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News and Commentary on Viagra, Cialis and other Erectile Dysfunction Drugs
By Magic Blue Blog
Doctors in Bangladesh are taking an unusual position for the medical profession - asking the government to halt production of a medication. The Bengali government recently granted permission to over a dozen drug manufacturers to produce and market sildenafil citrate - but the Bangladesh Medical Association wants to put the brakes on.
They're concerned that the medication will too easily get into the hands of people who shouldn't be taking it - men with heart disease, diabetes, or other conditions that contraindicate prescribing Viagra. Because in Bangladesh, apparently, you don't need to go to a prescribing physician to get medications; you can get pretty much anything over the counter.
If that were the case, I would think they would be more concerned with other drugs with high potential for abuse, like maybe opiates? But I guess they figure there is going to be a huge demand for Viagra once it becomes available, and everyone is going to run out and get it without really thinking about the consequences.
The government granted the licenses to manufacture the drug in response to reports that the number of erectile dysfunction sufferers had increased, so I guess it's not unreasonable to expect that there might be a rush on the drug once it becomes available. Obviously the standards of care are somewhat different than those in other countries, but maybe they could manage with a public education campaign about the potential dangers of using Viagra.
Here's some good news
for an endangered species and wildlife conservationists: the acceptance
of Viagra in China as a viable erectile dysfunction treatment is
reducing the demand for a traditional ED remedy: tiger penis.
A so-called natural male enhancement supplement, Actra SX, has been recalled by the FDA for containing active ingredients of Viagra and Levitra.
The product's packaging listed ingredients such as horny goat weed, ginseng, astralagus, bee pollen, and vitamin B-12. All relatively benign and common ingredients for "herbal Viagra" supplements.
Turns out this one had a little extra kick to it - actual pharmaceuticals.
Body Basics, the company that sells the pills, is said to have confirmed the presence of the drugs sildenafil and vardenafil through independent lab testing. So, they didn't know it was in there to begin with? That seems strange, but maybe they were just buying and repackaging sketchy supplements from overseas.
It might not make sense to put Viagra in herbal pills. If you're going to do that, why not just sell Viagra? The reasoning is probably that cutting in a small amount of the active drug might actually make the pills effective, and happy users will come back for more. The pills cost a fortune, so you know they were making bank on them, and they're totally unregulated as drugs.
Well, unregulated until the FDA catches up with you.
Body Basics voluntarily stopped distributing the pills in 2011, but there may be some still out there, and they pose a potential risk to consumers who may think they're taking a "natural" formula with no side effects, when in reality it could cause dangerous drug interactions or medical complications.
As with most things, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Next / Back
News and Commentary on Viagra, Cialis and other Erectile Dysfunction Drugs
By Magic Blue Blog
Doctors in Bangladesh are taking an unusual position for the medical profession - asking the government to halt production of a medication. The Bengali government recently granted permission to over a dozen drug manufacturers to produce and market sildenafil citrate - but the Bangladesh Medical Association wants to put the brakes on.
They're concerned that the medication will too easily get into the hands of people who shouldn't be taking it - men with heart disease, diabetes, or other conditions that contraindicate prescribing Viagra. Because in Bangladesh, apparently, you don't need to go to a prescribing physician to get medications; you can get pretty much anything over the counter.
If that were the case, I would think they would be more concerned with other drugs with high potential for abuse, like maybe opiates? But I guess they figure there is going to be a huge demand for Viagra once it becomes available, and everyone is going to run out and get it without really thinking about the consequences.
The government granted the licenses to manufacture the drug in response to reports that the number of erectile dysfunction sufferers had increased, so I guess it's not unreasonable to expect that there might be a rush on the drug once it becomes available. Obviously the standards of care are somewhat different than those in other countries, but maybe they could manage with a public education campaign about the potential dangers of using Viagra.
Save a Tiger - Take Viagra
Here's some good news
for an endangered species and wildlife conservationists: the acceptance
of Viagra in China as a viable erectile dysfunction treatment is
reducing the demand for a traditional ED remedy: tiger penis.
And
it's a good thing, too, because there may be as few as 20 tigers in the
wild in China, and not all of them have penises. India, a supplier of
the Chinese market, has an estimated tiger population of around 1200,
which is dwindling due to poachers.
Chinese health care consumers
are starting to recognize that exotic remedies like tiger penis and
rhino horn, though they may be time-honored, are prohibitively expensive
and are likely not so effective as their Western counterparts.
On
the other hand, some fear these remedies' steep price tag could make
them something of a status symbol among wealthier patients.
Viagra Alternative Recalled for...Being Viagra
A so-called natural male enhancement supplement, Actra SX, has been recalled by the FDA for containing active ingredients of Viagra and Levitra.
The product's packaging listed ingredients such as horny goat weed, ginseng, astralagus, bee pollen, and vitamin B-12. All relatively benign and common ingredients for "herbal Viagra" supplements.
Turns out this one had a little extra kick to it - actual pharmaceuticals.
Body Basics, the company that sells the pills, is said to have confirmed the presence of the drugs sildenafil and vardenafil through independent lab testing. So, they didn't know it was in there to begin with? That seems strange, but maybe they were just buying and repackaging sketchy supplements from overseas.
It might not make sense to put Viagra in herbal pills. If you're going to do that, why not just sell Viagra? The reasoning is probably that cutting in a small amount of the active drug might actually make the pills effective, and happy users will come back for more. The pills cost a fortune, so you know they were making bank on them, and they're totally unregulated as drugs.
Well, unregulated until the FDA catches up with you.
Body Basics voluntarily stopped distributing the pills in 2011, but there may be some still out there, and they pose a potential risk to consumers who may think they're taking a "natural" formula with no side effects, when in reality it could cause dangerous drug interactions or medical complications.
As with most things, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Next / Back