Drug alert: Consumers should avoid slimming product Relacore which contains undeclared drug sibutramine.

The Department of Health urges consumers to avoid slimming product Relacore which contains undeclared drug sibutramine that can cause serious side effects.

A 23-year-old woman who took the product suffered palpitations, tremors and shortness of breath on October 28 and sought treatment at Yan Chai Hospital.

Sibutramine is a western medicine used as an appetite suppressant for slimming under close medical supervision. Its side effects include increased blood pressure and heart rate, psychosis and convulsions. People with heart problems should not take it.

It must be registered and can only be sold on a doctor's prescription and under a pharmacist's supervision. Possession or sale of unregistered pharmaceutical products warrants two years' jail and a $100,000 fine.