FDA warns about using high-strength hydrogen peroxide

The FDA is warning consumers not to purchase or use high-strength hydrogen peroxide products, including a product marketed as “35 Percent Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide,” for medicinal purposes as they can cause serious harm or death when ingested.

The agency is working to stop companies selling high-strength hydrogen peroxide from making illegal medical claims about their products. These claims are illegal because the products do not have FDA approval and are therefore being sold illegally for medical indications without any proven clinical value.

As part of these ongoing efforts, the FDA has issued warning letters to the two firms illegally selling “35 percent hydrogen peroxide” products on websites for the treatment of AIDS, cancer, emphysema, and other serious and life-threatening diseases.

“This concentration is not approved by FDA for any purpose,” said Dr Steven Galson, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “No one has presented any evidence that hydrogen peroxide taken internally has any medical value. In fact, consuming hydrogen peroxide in the manner touted by these websites could lead to tragic results.”

The FDA stated that it has never approved high-strength hydrogen peroxide to be taken internally and considers hydrogen peroxide at 35% strength dangerous, even if handled according to the manufacturer’s directions.