‘Potentially life-threatening’ sex drug pulled from Canadian shelves
Posted March 5, 2021 12:25 pm.
Last Updated March 5, 2021 6:02 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Health Canada is urging anyone using a product called “Harmony” for male sexual enhancement to stop using it right away and consider seeing a doctor.
The federal health agency says the product, promoted as a herbal product, has far too high levels of the prescription erectile dysfunction drug tadalafil, and can have “potentially life-threatening” side effects.
The packaging calls itself a “virility booster” made from “100% natural extracts.” It states the product was made in Canada and “helps men achieve their best performance.”
Health Canada says Harmony wasn’t authorized to contain any amount of tadalafil, but has roughly three times the maximum dosage. The pills were approved as a natural health product, but not for sexual enhancement.
It notes tadalafil isn’t even listed on the product label.
“Tadalafil should be used only under the supervision of a health care professional because of the risk of interactions with other medications and side effects. Prescription drugs can only be legally sold via a prescription,” Health Canada said in a statement.
It says the drug can cause “a potentially life-threatening decrease in blood pressure” for people who take any kind of nitrate drug, such as nitroglycerine. It can also increase the risk of a heart attack, stroke, chest pain, high blood pressure and abnormal heartbeat for those with existing heart problems.
Other possible side effects include headache, facial flushing, indigestion, dizziness, abnormal vision, and hearing loss.
Health Canada has seized the product from three Vancouver-area stores while a fourth voluntarily took it off the shelves.
Health Canada says if you have this product, you should stop using it right away. Call a doctor if you have concerns about your health after using the product.
You are also asked to report any issues or complaints to Health Canada.
