Some ‘Herbal’ Sex Supplements Contain Prescription Drugs

Some ‘Herbal’ Sex Supplements Contain Prescription Drugs

By Robert J. Boumis

Many people turn to alternative medicine for a variety of reasons. It can cost less than traditional Western medicine, and often appeals to ideas of a return to nature. Alternative medicine is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States, yet the regulation for these herbal remedies is more lax than their allopathic counterparts. In fact, the United States Food and Drug Administration’s website contains dozens of safety notices about herbal sexual enhancement supplements that have been found to contain dangerous ingredients. 

One issue that the FDA has encountered repeatedly is that these so called “all natural” supplements contain controlled substances like prescription drugs. Prescription drugs are controlled substances because they require a doctor’s supervision to make sure they are being used correctly and safely. Adding such drugs to an over-the-counter remedy is illegal and circumvents theses safety precautions. This could put people who have used these products at risk. The FDA has had to order recalls and seizures of dozens of brands of these supplements after it was discovered that they carried various dangerous or controlled substances. 

For example, one of the tainted sexual enhancement supplements that wound up on the FDA’s radar was a product marketed as Xiadafil VIP Tablets. This product was designed to allegedly treat erectile dysfunction. A chemical analysis by the FDA found that the active ingredient in these pills was in fact Viagra. 

Viagra is a controlled substance, available only by prescription. Viagra requires a prescription because it can interact with other drugs and cause heart attacks in people with certain preexisting conditions. In April of 2008, the FDA demanded a recall of Xiadafil VIP Tablets. Since the company only agreed to stop selling these supplements, intervention by the federal government was required. This culminated in the seizure of the pills.  

Unfortunately, the Xiadafil recall was not unique. The problem of “herbal supplements” containing prescription medicine and other potentially-dangerous substances has been described as an emerging trend by the FDA. In 2008, the FDA worked alongside U.S. Marshalls to seize over $100,000 in various herbal sexual enhancement supplements, many containing prescription medication that can be dangerous when used without a doctor’s supervision. Most commonly, these drugs contain various forms of Sildenafil citrate or tadalafil, the active ingredients in Viagra and Cialis respectively. These drugs can interact with nitrite-based drugs, cause low blood pressure, and even kill when used improperly. Real Viagra and Cialis require a prescription for a reason. These “herbal supplements” can represent a real danger to the public when they contain undeclared ingredients. 

If you’ve purchased herbal sexual enhancement pills and found them to be ineffective or suspect that they were tainted, you may have a case. For more information, you can visit the Natural’ Sexual Enhancement Pill Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. Here, you can enter information about your exact situation. This information will be reviewed, free of charge, by a legal expert with a background in this type of litigation. From here, you can receive specific guidance on the best steps to take in your exact legal situation.

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