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25.11.2014

Corticosteroids and antihistamines found in Mayhem

If you happen to have a jar of Mayhem bodybuilding supplement hanging around – manufactured by Chaotic Labz – it might contain the corticosteroid dexamethasone and the anti-allergy medicine cyproheptadine. The American FDA has published a warning on its websites advising Mayhem users to stop using the product, and Chaotic Labz is recalling the supplement from stores.

(Cyproheptadine)

(Dexamethasone)

Mayhem
According to the FDA lab, the corticosteroid and antihistamine are to be found in the Mayhem supplements with the batch number #CLM061114 and expiry date 06/2016. In the version of Mayhem shown above the capsules are black-yellow, but according to the FDA the suspect Mayhem capsules are yellow. The photo below was published by the FDA. Click for a larger version.

"Consumers are advised that corticosteroid use can impair a person's ability to fight infections, cause high blood sugar levels, muscle injuries and psychiatric problems", wrote the FDA.

"When corticosteroids are taken for a prolonged period, or at high doses, they can suppress the adrenal gland and cause withdrawal symptoms with abrupt discontinuation. Antihistamines may cause drowsiness and affect mental alertness. In addition, these undeclared drug ingredients in Mayhem may cause serious side effects when combined with other medications."

Appetite
Mayhem is sold in webstores in the pre-workout supplement category, but it doesn't really belong here. The Mayhem manufacturer's claim is that it'll make you grow – nothing more, nothing less. Below is the description we found in an online store.

Both dexamethasone and cyproheptadine boost appetite, so it looks as though these two substances have been added intentionally to the supplement.

Not the first time?
It's probably not the first time that Chaotic Labz has secretly added cyproheptadine to one of its products. During a Google session we came across posts on bodybuilding forums and blogs from 2012-2013 about an older Chaotic Labz supplement: BMF Salvation.

The ingredients on the labels of Mayhem and BMF Salvation are pretty much the same.

Officially both supplements contain substances such as the quercetin analogue isorhamnetin [3,5,7-trihydroxy-2-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-4-benzopyrone] or plumbagin [5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone], a toxic compound found in meat-eating plants. We're not quite sure what the use is of most of the components in both supplements.

Chaotic Labz has made similar claims for both supplements: that they enhance appetite. The slogan on Mayhem jars is "Appetite For Construction" and on BMF Salvation jars it was "Get Thick as F#ck".

In 2012 blogs and boards reported that a lab had found cyproheptadine in BMF Salvation. [totalflexblog.com June 13, 2012] [musclechemistry.com 03-10-2013]

The source of this information was none other than Patrick Arnold. He tested BMF Salvation and detected crypoheptadine, and published this information in the spring of 2012 on a forum. [modernfitnessforum.com 03-28-2012]

Source:
Fda.gov, November 14, 2014.

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