The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is warning residents not to use a Vietnamese herbal ointment called “Cao Bôi Trĩ Cây Thầu Dầu” (Castor Oil Hemorrhoid Extract) because it contains lead and can be fatal.
By News Desk
A woman in Sacramento died in March after developing severe lead poisoning from using the Vietnamese herbal ointment. The product had been purchased on Facebook and mailed to the United States by a friend or relative in Vietnam. The ointment was tested and contains 4% lead (39,000 ppm) – a highly dangerous amount of lead. Exposure to any amount of lead can cause lifelong harmful effects on the body.
Lead poisoning may not have visible signs or symptoms, and symptoms can vary person to person. Symptoms depend on the amount of lead in a product, how often it is used, and for how long.
Symptoms can include:
- Fatigue, irritability or mood swings, difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping
- Muscle and joint pain, nausea, decrease appetite, stomach cramps, constipation and diarrhea, feeling tired or sleepy, headache, tremors
- Severe stomach cramps; pins and needles sensation, tingling, burning or numbness in hands; seizures, coma, death
Anyone who used Cao Bôi Trĩ Cây Thầu Dầu (Castor Oil Hemorrhoid Extract) should:
- Stop using the ointment immediately and contact your health provider to get a blood lead test (venous blood test).
- Place the jar ointment in a sealed plastic bag and contact the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) at (510) 620-3620 or email toxoutbreak@cdph.ca.gov.
- Get a blood lead test for other household members, especially children, if they have been exposed to the ointment. Children are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning.
You can download a letter to take to a health care provider. It has instructions for blood lead testing. You can download the letter from CDPH in English or Vietnamese.
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