Benzylpiperazine (PEP) Pills Dangerous And Illegal

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has warned today that selling BZP pills, containing benzylpiperazine, is illegal and vendors may face prosecution.

Producers and sellers frequently claim that BZP is a “natural” product, describing it as a “pepper extract” or “legal or herbal high”. However, the drug is entirely synthetic, not occurring naturally in any plants.

BZP can result in agitation, vomiting, abdominal pain, seizures, abnormal heart rhythms, colic, diarrhoea, allergic reactions and fever. In rare cases, users may suffer from serotonin syndrome, which can result in death.

Experimental studies demonstrate that the abuse, dependence potential, pharmacology, and toxicology of BZP are similar to those of amphetamine.

Danny Lee-Frost, Head of Operations at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said:
“Producers and sellers must now stop marketing all products containing BENZYLPIPERAZINE and “PIPERAZINE BLEND” in the UK with immediate effect and must cancel all advertising and promotion including internet promotion and sales. People should not take these pills as there are considerable health risks.” There are piperazine containing medicines for human use which must be sold in pharmacies. Any other pills containing piperazine or its salts or derivatives would be classified as unlicensed as there are no safeguards in relation to the safety, quality or efficacy of the pills.

– Benzylpiperazine is marketed under various names depending on the country. These include: BZP, Pep, Pep Love, Pep Twisted, Pep Stoned, A2, Legal E/ Legal X Frenzy, Nemesis, ESP, Cosmic Kelly, Charlie, The Good Stuff, Exodus, Frenzy, Rapture, Charge, Blast and Euphoria.

– BZP pills can come in many shapes or forms. The pills are sometimes encountered as a red, blue, pink, white, off-white, purple, orange, tan, and mottled orange-brown pills. These tablets can bear imprints such as a housefly, crown, heart, butterfly, smiley face or bull’s head logo, and are often sold as “ecstasy”. BZP has also been found in powder or liquid form packaged in small convenient sizes sold on the Internet.

– The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work, and are acceptably safe. No product is risk-free. Underpinning all our work lie robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits to patients and the public justify the risks. We keep watch over medicines and devices, and take any necessary action to protect the public promptly if there is a problem.

– If an individual is convicted of offences under the Medicines Act 1968, they can be sentenced to a maximum of two years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. Where appropriate the MHRA will use the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to determine whether or not benefits were accrued through criminal activity and will recoup illicit earnings if the individual is found guilty.

http://www.mhra.gov.uk

New Campaign Goes ‘Back To Basics’ To Beat Baby Blues

Monday 28th May: a national campaign launches today to bring back the humble coffee morning as a simple and effective way to provide support to new mothers at a time when they’re most susceptible to the baby blues.

Fronted by TV presenter and mother-of-two, Kaye Adams, and backed by the charity Cry-Sis and Colief Infant Drops, the ‘A Problem Shared’ campaign calls on today’s generation of mums to revive the coffee morning. The Campaign also hopes to get health visitors, who provide vital support to new mums, to champion the benefits of coffee mornings during their visits.

A recent survey* found that loneliness, lack of sleep and dealing with a crying baby are the hardest things to cope with for new mums, and that nearly half suffer due to a lack of adult interaction in the first few months following the birth of their child.

Often dismissed as idle chit-chat or time-wasting, the coffee morning is a vital source of support for new mums and an effective and natural alternative to resorting to modern-day medicines such as sleeping pills and anti-depressants.

Elsie Matthewman, Chair of Cry-sis, the charity for parents with excessively crying babies commented:

“Today, many women’s social networks are formed around work so maternity leave can be a barrier to established sources of support – many find themselves living miles away from family and friends because of their job so being part of a community is harder than ever before. A coffee morning provides an ideal opportunity to share problems, such as dealing with a crying baby, feeding difficulties or lack of sleep, and to help relieve tensions.”

Jane Terry, a Health Visitor added:

“Peer support has been found to be an effective way of helping families, this is why I felt it was important to contribute to the A Problem Shared Campaign leaflet ‘Your Baby’s First Weeks’.”

As with many practical and profound solutions, the idea itself is very simple. A Problem Shared campaign web site, www.problemshared.info, has been set up to help parents set up a coffee morning in their local area.

