The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a stern warning to the Nigerian public regarding the use of four products found to contain potent medicinal compounds, steroids, and other banned substances.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, sounded the alarm in Abuja on Sunday, highlighting the grave concerns associated with these products.
The alert was triggered by an official communication from the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore, which revealed that the products in question had led to adverse effects in four consumers.
Laboratory analyses conducted by the Health Sciences Authority unveiled that these products contained powerful medicinal ingredients, including steroids, sibutramine (a prohibited weight loss medicine), and tadalafil (an erectile dysfunction medication).
Specifically, the products were found to contain Dexamethasone and Prednisolone, potent steroids that are typically prescribed for treating inflammatory conditions. These medications require careful medical supervision, and their long-term unsupervised usage can lead to various severe side effects.
Adeyeye stressed that prolonged, unsupervised steroid use can result in elevated blood glucose levels, potentially leading to conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cataracts, and muscular and bone disorders. Furthermore, steroid usage may increase the risk of infections and cause Cushing’s syndrome, characterized by a round or ‘moon face’ appearance and upper body obesity with thin limbs.
The abrupt discontinuation of steroids without proper medical oversight can also trigger serious withdrawal symptoms, including fatigue, confusion, and low blood pressure.
NAFDAC is taking swift action to ensure the safety of Nigerians by cautioning against the use of these harmful products and conducting thorough investigations to prevent further distribution and sale. Consumers are strongly advised to refrain from using these products and seek medical advice if they have already done so.
