Parents want shampoo banned
15 November 2008, 11:12
Parents of children who have suffered from severe hair loss after using a lice shampoo want to start a support group to pressure the government to remove the product from the shelves.
The parents say no more children should face the risk of the adverse side effects of Gambex, a lice treatment that can be bought over the counter at pharmacies. They are seeking legal advice.
Gambex contains lindane, a dangerous ingredient used in pesticides, also known as gamma benzene hexachloride (GBH).
Lindane is such a powerful neurotoxin that the department of agriculture has banned any pesticide containing it for agricultural use from March in 2009.
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The risks of human use of Gambex shampoo came to light in South Africa after Lachlan van Rensburg, now living in Australia, fell ill with aplastic anaemia, a rare adverse reaction to lindane use, following his repeated use of the shampoo.The parents say no more children should face the risk of the adverse side effects of Gambex, a lice treatment that can be bought over the counter at pharmacies. They are seeking legal advice.
Gambex contains lindane, a dangerous ingredient used in pesticides, also known as gamma benzene hexachloride (GBH).
Lindane is such a powerful neurotoxin that the department of agriculture has banned any pesticide containing it for agricultural use from March in 2009.
The Medicines Control Council has launched an investigation but the product is still on pharmacy shelves.
Last weekend Weekend Argus carried an article about a 17-year-old girl who suffers from alopecia (hair loss), which she believes was caused by using Gambex.
This week more parents came forward saying their children suffered from the same condition and all of them had used Gambex or Quellada, another shampoo containing lindane.
Tubby Currie of Stellenbosch said Gambex and Quellada had been used on his daughter, now nine, when she caught lice after starting primary school and, "to our horror", by the age of seven she had lost all her hair.
Currie and his wife used the products more than once, but it never crossed their minds that this or any other anti-lice product would have such severe effects.
"We noticed small hair loss behind the ears first and this got progressively worse over four months.
"Our daughter is a great little girl and has handled this as best she can. She obviously has had major trauma, along with us.
"Apart from a few occasions when a fellow pupil pulled her bandanna off or when her bandanna fell off once on the netball court, she has been strong.
People do sometimes think she is a little boy, which she thinks is quite funny. But who knows how she feels inside? She tells me people do stare at her."
He believes the product should warn that lindane could cause "grievous bodily harm".
"I believe this pesticide is the cause of my little girl's hair loss and probably many other medical conditions in thousands of other innocent people.
"The Medicines Control Council surely is liable. Someone should be accountable.
"Lindane has been banned by the Department of Agriculture but is still being sold to humans for use on children. Frightening.
"Imagine if this was America - the pharmaceutical company would be sued for millions."
Currie is now in contact with other parents to start a support group and is meanwhile seeking legal advice.
The mother of the 17-year-old, who does not want to be named, says she has been in contact with the Currie family and they will meet lawyers.
"We are hoping other parents will come forward," she said.
The Southern African Pesticides Newsletter warns that lindane has been banned in 52 countries for general use, while 33 other countries have severely restricted its use.
"It has been linked to seizures, damage to the nervous system and the reproductive system, liver problems, and weakening of the immune system. It can also cause cancer."
The Medicines Control Council is still investigating the product.
Aspen Pharmacare has indicated that it planned to make changes on the packet insert, in line with the US Food and Drug Administration's public health advisory titled "Regarding labelling changes for Lindane products".
These included more detailed instructions on the proper use of Gambex, especially the amount to apply, how long to leave shampoo on and the need to avoid reapplication.
It also planned to include information about adverse events reported following Gambex use with repeat or prolonged application.
However, the company said new warnings could be included only once the company got the go-ahead from the Medicines Control Council. Then the outer packaging or box would also be changed.
- This article was originally published on page 10 of The Cape Argus on November 15, 2008
Cape Town
