PHOENIX — What started as back and neck pain for Maria Barajas Rios’ 68-year-old father ended with him feeling severely sick for months and ultimately being diagnosed with Cushing syndrome.
His doctors said it was caused by an alleged natural pain supplement he had been taking for nearly two years called “Artri Ajo King,” a product the FDA has warned about for containing hidden drug ingredients, that in some cases has led to liver toxicity and even death.
“Someone recommended it to him, but none of us, his kids, knew he was taking it,” Rios said. “It helped at first, then it slowly began to make him sicker.”
Through lab analyses, the FDA confirmed “Artri Ajo King,” contains diclofenac, which is not listed on the product label. Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, commonly known as NSAIDs. NSAIDs may cause an increased risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, the agency said.
The hidden ingredients may also cause serious gastrointestinal damage, including bleeding, ulceration, and fatal perforation of the stomach and intestines, the FDA said. The supplement can also interact with other medications and significantly increase the risk of adverse events.
Since 2012, the FDA has warned about this supplement seven times. But the product has been relabeled nine times from "Reumofan Plus," to "Reumofan Plus Premium", "WOW", "Ortiga", "Artri King", "Ortiga Mas Ajo Rey", "Ortiga Mas Ajo Rey Extra Forte", and most recently "AK Forte".
The latest version, ‘AK Forte’, tested positive for dexamethasone, a corticosteroid, and methocarbamol, a muscle relaxant that can cause sedation, dizziness, and low blood pressure.
From miracle drug to the ‘worst thing ever'
The supplement, ‘Artri Ajo King,’ relieved Maria Rios’ father’s pain, almost immediately, she said. “He was able to function as if he was in his 30s, at now almost 70 years old.”
But a year into taking the product, the family, who lives in California, noticed a change. Rios’ father had inflammation on his face, back of the neck, and stomach area.
“From time to time he would have fluctuating sugar levels, severe nausea, and blood pressure issues,” she said. “He ended up in the hospital a few times. Doctors couldn’t find what was wrong with him. Until out of desperation my mom took him to a different clinic out of his insurance.”
That clinic was Clinica Mi Pueblo in Bakersfield, California. Medical professionals there immediately diagnosed the 68-year-old with Cushing syndrome, which occurs when the body makes too much cortisol.
“It’s not a very common disease,” said Pascual Gonzalez, a physician assistant who treated Rios’ father. “I knew what it was because I had seen a lot of patients come in with the same symptoms.”
Some symptoms included central obesity, excessive fat behind the neck, fatigue, and high sugar, he said. But it was their joint pain that drove them to go to the clinic for medical attention.
“I’d ask them what they were taking, and they were all taking this bottle medication that was supposed to be natural called ‘Artri King’ or ‘Ajo King’,” Gonzalez said. “After doing some digging and finding the FDA warning, I realized it was that product giving them Cushing syndrome.”
In April 2022, the FDA said it had received adverse event reports from the use of the supplement, including liver toxicity and death, since its first warning about an Artri Ajo King product in January 2022.
“It’s not safe to consume because we also don’t know the exact dose of steroid that the product contains, versus what we can prescribe to a patient and monitor them,” Gonzalez said. “Not every patient is a good candidate for some of these ingredients like steroids.”
In support of public safety, and because some of these products may still be available on the market, the FDA issued warning letters to Amazon, Walmart, and Latin Foods Market for distributing various “Atri” and “Ortiga” unapproved and misbranded drug products, the agency said.
Walmart and Latin Foods Markets issued voluntary recalls for the supplements. But many can still be found in local stores. 12News found some at a local herbalist shop in Phoenix for $30.
“It’s marketed as a miracle drug, but it’s the worst thing ever,” Maria Rios said. “For those businesses still selling it, I ask that you guys have some kind of process in place, so you are on top of these alerts and understand what you are actually selling to our communities.”
Since her father was diagnosed, Rios alerted everyone she knows of the dangers of the products. Sadly, she said, at least one person in every circle of friends in her life, knew of someone who used, was using, or had problems using the supplement.
Her 68-year-old father is slowly recovering now, but going through withdrawals. He stopped taking the product soon after his Cushing diagnosis, but sudden discontinued use can cause serious problems.
Stopping corticosteroids after long-term use or high doses can result in a serious withdrawal syndrome that includes fatigue, nausea, low blood pressure, low blood glucose levels, fever, dizziness, muscle and joint pain, and shortness of breath, the FDA said.
“If you, or anyone you know, is taking this product, please advise them about the dangers,” Rios said. “You do not want to live what we have gone through.”
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Un hombre comenzó a tomar un suplemento que lo hizo sentirse mejor hasta que comenzó a enfermarse más
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