A potentially dangerous pain relief supplement that contains hidden prescription drugs continues to be readily available in San Francisco stores, despite multiple warnings from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Hidden Dangers in 'Natural' Remedies
Gloria Caballero, a 52-year-old house cleaner from San Francisco, discovered the alarming truth about Artri Ajo King after taking the supplement for four years. What began as effective relief from knee pain gradually turned into concerning health symptoms including facial swelling and widespread bruising.
During a routine checkup at Mission Neighborhood Health Center, her nurse practitioner Steve Leiner identified the supplement as the cause of her symptoms. Laboratory analyses by the FDA have revealed that Artri Ajo King contains powerful hidden pharmaceuticals including diclofenac, dexamethasone and methocarbamol.
Dr Elizabeth Murphy, chief of endocrinology at San Francisco General Hospital, explained the deceptive nature of these supplements. "Patients actually feel better because the high-dose steroids treat arthritis pain," she said. "The problem is, it's just not a safe treatment for joint pain."
Growing Health Crisis in Immigrant Communities
Medical professionals in San Francisco report seeing increasing numbers of Latino patients, particularly those working physically demanding jobs, who have turned to Artri Ajo King and related supplements for chronic pain relief. Despite the FDA issuing warnings in 2022, usage appears to be rising within the city's Spanish-speaking communities.
Dr Murphy has treated multiple patients with complications linked to the supplement, including severe osteoporosis requiring hip replacements, weight gain, diabetes development, and Cushing's syndrome. Long-term use can shut down the body's natural cortisol production, creating dangerous dependency.
"If you bring usage down too quickly, the body is not going to be able to generate its own cortisol in the event of a major injury," warned Leiner. "These patients could go into shock and they could die."
Regulatory Gaps and Community Impact
Although major retailers like Walmart and Amazon removed Artri Ajo King from their shelves following FDA warning letters, the supplement remains widely available in small stores throughout San Francisco's Mission District. Priced between $20 and $40 per box, the products are marketed as natural remedies with labels entirely in Spanish.
Pieter Cohen, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School who studies supplement safety, noted that FDA warnings rarely change consumer behaviour in immigrant communities. "There's no way to distinguish legitimate supplements from illegal supplements," he explained.
Mayra Moreno-Arnaiz, a health educator at Mission Neighborhood Health Center, has created warning flyers but acknowledges the difficulty in reaching affected communities. Many patients assume the pills are natural or similar to traditional remedies, unaware they contain unregulated pharmaceuticals manufactured in hidden laboratories.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health did not respond to inquiries about whether they were aware of the ongoing sales of Artri Ajo King within the city.
