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Lead poisoning case prompts warning about illegally imported ‘Kamini’ tablets sold as complementary medicine

Posted on by L. Dreeye
Lead poisoning case prompts warning about illegally imported ‘Kamini’ tablets sold as complementary medicine

A case of severe lead poisoning has prompted health authorities to issue an urgent warning that an illegally imported banned substance is being sold as a complementary medicine.

SA Health said the patient was taken to hospital after consuming a product called Multani Kaminividravana Rasa, better known as Kamini, which also contained “high levels” of mercury.

The product is believed to have been manufactured overseas and sold to the patient at a South East Asian supermarket in Adelaide.

“Further testing is also being carried out to determine whether it contains opioids such as codeine and morphine, as these have been found in previous trials of these types of products,” SA Health said.

The department said the substance was sold in the form of dark granules that, although marketed as a “potent stimulant” to combat “weakness, lack of energy and vitality,” posed a “significant health risk.”

While SA Health said it could not disclose some of the details of the case, it confirmed the patient had since been discharged from hospital and was now receiving treatment at home.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration had previously warned about the product, saying testing had identified ingredients that were “listed as dangerous poisons.”

SA Health director of advocacy and regulation Chris Lees said that because the product was not regulated, it could contain a “potpourri of harmful ingredients” that could be deadly.

“Not only does the presence of heavy metals in the pills pose a serious risk to your health, the potential inclusion of opioids also poses a high risk of addiction, further increasing the potential for harm,” Dr. Lees said.

“Kultani Kaminividravana Rasa tablets should never be taken orally.

“They have not been assessed by the TGA for quality, safety or effectiveness as required by Australian law.”

Previous public health warnings about Kamini have been issued in recent years, including after at least a dozen people who had become dependent on it sought help for withdrawal symptoms in south-east Queensland.

Kamini bottle and box

Box and bottle of Kamini. (Delivered)

SA Health said authorities had notified hospital emergency departments and GPs about the case of lead poisoning and urged them to carefully test blood for lead “in patients with relevant symptoms”.

It said that while the tablets were illegal to ship to Australia, they were “secretly imported and sold in some grocery stores and online.”

“The TGA is working with the Australian Border Force to help stop the supply of products into Australia,” SA Health said.

The department said anyone who suspects they are suffering from severe lead poisoning or an opioid overdose should seek immediate medical attention.