Herbal sex pills have hidden dangers

22 November, 2007

Most pills that are sold as “safe herbal alternatives” to erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs such as Viagra could be risky for men, especially those taking medicines for heart disease and high blood pressure.

It is already known that Viagra and other prescription drugs for sex should not be used by those taking drugs for heart disease and hypertension, known as nitrates.

An investigation conducted by the news agency Associated Press in the United States found that the sex-boosting drugs, when mixed with drugs prescribed to lower blood pressure and regulate heart disease, could slow down the flow of blood dangerously if mixed with nitrates, leading to a stroke or even death.

The news agency’s investigation in the US found that the so-called “all-natural” products with names like Stamina-RX and Vigor-25 might work because they contain unregulated versions of the very same ingredients they are supposed to replace.

It was found that “herbal” impotency pills are emerging as a major public health concern in the United States as the sales of these drugs have seen a phenomenal rise – to around $400 million in 2006.

Those at the greatest risk, the Associated Press investigation revealed, are an estimated 5.5 million American men who take nitrates – these people being older and more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction.

One important factor that makes the Americans opt for the “all-natural” drugs is warnings by doctors and widespread TV commercials against using Viagra, Cialis or Levitra.

The investigation quoted James Neal-Kababick, director of Flora Research Laboratories, based in Oregon, the United States, as saying that around 90% of the hundreds of samples of “all-natural” impotency medicines he analysed contained forms of patented ingredients. In fact, Neal-Kababick added, some “herbal” drug contained doses of patented ingredients more than twice that in prescription ED medicines.

Though no deaths have been reported in the US, the investigation found records that blamed visits to hospital emergency rooms on “all-natural” sex pills, in Georgia, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Diego and other places.

Some herbal labels do warn against taking ED pills within six hours of taking medicines for heart disease or high blood pressure. According to some doctors, 24 hours or more would be safer.

Since 2001, sales of supplements marketed as “natural sexual enhancers” have jumped from $100 million to $398 million in 2006, including herbal mixtures, according to estimates by Nutrition Business Journal, says a report.

The investigation showed that, while some legitimate herbal mixtures claim to work gradually over weeks, it is the herbals marketed for “immediate” effect that often caused problems.

According to testing done by Pfizer Incorporated, the New York-based pharmaceutical company that developed Viagra, “herbal” sex pills are prevalent in Thailand, Taiwan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Pfizer said that 69% of 3,400 supplements it bought in China contained sildenafil citrate, the main ingredient in Viagra.

While herbal alternatives often contain exact copies of the patented drugs, the AP investigation found, some makers of herbal alternatives “twist” the molecules to keep the effect of the original pharmaceutical even while avoiding the scrutiny of the FDA and outside testing laboratories.