The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has issued a warning for consumers using sexual enhancement products after an investigation found several brands contained hidden amounts of viagra and other prescription-only drugs.
The TGA tested 11 products that claimed to be dietary or natural formulas, and found they contained undeclared prescription drugs with the substances sildenafil, commonly marketed as viagra, tadalafil, known by the brand name Cialis, and dapoxetine.
Both Viagra and Cialis are commonly prescribed to treat erectile dysfunction in Australia, and sildenafil can also be used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension.
The drugs work by relaxing blood vessels and increasing blood flow to specific areas of the body, but they can have serious side effects if taken by the wrong person without a prescription.
Cobra Max capsules contained undeclared sildenafil. (Supplied)
The federal president of the Australian Medical Association, Danielle McMullen, told the ABC “you never really know what you’re going to get” when buying these medicines online without a prescription.
“It really can put your health at risk.”
“It’s certainly something you’d not want to take without knowing,” Dr McMullen said.
Some side effects can include dizziness, severe headaches or more serious symptoms if used without supervision, including chest pain, hearing loss, seizures or altered vision.
They have not been assessed for quality, safety or efficacy, as required under Australian legislation, according to the Australian regulator.
Dr McMullen said there were also concerns about people unknowingly obtaining these medicines, especially those who had underlying health conditions, or taking medicines that could interact with the drugs.
“What was concerning from the TGA findings, that even supplements that didn’t purport to have these ingredients in them, and claimed to be herbal supplements, did contain prescription medicines,”
Dr McMullen said.
The products that were tested include: Nano Volume Capsules, Lustra 80 tablets, Candy Power For Man lozenges, Kama Extasy200 tablets, Kama Super Platinum tablets, Nano Epigen Size capsules, Rock II Hard tablets, Cobra Max capsules, Black Bull Extreme cream, Gold Lion tablets and Black Cat capsules.
Many of these products were easily searchable and available for purchase through online stores or on eBay.
Candy Power For Man lozenges contains undeclared tadalafil. (Supplied)
Embarrassment ‘not worth’ health risk
The TGA urged consumers to “exercise extreme caution when purchasing unapproved products, whether buying online or in retail stores” due to the danger if taken without medical supervision.
While some compound pharmacies or overseas sources provide combination pills containing these substances, their legality and quality can be questionable, and they have not been registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods for general sale.
“It can seem embarrassing to talk about sexual dysfunction, but for men’s health, there are a lot of underlying health conditions that can present as difficulties in the bedroom,” Dr McCullen said.
“So it is important to chat to your GP to make sure you’re getting the best possible healthcare.
“It’s not worth messing around with your health,” she said.
The TGA warned that even if some of these medicines may be available for sale in some stores, they are unsafe to consume and could even be counterfeit.
“While it might seem easy to buy supplements online, we know that Australia has strong medicine safety regulations, and it’s much safer to go into your pharmacy or talk to your doctor,” Dr McMullen said.
Products purchased online can contain undisclosed or harmful ingredients and may not meet the same standards of quality, safety and efficacy as those approved for supply in Australia, according to the TGA.
Supplying unapproved products that contain undisclosed ingredients is illegal under Australian legislation.
