Sexual Supplements Found Adulterated With Viagra, Cialis
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- TGA testing has found sexual enhancement supplements sold in Australian retail stores and online are adulterated with prescription medications including sildenafil (Viagra) and tadalafil (Cialis), which require a GP prescription to avoid harmful side effects.
- There is no evidence that common herbal ingredients like horny goat weed or royal jelly actually improve sexual performance, yet these products are marketed as "natural" remedies.
- Dr. Ian Musgrave, a molecular pharmacologist at the University of Adelaide, explains the products are adulterated because "prescription drugs work" — adding pharmaceuticals to herbal preparations creates a "readily marketable product" illicitly sold as effective "herbal" remedies.
- Hidden prescription drugs in supplements can cause extreme low blood pressure and heart issues when combined with other medications; combining Viagra with chest pain medications can cause "really serious health problems," according to the source.
- In 2007, Cialis was discovered in a herbal supplement for men in Australia and ordered withdrawn, with the TGA warning of "serious health consequences" for patients with heart problems or stroke risk — yet the article notes the problem persists decades later.
- Dr. Musgrave told the source that the online illicit supplements market is "very fluid" and that Border Force is "vigilant" for unapproved medical products, but ensuring safety would require a "significant expansion" in monitoring and personnel.
Why it matters: Consumers buying 'natural' sexual enhancement products may unknowingly ingest prescription drugs that interact dangerously with other medications — particularly cardiac and chest pain drugs. The article documents a problem that has persisted since at least 2007 in Australia despite TGA enforcement, and the source notes online supplement markets are too 'fluid' for current Border Force staffing to police, meaning real health harm continues.
