Illegal addition of medication to herbal supplement Montalin once again

Users of the herbal supplement Montalin may unknowingly ingest a corticosteroid. This can lead to unintended and potentially serious consequences.

The Dutch Pharmacovigilance Centre Lareb received a report of a user developing a Cushingoid appearance (moon face, altered fat distribution) and muscle weakness after using Montalin. Upon investigation, the capsules were found to contain dexamethasone.

Herbal supplement
Montalin is an Indonesian herbal supplement marketed as a natural pain reliever and cholesterol-lowering product. It is available for purchase through online stores. According to the product information, it contains five different herbs.

Adulteration
Lareb previously reported that pain-relieving medications (paracetamol and meloxicam) had been found in Montalin. These drugs are illegally added to Montalin and are not listed on the packaging.

Advice to users
Consumers should be careful when purchasing herbal preparations online, as it is not always clear what they contain.

Lareb has informed the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate and the National Poisons Information Centre.