June 18, 2008

Bodybuilding Supplements cause Seizures and Blood Clots: Health Canada Warning

A diet supplement used by bodybuilders called 6-OXO and 1-AD can trigger seizures and blood clots in the brain that can lead to lasting disability according to a warning issued today by Health Canada.

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Both 6-OXO and 1-AD are manufactured by ErgoPharm-Proviant Technologies and are popular among amateur and professional bodybuilders.

CTV news reports that Health Canada has received one report of a serious adverse event that has been linked to use of the supplements. According to the report, a man who had no known health problems suffered seizures and blood clots in his brain after using the supplements.

6-OXO is not approved for sale in Canada, but consumers can buy the supplement over the internet or while travelling in the United States.

1-AD contains an anabolic steroid. That means the supplement is a controlled substance in Canada and can only be purchased by prescription and is supposed to be used only under the supervision of a doctor.

If you are using either of these supplements, you should seek advice from a doctor immediately.

February 18, 2008

Is Trasylol (Aprotinin) the Next Vioxx? Manufacturer Hid Evidence Drug was Dangerous.

Trasylol (Aprotinin) is a drug used during heart bypass surgery to help reduce bleeding and the need for blood transfusions. But a documentary on CBS's 60 Minutes last night suggests the drug may be responsible for contributing to the loss of one thousand lives a month.

You can watch the whole story here.

On January 26, 2006, The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published an article by Dr. Dennis Mangano reporting an association of Trasylol (aprotinin) with serious renal toxicity (kidney failure) and ischemic events (cardiac arrest and stroke) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.

Although the Trasylol study was published in January 2006, Bayer failed to disclose the study to the FDA until after an advisory panel meeting in September 2006. The study's researcher, Dr. Dennis Mangano, has said that 22,000 patients could have been saved if Trasylol had been taken off the market when the January 2006 study was first published.

The F.D.A. issued a Public Health Advisory in November 2007. On November 5, 2007 the drug manufacturer Bayer agreed to suspend marketing of the drug at the request of the F.D.A.

Bayer suspended marketing of Trasylol (aprotinin) in Canada in November 2007 following a request from Health Canada.

Bayer is now facing hundreds of lawsuits in the United States alleging injury of death due to the drug and the Defective Drug Claims are likely to spread to Canada, just like the Vioxx litigation.

Is this another case of a drug manufacturer puts dollars over lives? You decide after watching the video.