Why are those medicines that have grown with us gradually disappearing?

Recently, the State Drug Administration issued the "Announcement on Cancelling the Registration Certificate of Belladonna Sulfobenzyl Tablets (No. 2 of 2025)". On January 8, #Xie Li Ting was completely banned from sale# became a hot search on Weibo.

"Xie Li Ting" is Belladonna Sulfonamide Tablets. Around 2000, an advertisement endorsed by Zhao Benshan was broadcasted on major TV stations. The slogan "What to do if you have dysentery and diarrhea? Take Xie Li Ting, dysentery and diarrhea will stop after taking it" was deeply rooted in people's hearts. For a time, "Xie Li Ting" became a synonym for diarrhea treatment drugs and was widely used in China.

But not long ago, the State Drug Administration organized a post-marketing evaluation of Belladonna Sulfonyl Benzoate Tablets. After the evaluation, the State Drug Administration decided to stop the production, sale and use of Belladonna Sulfonyl Benzoate Tablets in my country from now on, and cancel the drug registration certificate. The drug marketing license holder is responsible for recalling the products that have been marketed, and the recalled products shall be supervised and destroyed by the provincial drug supervision and administration department of the place where they are located, or other harmless treatment measures shall be taken in accordance with the law. The well-known "Xie Li Ting" has come to an end.

Why was the sale of “Xie Li Ting” banned?

"Xie Liting" is not only a prescription drug, but also belongs to a category with higher safety risks. It is suitable for chronic bacillary dysentery caused by Shigella dysenteriae and enteritis caused by other sensitive pathogenic bacteria.

This time, the State Food and Drug Administration conducted a post-marketing re-evaluation of Belladonna Sulfonyl Benzoate Tablets. According to Article 83 of the Drug Administration Law of the People's Republic of China and other relevant regulations, after evaluation, Belladonna Sulfonyl Benzoate Tablets are drugs with uncertain efficacy, serious adverse reactions, or other reasons that endanger human health.

As a compound preparation, "Xie Li Ting" mainly contains ingredients such as belladonna fluid extract, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. However, as the years of use increase, its adverse reactions gradually become apparent.

Common allergic reactions include drug rash, exudative erythema multiforme, etc. In severe cases, anaphylactic shock may occur. In addition, chloramphenicol may also cause damage to the blood system, liver, kidneys, etc., causing neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, aplastic anemia and other problems.

The sulfonamides and belladonna ingredients contained in Xie Liting are relatively unsafe and have many adverse reactions. Sulfonamide ingredients can cause side effects including allergic reactions, digestive system discomfort, liver and kidney damage, blood system abnormalities, etc. From the perspective of bacterial resistance, sulfonamide drugs have been used for many years, and common pathogens of diarrhea such as Shigella dysenteriae and Escherichia coli have developed resistance to such drugs. **Therefore, the general efficacy and advantages of Xie Liting are also weakening.

Side effects of "Xie Li Ting"

1. Allergic reactions are common and may manifest as drug eruptions. In severe cases, exudative erythema multiforme, exfoliative dermatitis, and epidermolysis bullosa atrophic dermatitis may occur. There are also serum sickness-like reactions such as photosensitivity reactions, drug fever, joint and muscle pain, and fever. Occasionally, anaphylactic shock may occur.

2. Neutropenia or deficiency, thrombocytopenia and aplastic anemia. Patients may present with sore throat, fever, pallor and bleeding tendency.

3. Hemolytic anemia and hemoglobinuria. This is more likely to occur in patients who lack glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase after taking sulfonamides, and is more common in newborns and children than in adults.

4. Hyperbilirubinemia and neonatal kernicterus. Since this product competes with bilirubin for protein binding sites, it can cause an increase in free bilirubin. Neonates have imperfect liver function and poor bilirubin processing, so they are more likely to develop hyperbilirubinemia and neonatal jaundice, and occasionally kernicterus.

5. Liver damage: Jaundice and decreased liver function may occur, and in severe cases, acute liver necrosis may occur.

6. Kidney damage: Crystalluria, hematuria, and tubular urine may occur; occasionally, patients may develop serious adverse reactions such as interstitial nephritis or renal tubular necrosis.

7. Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, headache, fatigue, etc.

Symptoms are generally mild. Occasionally, patients develop Clostridium difficile enteritis, in which case the drug should be discontinued.

8. Thyroid enlargement and hypofunction may occur occasionally.

9. Central nervous system toxicity may occasionally occur, manifested as mental confusion, disorientation, hallucinations, euphoria or depression.

10. Dry mouth, blurred vision, increased heart rate, flushed skin, dizziness, etc. In severe cases, there may be dilated pupils, excitement, and irritability.

The government has called for a ban on the use of antidiarrheal drugs from the perspective of the health of the entire population. In addition to infection factors, diarrhea also includes dietary factors, drug side effects, intestinal diseases, systemic diseases and other various conditions. In terms of treatment, specific causes should be analyzed. As people pay more attention to drug safety and bacterial resistance increases, many doctors prefer to choose safer drugs to treat diarrhea. Currently, drugs such as montmorillonite powder and berberine are more commonly used, which are relatively safer.