Mary Buckley, developer of Colief Infant Drops explains. “We wanted to support the campaign after receiving a large number of calls to our helpline from distressed new mothers asking for help and advice on areas from calming crying babies and expressing milk to finding other people to talk to locally.”

Bringing the Campaign to the Nation:

– We have case studies of women who found a way out of being frightened, alone and out-of-their-depth by setting up their own coffee mornings
– We can arrange for press/photography visits to see a coffee morning in action
– We have expert comment from Elsie Matthewman, chair of Cry-sis
– Coffee morning start-up kits and campaign information are available at www.problemshared.info
• A FREE expert ‘Guide To Your Baby’s First Weeks’ can also be ordered or downloaded from the site

The campaign is sponsored by Colief Infant Drops. When babies show symptoms of colic, ruling out milk sensitivity is one of the first recommended steps. Colief Infant Drops contain the naturally-occurring enzyme lactase, which when added to the babies ‘usual milk’ (whether breast fed or formula), breaks down most of the lactose and makes the feed more easily digestible.

Medicinal Herbs are a Popular Choice in WIC Clinics

Nearly half of the low income, nutritionally-vulnerable Latino children surveyed by Penn State researchers in WIC clinics were treated with herbs by their caregivers for common ills such as diaper rash, colic, teething symptoms, stomachaches, coughs and colds.

Although herb use was higher among the Latinos (48.4 percent), over one-third (31.4 percent) of the non-Latino WIC clients surveyed also used medicinal herbs for childhood illness. The herbs most commonly used were those with relatively low risk for adverse effects, including aloe vera, chamomile, garlic, peppermint, lavender, cranberry, ginger, Echinacea and lemon.

The study is the first to report on herbal use by participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). WIC helps low-income women, infants and children up to age five by providing vouchers to purchase food, education about healthful eating and referrals to health-care providers.

Dr. Barbara Lohse, associate professor of nutritional sciences who led the study, says, “Nutrition professionals and WIC educators have hesitated to talk about herbs for children because they feared that it would encourage acceptance and, perhaps, cause people to start using them. Our study has shown that more WIC clients than we thought are already using them, mostly in moderate and appropriate ways. However, because some herbal use has the potential to do harm, we urge herbal education in WIC clinics.”

The study is detailed in the current (February) issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in a paper, “Survey of Herbal Use by Kansas and Wisconsin WIC Participants Reveals Moderate, Appropriate Use and Identifies Herbal Education Needs.”

Lohse began the study when she was an associate professor of food and nutrition at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and continued it when she joined the faculty at Kansas State University. Her co-authors are Jodi L. Stotts, Penn State research assistant and former instructor at Kansas State, and Jennifer R. Priebe, a clinical dietitian with San Luis Medical and Rehabilitation, Green Bay, Wis. At the time of the study, Priebe was a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, Wis.

The researchers surveyed 2,562 caregivers with children living in Kansas and Wisconsin who were attending a WIC clinic. Child herbal use was reported for 1,363 of the children ranging in age from 1 week to 17 years. The majority of the children treated with herbs were younger than age 5.

The caregivers who participated in the survey consulted a variety of sources about the use of herbs to treat their children including family and friends, the news media, the Internet, medical doctors and other allied health professionals. However, family was, by far, the most popular source of information and was the only source for 46.9 percent of non-Latinos and 73.2 percent of Latinos.

The reasons cited by the caregivers for use of specific herbs varied. For example, aloe vera was used for burns, cuts, and rashes as well as gastrointestinal problems, asthma, colds, ear infections, fatigue and urinary symptoms.

Although most of the herbs that the participants reported giving to children were those with relatively low risk, the effects of long term use and interactions with prescription and over-the-counter medications are unknown. In addition, ten herbs with known safety issues, including St John’s wort, kava and red clover, were also given to children and taken by the caregivers themselves.

The researchers write, “Although it may be tempting to say that, ‘because little data exist on the safety of herbals during pregnancy, when breastfeeding, and in children, use of these products should be discouraged,’ the reality is that herbals are widely used in these populations. Likewise, recent findings such as the inefficacy and adverse reactions from Echinacea use illustrate the need to provide an educational venue and to conduct educational research to formalize herbal education within the WIC clinic culture.”

