A serious case of lead poisoning has prompted health authorities to issue an urgent warning about an illegally imported banned substance being sold as a complementary medicine.

SA Health said a patient was admitted to hospital after consuming the product labeled Multani Kaminividravana Rasa, better known as Kamini, which was found to contain “high levels” of mercury.

The product is thought to have been manufactured overseas and sold to the patient at a Southeast Asian supermarket in Adelaide.

The ministry said that while the substance was marketed as a “potent stimulant” to counteract “weakness, lack of vigor and vitality”, it was sold in the form of dark pellets, posing a “significant risk to health”.

While SA Health said it could not release specific details about the case, it confirmed the patient had been discharged from hospital and is currently being treated at home.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration previously warned about the product, saying tests revealed ingredients “listed as hazardous poisons.”

SA Health’s director of protection and regulation, Chris Lease, said the product could contain “a mixture of harmful ingredients” that could be fatal because it was not regulated.

“Kultani Kaminividravana Rasa tablets should never be swallowed.

“They have not been evaluated by the TGA for quality, safety or effectiveness as required by Australian legislation.”

Previous public health warnings about Kamini have been issued in recent years after at least a dozen people who developed an addiction to Kamini sought help for withdrawal symptoms in south-east Queensland.

SA Health said authorities notified hospital emergency departments and GPs of the lead poisoning case and urged them to be vigilant about blood lead testing “for patients presenting with concerning symptoms”.

He said the tablets were illegal to supply in Australia, but they were “secretly imported and sold in some markets and online”.

“The TGA is working with the Australian Border Force to help stop shipments of products from entering Australia,” SA Health said. he said.

Anyone who suspects they are suffering from serious lead poisoning or an opioid overdose should seek immediate medical attention, the department said.