The MHRA has warned the public against using the potentially fatal herbal remedy Zheng Tian Wan, after discovering a herbal practitioner had given it to a patient.

The unlicensed Chinese remedy – supplied as pills – contains aconite, a plant toxin that is poisonous to the heart and nervous system and linked to serious complications including death, the MHRA said this week.

Aconite is banned for oral use in the UK – unless prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner and taken under supervision – but Zheng Tian Wan was supplied to a patient in the West Midlands, and the MHRA has previously received three reports of suspected side effects linked to aconite, including kidney problems, dizziness and palpitations.

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	Aconite, also known as monkshood, is on a UK list of restricted herbal ingredients and herbal practitioners are only allowed to use it in preparations for external use on unbroken skin.

"Herbal medicines can have a very significant effect on the body. In certain circumstances, such as aconite taken orally, they can be extremely dangerous," said MHRA herbal policy manager Andrea Farmer.

Patients should speak to a healthcare professional "as soon as possible" if they had taken any, she said.

Authorised herbal products, which are subject to safety monitoring, are registered under the Traditional Herbal Registration scheme and have the THR registration number or logo on the packaging, she added.