WASHINGTON - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers last Friday not to take Liqiang 4 dietary supplement capsules, which contain a drug that could have life-threatening consequences for some users.
An FDA statement said the product, sold as part of a shrink-wrapped two-bottle set, contains glyburide. Glyburide, which is used to lower blood sugar, is safe and effective when labeled in FDA-approved medications, it said.
But the agency said people with low blood sugar or diabetes could get dangerously high levels of glyburide by consuming Liqiang 4, manufactured by the Liqiang Research Institute in China and marketed in the United States through herbal stores and by mail order.
Consumers should immediately stop using the product and seek medical attention, the FDA said, especially if they are being treated with diabetes drugs or have symptoms of fatigue, excessive hunger, profuse sweating or numbness of the extremities.
The FDA said it learned of the potential problem through an anonymous complaint and followed up with testing that revealed the presence of glyburide.
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