Dutch Authorities Investigate Reports of Serious Side Effects Linked to Sleep Drink DroomSap
Dutch health authorities are investigating dozens of reports of adverse health effects potentially linked to the sleep aid drink DroomSap, which contains doxylamine – a substance banned in the Netherlands for use in medication.
The Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Center Lareb has received nineteen official reports, while the National Poisons Information Center (NVIC) at UMC Utrecht has been contacted by dozens more. Reported symptoms range from heart palpitations and hallucinations to severe itching, dizziness, and even erectile dysfunction. The youngest affected individual was 15 years old, and the oldest was 79. According to Lareb, DroomSap is marketed as a natural sleep aid, but its primary effect stems from the inclusion of doxylamine.
Sleep expert Myrthe Boss warned last October that “In DroomSap there is doxylamine, a medicine that is officially banned in the Netherlands because of its side effects.” She further explained to AD that the chemical, while sometimes used for allergies, “does not improve sleep quality and carries many risks, such as dizziness, memory problems, and even hallucinations.” The NVIC reported receiving over 30 complaints, including cases of decreased consciousness and anxiety, with four affected users under the age of 10 and three teenagers. Concerns have also been raised by professionals, with a police officer and a doctor’s assistant contacting the NVIC after discovering colleagues were using DroomSap during night shifts. This raises concerns about impaired performance in safety-sensitive roles.
DroomSap is currently classified as a food product, rather than a medicine, due to its doxylamine concentration being just below the legal threshold requiring a prescription. Lareb has now notified the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) regarding the reported health risks. You can find more information about reporting side effects to Lareb here.
Authorities are urging consumers to discontinue use of DroomSap while the NVWA investigates the potential health hazards.
