Warning after Ayurvedic medicines sold in Victorian grocery stores found to possibly contain lead, poisons

Victoria's health department is warning consumers that some Ayurvedic medicines for sale in grocery stores in Victoria possibly contain ingredients – including lead – that are scheduled poisons.

The public alert comes as a number of people in Victoria have suffered lead poisoning from Ayurvedic medicines imported from overseas.

Ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India, which includes herbal medicines as well as dietary changes and acupuncture.

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The department is advising anyone taking Ayurvedic medicines bought in Australia to ensure the packaging has an "AUST R" or "AUST L" number marked on it, meaning it has been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Anyone who is using Ayurvedic medicines purchased or imported from overseas or purchased in Victoria where the product does not have a number is advised to stop consuming the product immediately.

The department has said anyone buying the medicines from overseas needs to be aware that there is no guarantee the products have been manufactured to Australian standards of safety and quality.

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Lead poisoning can be fatal depending on the level of exposure.

Symptoms include abdominal pain, constipation, fatigue, headaches, nausea and vomiting and seizures.

The symptoms of low-level exposure can be hard to detect clinically but can still cause long term harm.

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