Dangerous Male Sex Pills
Sexual male enhancement, as the euphemism goes, is big business. Last year, Viagra, the pharmaceutical market leader, raked in about $2 billion.
That success has spawned a shadow industry of largely unregulated "natural male enhancement," or sex pill, products. But according to the FDA, some of these products aren't natural, aren't tested and some might even be dangerous.
Here's a list of 10 sex pill products the FDA issued health warnings about this year or told manufacturers to get them off the shelves.
Man Up Now
The issue, says the agency, is the product uses "sulfoaildenafil, a chemical similar to sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra."
Like Viagra, sulfoaildenafil can have dangerous interactions with other prescription drugs such as nitrates, and can cause dangerously low blood pressure. But because consumers think they are taking a "natural" product they are usually not under a doctor's care.
Also, sulfoaildenafil has not undergone the same clinical trials as sildenafil, so all its effects are not known.
FDA Warning
Stiff Nights
It's not clear if "Stiff Nights" is a "dietary supplement" as its maker claims, or a bad b-movie title, but in either case the FDA says men looking to "regain the thunder" should stay clear because the pill really contains sulfoaildenafil, an untested chemical similar to the active ingredient in Viagra, which can interact badly with nitrates and cause low blood pressure.
FDA Warning.
Rock Hard Weekend
The marketing geniuses behind "Stiff Nights" also sell "Rock Hard Weekend." Same unregulated chemical, says the FDA, different laugh out loud brand.
FDA Warning.
Mr. Magic Male Enhancer from Don Wands
It's not clear who Don Wands is or how he became so magical, but the FDA didn't seem to care.
In August 2010, they told the manufacturer of this supplement to drop the magic act and take it off the shelves because the product's two main ingredients, hydroxyhomosildenafil and sulfoaildenafil, aren't listed on the box, aren't "supplements" and aren't really tested.
FDA Warning.
Magic Power Coffee
Magic Power Coffee's website says the extra mojo comes from honey goat weed and goji berries.
FDA Warning.
Duro Extend Capsules For Men
If you wind up with Duro Extend in your stocking this year, you might want to send it back to Santa.
The FDA recalled the product in early December 2010 because the "dietary supplement" is secretly supplemented with sulfoaidenafil, a drug similar to Viagra, but not tested.
FDA Warning.
Vigor-25
"This product is dangerous to consumers because it claims to contain only natural ingredients when it actually contains a prescription drug ingredient," says the FDA's warning letter.
Dangerous interactions with nitrates and low blood pressure are possible.
FDA Warning.
Time Out Capsules
FDA Warning.
Vitalex
The FDA doesn't recommend hitting up Luong for pills, however. They say Vitalex's "all natural" and "herbal" concoction is really acetildenafil, another chemical similar to the drug in Viagra, but not tested.
FDA Warning.
Xiadafil VIP
Eager men trying to get their hands on a box of Xiadafil VIP, might have to wait in line. In July 2010, U.S. Marshals seized almost $75,000 worth of it after the manufacturer refused an FDA request to recall it.
The problem? The FDA says the product's VIP power comes from hydroxyhomosildenafil, a drug similar to Viagra, but untested.
FDA Warning.