Warnings about erectile stimulants bought online

Fake Viagra pills stopped at customs in Zurich Keystone

Some erectile stimulants obtained over the internet are intentionally and massively overdosed and thus dangerous, according to Swissmedic, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products.

What’s more, the agency added on Friday that a painkiller was more and more frequently being added to these products without being declared among the ingredients.

Swissmedic has therefore issued a strong warning to the population regarding the purchase and use of medicinal products via the Internet.

This year, Swissmedic has analysed around 100 erectile stimulants that were seized by the customs authorities. Around three-quarters of them contained a false active pharmaceutical ingredient, or the active pharmaceutical ingredient declared was present in a dose that was too low or too high.

A new aspect is that several products declared – and contained – a multiple overdose of the active pharmaceutical ingredient. From a medical point of view this is a cause of extreme concern, Swissmedic said, because an overdose does not result in an improvement of the erectile function but simply leads to a higher occurrence of side effects such as cardiovascular problems.

One product obtained by a Swiss tourist at a street market in Bangkok was declared as containing 500mg of Tadalafil: 25 times the maximum authorised dose. What it actually contained was Sildenafil, which is another erectile stimulant, in the normal dosage.

Painkillers

Swissmedic said another worrying discovery was the undeclared addition of Diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory painkiller.

If a patient is already taking such a product, for example to treat arthrosis, a degenerative joint disease, this leads to an accumulation that can constitute a major health risk.

Taking such an illegal product regularly can moreover lead to dyspeptic disorders that can be as severe as gastrointestinal bleeding, and whose cause cannot be identified because the painkiller has been added without being declared.

Swissmedic identified the presence of Diclofenac in five samples – in varying doses – in a product named “Nizagara” and in three other products.

It has informed the authorities of other countries of these new analysis results, meaning that these dangerous products can be withdrawn from circulation not only in Switzerland but on an international level, thus protecting patients against their adverse effects.

Erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, is the inability to get and maintain an erection that is sufficient for satisfactory sexual intercourse.

ED is a very common condition, particularly in older men. It is estimated that half of all men between the ages of 40 and 70 will have it to some degree.

Physical causes include: narrowing of the blood vessels going to the penis (commonly associated with high blood pressure), high cholesterol or diabetes, hormonal problems, surgery or injury. Psychological causes include: anxiety, depression and relationship problems.

There are several treatment options that have proved very successful for ED. Medication, such as Sildenafil (sold as Viagra), can be used to successfully manage it in at least two-thirds of men. Vacuum pumps that encourage blood to flow to the penis and cause an erection are also successful in 90 per cent of cases.

Psychological treatments include cognitive behavioural therapy and sex therapy.

(Source: NHS)