Contaminated Ayurvedic medicines result in lead toxicity

Ayurvedic medicines may be contaminated with lead or other heavy metals, according to an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The authors presented a case report of a 39-year-old woman who went to the emergency department three times over a month and a half. She had abdominal pain, constipation, nausea and vomiting. She was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with anemia of unknown cause before being discharged and noted as having possible mild endometriosis. At a follow-up appointment two weeks later, she said her abdominal pain had improved, but she had fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches and tinnitus. After further inquiry, she said she had been taking Ayurvedic medications daily to try and treat infertility for over a year. She had stopped taking them before she was admitted to the hospital and gone back to taking them after she was discharged. Her blood lead level was found to be 55 μg/dL, while normal is under 2 μg/dL. Read: Melatonin poisonings increasing in children The patient did chelation and was told to avoid pregnancy until her lead levels decreased. They dropped to 19.5 μg/dL after chelation and 12.1 μg/dL one year later. Her nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain resolved, and her energy levels improved. The clinicians contacted Public Health Ontario and informed them of the lead toxicity diagnosis. It tested 17 pills and two incense samples from the patient. Eleven found lead levels greater than the detection limit, and one pill was about 13% lead by weight. Four other pills contained between 7,900 and 33,000 μg/g of mercury. An investigation of the clinic led to the seizure of hundreds of pills. Health Canada tested 15 types of pills, finding high levels of arsenic, mercury or lead in 14 out of 15 kinds of pills seized, as well as prescription medications in three pills. Read: Spice linked to food poisoning investigation in Ontario Healthcare workers can learn from this case, the authors advised. Those who have patients with microcytic anemia of an unknown cause—especially if basophilic stippling is present—should consider lead poisoning. They should also consider it in patients with abdominal pain, headaches, fatigue, cognitive impairment that’s new or worsening, or a suspicious exposure history. Blood samples can confirm a lead toxicity diagnosis. If it’s thought to be from Ayurvedic medicines, healthcare providers should contact public health to have the medications that had lead contamination identified and removed from the market. Read: Researchers urge more limits on edibles after finding jump in kid cannabis poisonings

Contaminated Ayurvedic medicines result in lead toxicity

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