These commonly used medicines have also "disappeared" from pharmacies. Although the once well-known "Xie Li Ting" has withdrawn from the market, when we stand in front of the shelves in the pharmacy to choose medicines, do we suddenly realize that those medicines that once grew up with us have gradually disappeared without our knowledge?

The unique taste of compound licorice tablets, the bright and mysterious colors of red and purple medicated water, the sweet taste of pagoda candy, and the rapid fever-reducing effect of analgin...all have become a thing of the past. Among these drugs that have disappeared in the tide of the times, is there any one that has ever taken care of you when you were sick and left you with exclusive memories?

Compound Licorice Tablets

The old fashioned cough suppressant

The name of compound licorice tablets sounds fresh and harmless. Its main ingredients are licorice fluid extract, camphor, and opium. Opium is called opium when it is used as a medicine, but when it is used as a drug, it has another creepy translation: opium.

Therefore, even though opium can relieve cough and relieve pain, its addiction hazards cannot be ignored. It is too much to use opium for a mere cough. Because it contains addictive ingredients and because cough suppressants with less side effects have been launched, this strange-tasting pill in our memory has gradually disappeared from our sight.

Red potion, purple potion

The two great masters of disinfection

The scientific name of mercurochrome is mercurochrome solution. The mercury ions in mercurochrome have a certain bactericidal effect, but if used in large quantities, there is also a potential risk of mercury poisoning, and it is not friendly to the environment, so it is difficult to buy nowadays.

The scientific name of gentian violet is gentian violet solution. The main reason why gentian violet was eliminated is that gentian violet is also a dye, which can easily leave a long-lasting color on the wound, resulting in the "artistic effect" being greater than the disinfection effect.

The "new wave" that replaced mercurochrome and gentian violet is iodine tincture, which has a good disinfection effect, is gentle and non-irritating, and is easy to wash off.

Pagoda Candy

Sweet memories of the insect hunting world

This beautiful and delicious thing is not candy, but medicine. Its main ingredient is piperazine phosphate, which can paralyze or kill roundworms and pinworms in the intestines, and then mix the parasites into the feces and excrete them out of the body.

With the development of the economy, people's health awareness and living conditions have been greatly improved. Intestinal parasitic diseases caused by unclean diet are rare, and deworming drugs are rarely used now. After leaving us a healthy and sweet childhood, pagoda candy retired gracefully.

Analgin

A veteran in the fever-reducing industry

Analgin was launched as early as 1922. Its main ingredients are aminopyrine and sodium sulfite. In addition to reducing fever, it can also relieve headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, and dysmenorrhea. It was a common household medicine in the 1980s and 1990s. However, as people became more and more familiar with Analgin, they also discovered its shortcomings. For example, it may cause serious blood system diseases and lead to leukopenia!

Fortunately, a new generation of antipyretic and analgesic drugs also became popular at this time, namely the ibuprofen and acetaminophen that we commonly use now, which have similar effects to analgin, but are safer.

Phenolphthalein tablets

An old friend in the laxative world

Phenolphthalein tablets, also known as fruit laxative tablets, are good news for people with constipation. They stimulate your intestinal peristalsis and quickly transport the accumulated stool out.

But more and more people have found that taking phenolphthalein tablets is indeed effective when constipated, but once you stop taking it, the feces will stay in the stomach like concrete and will not come out - this medicine for treating constipation, you can't stop taking it, right?

Researchers around the world have gradually discovered that long-term use of phenolphthalein tablets may also lead to intestinal dysfunction, electrolyte disorders, etc.

In 2021, my country's regulatory authorities stopped the production, sale and use of phenolphthalein tablets.

Oxytetracycline

A leading figure in the antimicrobial world

Oxytetracycline is an old broad-spectrum antibiotic. From the 1950s to the 1970s, oxytetracycline could be prescribed to treat various infectious diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhea, and trachoma.

Oxytetracycline is cheap and effective, but its therapeutic effect is more than just curing the infection.

After taking oxytetracycline, the drug may be deposited on teeth rich in calcium, causing the teeth to turn yellow. Over time, the teeth will turn brown or brown-gray. In addition, oxytetracycline has other adverse reactions: gastrointestinal discomfort, liver and kidney damage, etc.

With the emergence of more effective and safer antibiotics, oxytetracycline has also withdrawn from the historical stage of human medication due to obvious adverse reactions.

Some drugs have withstood the test of time and are still powerful players in modern medicine, such as the famous penicillin; others have become sunken ships passed by thousands of ships, quietly retreating after completing their historical mission.

Source: National Medical Products Administration, People's Daily Health Client, Beijing Business Daily, China National Radio

Written by: Reporter Liu Daheng

Editor: Liu Daheng