Fw: MedWatch - Kava-containing dietary supplements linked to seriousliver toxicity

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----- Original Message ----- From: MEDWATCH Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 12:27 PM JUSTINE RENE Subject: MedWatch - Kava-containing dietary supplements linked to seriousliver toxicity MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting ProgramThe FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) notifiedhealthcare professionals and consumers of the potential risk of severe liverinjury associated with the use of kava-containing dietary supplements.Supplements containing the herbal ingredient kava are promoted forrelaxation (e.g., to relieve stress, anxiety, and tension), sleeplessness,menopausal symptoms and other uses. Kava-containing products have beenassociated with liver-related injuries, including hepatitis, cirrhosis, andliver failure. Given these reports, persons who have liver disease or liverproblems, or persons who are taking drug products that can affect the liver,should consult a physician before using kava-containing supplements.See the MedWatch 2002 Safety Information entry at:http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2002/safety02.htm#kava--------------MedWatch is your Internet gateway for timely safety information on drugs andother medical products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Visit the MedWatch web site regularly for the latest official safetyinformation, at http://www.fda.gov/medwatchTo unsubscribe from the MedWatch e-list service, write an e-mail addressedto:medwatch@...Enter the word "unsubscribe" (no quotes) in the subject line. Please leavethe message body blank and send. The above address is for e-list subscribingor unsubscribing only -- comments or questions about MedWatch should bedirected to the MedWatch web site athttp://www.fda.gov/medwatch/feedback.htm