, the Parsees had to change this mode of dealing with their dead… BUT, they wanted to know why a custom that survived for hundreds of years had to be suspended?

 

They did autopsies on the dead birds that they were dying in huge numbers. What was the culprit???

PANADOL !!!!

presumably taken by the dead people when they were alive.