Supplements That May Cause Disease or Injury

Adverse effects from the use of dietary supplements should be reported to MedWatch: You, your health care provider, or anyone may report a serious adverse event or illness directly to FDA if you believe it is related to the use of any dietary supplement product, by calling FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088, by fax at 1-800-FDA-0178 or reporting on-line at: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/how.htm

Herbal Ingredient, Vitamin or Mineral	Possible Health Hazards
Chaparral (a traditional American Indian medicine)	Liver disease, possibly irreversible
Comfrey	Obstruction of blood flow to liver, possibly leading to death
Slimming/dieter's teas	nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps, chronic constipation, fainting, possibly death. See Dieter's Brews Make Tea Time a Dangerous Affair
Ephedra (also known as Ma huang, Chinese Ephedra and epitonin)	Ranges from high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, nerve damage, injury, insomnia, tremors, and headaches to seizures, heart attack, stroke, and death.
Lobelia (also known as Indian tobacco)	Liver disease, possibly leading to death.
Germander	Range from breathing problems at low doses to sweating, rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, and possibly coma and death at higher doses.
Magnolia-Stephania preparation	Kidney disease, possibly leading to permanent kidney failure.
Willow bark	Reye syndrome, a potentially fatal disease associated with aspirin intake in children with chickenpox or flu symptoms; allergic reaction in adults. (Willow bark is marketed as an aspirin-free product, although it actually contains an ingredient that converts to the same active ingredient in aspirin.)
Wormwood	Neurological symptoms, characterized by numbness of legs and arms, loss of intellect, delirium, and paralysis.
Vitamin A (in doses of 25,000 or more International Units a day)	Birth defects, bone abnormalities, and severe liver disease.
Vitamin B6 (in doses above 100 milligrams a day)	Balance difficulties, nerve injury causing changes in touch sensation.
Niacin (in slow-released doses of 500 mg or more a day or immediate-release doses of 750 mg or more a day)	Range from stomach pain, vomiting, bloating, nausea, cramping, and diarrhea to liver disease, muscle disease, eye damage, and heart injury.
Selenium (in doses of about 800 micrograms to 1,000 mcg a day)	Tissue damage.
Germanium (a nonessential mineral)	Kidney damage, possibly death.
L-tryptophan (an amino acid)	Eosinophilia myalgia syndrome, a potentially fatal blood disorder that can cause high fever, muscle and joint pain, weakness, skin rash, and swelling of the arms and legs.