Hemorrhoid Cream Poisoned With Lead Kills California Woman

(CTN News) – Health officials in California are warning the public that a Vietnamese hemorrhoid ointment laced with a “highly dangerous amount” of lead has killed a woman in the Sacramento area.

It has been reported in a written statement by officials of the California Department of Health that the woman purchased the Vietnamese product through Facebook in March of this year. It was then shipped to her by a relative from Vietnam. Several days after applying the ointment, the woman started experiencing symptoms of lead poisoning which resulted in her death.

This particular Vietnamese product, which comes in a small, round, green container, is called Cao Bôi Trây Thu Dầu (Castor Oil Hemorrhoid Extract). A sample of the hemorrhoid ointment taken by health officials showed that it contained about 4% lead in this amount. This is considered a “highly dangerous level.”

Although it is not known if the product is available in California, health officials want residents to stop using the hemorrhoid cream if they have it in their homes. They also want them to stop using it as soon as possible if they do.

“Blood lead testing should be recommended for all members of the household, especially children, since they may have been exposed to the ointment at some point in their lives,” officials wrote in their statement.

A compound like lead can become absorbed through the skin and cause mild to moderate symptoms like fatigue, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, and severe symptoms like stomach cramping, seizures, and even coma-like reactions, depending on the level of exposure.

On Monday, the Orange County Health Care Agency sent out a public health alert alerting residents to the dangers associated with hemorrhoids as a result of the Vietnamese ointment.

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