St. John’s Wort In Pregnancy And Lactation

St. John’s wort (hypericum perforatum) is one of the five best-selling herbs in the United States. It is used by many to treat the symptoms of depression, and many prefer it to prescription medications such as Paxil® and Zoloft. However, the herb has been the subject of growing concern about its interaction with birth control pills, the blood thinner warfarin, and cyclosporin, a medication used with those who have received organ transplants. A new study examining its effect on pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding contributes to the evidence that the product should be used with caution.

A New Study

The new study, entitled “St. John’s Wort (hypericum perforatum): Is It Safe During Pregnancy, Breastfeeding and With Prescription Medications? A Systematic Review,” will soon be published in the Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. It is one in a series that systematically reviews the evidence relating to the safety of herbs commonly used during pregnancy and lactation.

The study was conducted by a team of Canadian researchers consisting of the principal investigator Jean Jacques Dugoua, ND, MSc (Cand.), University of Toronto, Sick Kids Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Truestar Health and Wellness Clinic, and the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Toronto, CN; and co-investigators Edward Mills, DPH, MSc., PhD (Cand.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Ontario, CN; Dan Perri, MD, BscPharm, FRCP(C), Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, CN; and Gideon Koren, MD, The Motherisk Program, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, CN.

Dr. Dugoua is presenting the team’s findings at the 21st Annual Meeting of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (http://www.Naturopathic.org), being held August 9-12, 2006 at the Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR.

Methodology

The aim of the study was to systematically review the literature for evidence on the use, safety, and pharmacology of St. John’s wort focusing on issues pertaining to pregnancy and lactation. The investigators searched seven databases for reports relating to the herb. The databases included AMED, CINAHL, Cochrane CENTRAL, Cochrane Library, MedLine, Natural Database, and Natural Standard. Each database was examined in duplicate for data from its inception. Unpublished research and bibliographies were also included. Data were compiled according to the grade of evidence found.

Results

The researchers found varying levels of scientific evidence on the efficacy of use for different conditions; low-level evidence of harm during pregnancy; and strong evidence of side effects during lactation. As St. John’s wort interacts with a number of medications due to its effect on cytochrome P450 enzymes, this may account for some of the findings.

Conclusions

The researchers concluded:

– Caution is warranted when using St. John’s wort during pregnancy and lactation.

– St. John’s wort may interact with medications prescribed during pregnancy.

– During pregnancy, a case study and some animal studies reported lower birth weights with use of St. John’s wort.

– Strong scientific evidence showed that St. John’s wort consumption during lactation did not affect maternal milk production nor affect infant weight, but may cause colic, drowsiness or lethargy.

– St. John’s wort showed strong scientific evidence of being an effective aid in combating mild to moderate depression and low-level evidence for other conditions.

Recommendations

The authors urge women not to assume that because herbs are labeled “natural” that they are safe. They recommend all pregnant and lactating women consult a licensed, health care professional before consuming any herb or medicine in general, and St. John’s wort in particular. Finally, they recommend that any woman experiencing depression let their physician know immediately.

New review confirms Colief’s efficacy in the reduction of colic related crying time

For the parents of a baby with colic, the periods of unbroken crying can drive them to the brink of despair. Being a new parent is difficult enough but the inability to console a baby who appears distressed and in pain can prove too much and lead to a total loss of parental confidence. Now a new review published in the GP’s magazine the Prescriber [1], offers fresh hope to suffering parents.

The review by Dr Dipak Kanabar, consultant paediatric gastroenterologist at Guys Hospital, compared 6 alternative approaches to the treatment of colic symptoms in babies. Findings showed that while other options offered some relief, only preincubation of baby milk with a lactase enzyme such as Colief Infant Drops dramatically reduced the crying time in colicky babies.

Although there is no single cause for colic, undigested lactose in food as a result of Transient Lactase Deficiency has been identified as a causative factor in many babies suffering from colic. Undigested lactose leads to bacteriological and metabolic changes in the gut, which in turn cause pain and distress.

The review published in Prescriber confirms the findings of a double blind, placebo controlled study carried out at the Department of Paediatrics at Guys Hospital in 2001 [2], which showed that pre-treatment of feeds with lactase typically reduces crying time in responders of 45% or more.