More harm than good?:  Qiangxiao pingchuan qingfei jiaonang (1) is one of the two recalled proprietary Chinese medicines.

Consumers are urged to stop taking two proprietary Chinese medicine products - Qiangxiao Pingchuan Qingfei Jiaonang (1) and Qiangxiao Pingchuan Qingfei Jiaonang (3) - both containing six Western drug ingredients that may cause side effects.

Five of the six ingredients - morphine, codeine, theophylline, diclofenac and nifedipine - are prescription-only drugs and should be used only under medical supervision. The sixth, Cyproheptadine, can be bought over the counter.

Morphine and codeine can cause constipation, drowsiness and respiratory depression. Theophylline can cause an irregular heart rate, gastro-intestinal discomfort and nausea. Diclofenac can cause gastro-intestinal discomfort. Nifedipine can cause headache and dizziness. Cyproheptadine can cause dizziness and drowsiness.

Man hospitalised after taking drug for 2 months

A 68-year-old man was admitted into United Christian Hospital on June 14 this year because of fever, shortness of breath and increased heart rate after he had taken the product for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for two months. He recovered and was discharged on June 29. He had brought the product from the Mainland. 

The department has no record of these two products having been imported into Hong Kong for sale, or having been submitted for registration. The relevant authorities on the Mainland and Macau have been informed.

People who have been using the products are advised to immediately stop taking them and to seek medical attention if they feel unwell.