Dietary supplements without prescription can be harmful: Experts

LUCKNOW: The habit of popping traditional medicine made from Geloy (Tinospora cordifolia) and other plants for boosting immunity landed 45-year-old Raghuveer Singh (name changed) in trouble when he had to be admitted to the emergency medicine unit of KGMU’s trauma centre with a swollen abdomen.
Investigation revealed that he had developed acetic fluid in abdomen and tissues of liver were swollen due to adverse reaction of the overdose of the medicine, which he has been using thrice a day for three months.
Raghuveer is not the only case, there are many who take traditional dietary supplements and medicinal drugs for various common problems without any prescription from a medical practitioner indiscriminately.
This is causing severe damage to health, especially liver injury, said experts while talking to TOI on the eve of World Liver Day (WLD). They said that they are observing a significant increase in such drug cases over the five years.
Head of gastroenterology department King George’s Medical University (KGMU), Dr Sumit Rungta, who shared Raghuveer’s example citing the seriousness of the issue, said that drugs and supplements in traditional medicine are commonly perceived as well tolerated and devoid of major adverse reactions. But people should understand that indiscriminate use of the medicine for long-time causes toxicity in the liver.
Haematologist Dr Ajay Patwa, medicine department, “These drugs might generate common antinuclear antibodies which start attacking liver cells and induce acute hepatitis with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH)-like features.” Besides, many drugs contain heavy metals that might induce liver toxicity.
Citing research in 2022, he said that study conducted by Liver Research Club of India at 13 medical centres, including KGMU, had found that consumption of ‘giloy’ without prescription and monitoring caused damage to 43 persons. These people were consuming the medicine to boost immunity and combat fever.
Gastro surgeon at KGMU, Dr Pankaj Kumar said, “To prevent damage to the liver people should always take these medicines from a practitioner.”