The warning was issued after two elderly women developed adverse reactions after consuming the products.

Tests on the two products, Wan Ling Ren Sem Chin Kuo Pill and Chong Cao Dan, found that they contained undeclared western medicinal ingredients, The Straits Times reported today.

Quoting a media release from the HSA, the report said tests found that both products contained dexamethasone, a potent steroid.

Frusemide (a diuretic which helps to remove excess fluid from the body) and chlorpheniramine (an anti-allergy medicine) were also found in Chong Cao Dan.

Both products were promoted as traditional Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of pain, numbness of the limbs and blood circulation.

“The undeclared potent western medicinal ingredients in the products can pose a serious health risk to consumers, especially when taken over a prolonged period without medical supervision,” the HSA was quoted as saying.

A woman in her 70s, who had been taking Wan Ling Ren Sem Chin Kuo Pill daily for four to five years to relieve her rheumatism and pain, was admitted to the intensive care unit due to severe breathing difficulties.

She suffered from adrenal insufficiency, a serious condition where the body does not produce adequate amounts of steroid hormones. This results in generalised weakness, muscle and joint pain, low blood pressure, fits or shock, The Straits Times reported.

The daily said another woman in her 60s, who took Chong Cao Dan weekly for the past two to three years for blood circulation and to relieve muscle aches and pains, fainted twice this year.

She said her aches and pains would return if she did not take the product and she developed Cushing’s syndrome, with symptoms such as the characteristic round “moon” face and thinning of the skin.

Her high blood pressure also worsened due to the prolonged consumption of steroids, and she is currently undergoing outpatient treatment.