Explain possible side effects and interaction/safety considerations for reta without overstating causality or efficacy.
What we checked
We checked every product in SAHPRA’s public PI/PIL repository on 2026-09-03. No product under this name is registered for use in South Africa.
What is reta?
Reta is not registered for use in South Africa. No South African regulator has approved it, and no approved leaflet exists for it here.
Not registered in South Africa
A medicine that is not registered here has not been assessed by SAHPRA for quality, safety or effectiveness in this country. Anything sold locally under this name reached the buyer outside the regulated supply chain, which means nobody has checked what is actually in it.
Possible side effects of reta
We are not able to list this product’s side effects from an approved South African source.
What that means in practice
Because this is not approved here, there is no local safety monitoring behind it, no approved dose, and no leaflet in the pack you can rely on. A doctor or pharmacist is the right place to take questions about it.
Interactions and medicines to check
Interactions happen when reta and something else affect each other — changing how well either works, or making side effects more likely. This includes prescription medicines, pharmacy medicines bought without a prescription, other supplements, herbal remedies and traditional medicines.
Supplements and herbal products are often assumed to be interaction-free because they are available without a prescription. That assumption is not safe. Tell your pharmacist or doctor about everything you take, including things you would not think of as medicine.
Evidence required before publish — source the following for reta from the SAHPRA-approved patient information leaflet or professional information, and cite what you actually used.
- Interactions named in the current approved information or authoritative monograph for reta
- Which interactions the source describes as requiring avoidance versus monitoring
- Any food, drink or timing interaction the source identifies
- Whether the source flags interactions with commonly used South African medicines
Bring the actual products to the conversation
A pharmacist can check for interactions much faster if they can see the packaging or a photo of it, rather than working from remembered names.
Who should use extra caution?
Worth raising with a pharmacist or doctor before you take it:
- Any prescription medicine you take, especially for HIV, TB, epilepsy, heart conditions or blood thinning.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Existing liver or kidney disease.
- Any planned surgery.
You can still report a reaction
SAHPRA accepts reports of suspected reactions even where a product has no approved leaflet. Reporting is how an unrecorded effect stops being unrecorded.
Dose, timing and other factors that can affect side effects
Worth raising with a pharmacist or doctor before you take it:
- Any prescription medicine you take, especially for HIV, TB, epilepsy, heart conditions or blood thinning.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Existing liver or kidney disease.
- Any planned surgery.
You can still report a reaction
SAHPRA accepts reports of suspected reactions even where a product has no approved leaflet. Reporting is how an unrecorded effect stops being unrecorded.
Serious symptoms and warning signs
These warning signs are worth acting on whatever you have taken.
Call for emergency help now if any of these happen
- Difficulty breathing, wheezing, or tightness in the throat or chest
- Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat
- A widespread rash with blistering or peeling skin, or sores in the mouth, eyes or genitals
- Fainting, collapse, or a sudden severe drop in alertness
- Chest pain, or sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body
- A fit (seizure), or confusion that comes on suddenly
In South Africa call 10177 for an ambulance, or 112 from a mobile phone. Go to your nearest emergency department if it is faster. Do not wait to see whether the symptom settles.
What to do if side effects occur
If you think you are having a side effect, the response depends on how severe it is. Use the warning signs above first — if any of those apply, treat it as urgent.
If the symptom is severe or frightening
Get medical help immediately. Call 10177 for an ambulance, or 112 from a mobile phone, or go to the nearest emergency department. Take the product and its packaging with you if you can.
If the symptom is mild but bothering you
- Write down what the symptom is, when it started, and how it relates to when you take the product
- Check the leaflet that came with the product to see whether the symptom is listed
- Speak to your pharmacist — for many questions this is the fastest route to a useful answer
- Contact the prescriber if the symptom is affecting your daily life or is not settling
Do not stop a prescribed treatment on your own
Stopping some treatments suddenly causes its own problems, and the condition being treated may get worse. If you want to stop, ask a pharmacist or doctor how to do it safely — they can usually offer an alternative.
You can also report a suspected side effect in South Africa. Reporting does not replace getting medical advice, and you do not need to be certain the product was the cause.
How to report a suspected side effect in South Africa
South Africa has an official system for reporting suspected side effects, run by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). Reports from the public and from healthcare professionals are how safety signals get detected after a product is already in use.
Who can report
Anyone can report — you do not have to be a healthcare professional, and you do not need to prove that the product caused the problem. A suspicion is enough. Patients, caregivers and family members can all submit a report.
What to have ready
- The name of the product, its strength and form, and the batch number if you have it
- Why it was being used, and when it was started and stopped
- What the suspected reaction was, when it began, and how long it lasted
- Any other medicines, supplements or remedies being used at the same time
- Basic details about the person affected — age and sex are usually enough
How to report
SAHPRA accepts adverse reaction reports through its e-Services reporting system and through the Med Safety mobile app. Healthcare professionals can also report through the same routes. Current forms and access points are published on the SAHPRA site.
- SAHPRA Health Products Vigilance — the main vigilance and reporting hub
- SAHPRA e-Services — current adverse reaction reporting access
Reporting is not a substitute for medical care
If someone is unwell now, get medical help first and report afterwards. Urgent symptoms always take precedence over paperwork.
For a fuller walkthrough see how to report an adverse drug reaction.
Related pages
← Back to more supplement side effects.
Report a side effect
If you think you have had a side effect, you can report a suspected side effect in South Africa. Report a suspected side effect through the appropriate SAHPRA pathway where relevant.
Information only
This page gives general medicine-safety information for people in South Africa. It is not a diagnosis and not personalised medical advice. It cannot tell you whether a symptom you are having is caused by a particular product. Speak to a pharmacist or doctor about your own situation, and do not stop or change a prescribed treatment on the basis of a web page.
Editorial status: draft — not for publication
Brief SE-00486 · build rank 486 · Phase 2 · Tier 2. Every evidence slot on this page must be completed from the SAHPRA-approved source and the page signed off by a qualified clinical or pharmacy reviewer before it is published. Target length 1,300–2,000 words.