Legal News

Just because a pill is labeled "all natural" or "herbal" does not mean it is safe for you. Today's example comes via the FDA warning consumers to immediately stop using Man Up Now supplements.

The pills are quite dangerous. According to the FDA, the supplements contain a variation of the active ingredient used in Viagra which can lower blood pressure to dangerous levels.

Man Up Now is a dietary supplement supposed to enhance sexual performance, according to the FDA. However, the supplement contains the ingredient sulfoaildenafil, a chemical similar to sildenafil, the ingredient that gives Viagra its get up and go. However, just as with Viagra, sulfoaildenafil can interact with other medications such as nitrates, including nitroglycerin, causing a drop in blood pressure. When blood pressure drops suddenly, the brain is deprived of an adequate blood supply that can lead to dizziness or lightheadedness.

According to the FDA warning, Man Up Now is distributed by Synergy Distribution LLC, and sold online and possibly in retail outlets in single, double, and triple blister packs, and in 6, 12 and 30-count capsule bottles. No reports of "adverse events" have yet been made to the FDA.

The administration reports that over the past several years, many of the dietary supplements for sexual enhancement have been deemed potentially harmful because they contain active ingredients found in FDA-approved drugs, or variations of these ingredients. However, unlike the FDA approved drugs, they have not been checked by the Administration for effectiveness, safety, or consistent potency. They also do not come with the appropriate warnings on labels, or from physicians, about appropriate use, drug interactions and warning signs of problems.

Talk to your doctor before you add any pill to your regimen -- even if it's only natural.

Related Resources:

• FDA Warns Consumers to Stop Taking Sexual Enhancement Pills (Time)
• Unsafe Under Any Name: Designer Steroids May Be Hidden in Dietary Supplements (FindLaw's Common Law)
• A Tough Pill to Swallow (FindLaw's Writ)
• Dangerous Supplements Pose Challenges to FDA (FindLaw's KnowledgeBase)