Bismacine, also known as Chromacine, is a substance manufactured by American Biologics Corporation and marketed as a purported alternative treatment for

Lyme disease Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a vector-borne disease caused by the ''Borrelia'' bacterium, which is spread by ticks in the genus ''Ixodes''. The most common sign of infection is an expanding red rash, known as erythema migran ...

. Bismacine contains high levels of

bismuth Bismuth is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Bi and atomic number 83. It is a post-transition metal and one of the pnictogens, with chemical properties resembling its lighter group 15 siblings arsenic and antimony. Elemental ...

, and two deaths are recorded following the use of intravenous bismacine to treat Lyme disease. In 2006, the

U.S. Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

warned consumers not to use bismacine, noting that it is ineffective and dangerous.

References

Bismuth Patent medicines Lyme disease {{Alt-med-stub