Three detox products supposed to make you lose weight are suspended in France after causing serious side effects such as heart rhythm disorders. In question, the presence of sildenafil, active molecule of Viagra.
Due to serious side effects, three “detox” products promoting weight loss have been suspended in France by health policy decision, announces theNational Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) in a press release dated April 11, 2023. These products named Trex Tea®, Trex Caps® and Trex Plus® would contain sibutramine (substance of a treatment for obesity) and sildenafil (substance of Viagra®) and would have led several serious adverse effects in around 20 people such as heart rhythm disorders, sleep disorders or epileptic seizures. Similar alerts have been reported in other European countries.
What is the list of dangerous detox products?
These are products from the Trex range, presented as natural “detox” products that promote weight loss:
- Trex Tea (powder)
- Trex Caps (capsules)
- Trex Plus (effervescent form)
Please note: these products are sold on the internet via reseller sites and social networksbut also in physical stores or market stalls.
What are the dangers of these detox products?
People who have used these products report serious side effects which have been recorded by the network of regional pharmacovigilance centers and poison control and toxicovigilance centres. These effects are:
- Heart rhythm disorders
- high blood pressure
- Tachycardia
- Palpitations
- Chest pain
- sleep disorders
- Dizziness
- Anorexia
- Headaches
- epileptic seizures
What is the composition of these detox products?
Analyzes have revealed the presence in these products of two medicinal substances : sibutramine and sildenafil. There sibutramine is a substance present in the Sibutral®, a drug that was marketed in France between 2001 and 2010 as a treatment for obesity. During its marketing in France, a large number of serious adverse effects, in particular cardiovascular, were reported. This medicine has been banned since 2010. sildenafil is the active molecule of Viagra® and its genericsA drug indicated in case of erectile dysfunction and which may cause side effects potentially serious adverse events : headaches, redness, digestive disorders, nasal congestion, dizziness, nausea, visual disturbance…
What if we took these products?
The Medicines Agency asks people who have purchased products from the Trex range (Trex Tea, Trex Caps, Trex Plus) to stop using them. Those who have experienced an adverse reaction after using Trex Tea, Trex Caps or Trex Plus, are encouraged to see a doctor and to make a declaration on the portal for reporting adverse health events. In an emergency, you should contact 15 or a poison control centre.
These products, composed of plants and other substances, are food supplements, which are likely to cause adverse effects. In 2019, the‘Anses recalled how to achieve informed consumption of food supplements:
- Seek advice from a healthcare professional before taking any dietary supplement
- Avoid prolonged, repeated or multiple doses,
- Respect the conditions of employment,
- Be vigilant about products presented as miraculous,
- Give preference to products sold in the best-controlled channels.
Sources: ANSM suspends the marketing of Trex Tea, Trex Caps and Trex Plus products, April 11, 2023, ANSM / Food supplements, the need for informed consumption, ANSES, March 26, 2019