Contaminated Chinese herbs for male enhancement

[Topaz]

This just in today:


By The Associated Press 2 hours, 14 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Dietary supplements marketed to provide male sexual enhancement contain undeclared erectile dysfunction drugs putting users at risk, the Food and Drug Administration warned Friday.
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The agency advised consumers to stay away from Shangai Chaojimengnan supplements sold under the names Super Shangai, Strong Testis, Shangai Ultra, Shangai Ultra X, Lady Shangai and Shangai Regular. The Chinese-made supplements are packaged and distributed by Shangai Distributor Inc. of Puerto Rico.

Product testing indicates that some of these so-called supplements contain Viagra's active ingredient, sildenafil, or a compound with a chemical structure that mimics sildenafil.

These chemicals could interact with nitrates in drugs taken for disorders commonly associated with erectile dysfunction, including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. The result could dangerously lower a user's blood pressure, according to the FDA.

The agency also warned that the safety and purity of these illegal ingredients is unknown

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071229/ap_on_he_me/dietary_supplement_warning

This continues the concern about herbs/drugs/food/toys/dog toys/etc from China. Recently this summer the Chinese executed their head of their drug agency for allowing contaminated RX chemo drugs to be shipped to US...for childhood leukemia. There were deaths and injury from these.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/10/news/china.php

Typically in the past, the following drugs have been found added to herbal products from China. Many are not allowed here anymore, or can have serious side effects:

phenylbutazone (Butazolidin)--taken off market in US for pain
Indomethacin (Indocin) -- most potent and dangerous NSAID
digitalis-- heart medication --easily poisonous with a narrow margin of safety
Diazepam (Valium) --tranquilizer, habit forming
diethylstilbesterol-- female synthetic estrogen causing cancer in fetuses off market in US
Glyburide -- lowers blood sugar in diabetics
Phenformin-- lowers blood sugar --off market in US causes death when not monitored carefully from lactic acidosis

Here is a link if you want to read further:
http://www.itmonline.org/arts/cleanhrb.htm

[Texas53]

I'm not making a little deal about this since I'm a girl. But why not just have a penal implant? (for those that would be a good medical candidate) It might be safer.

[Topaz]

I am just getting information together for a cholesterol post in the sticky.

And I found this today:
Health Highlights: Aug. 9, 2007
# FDA Warns of Red Yeast Rice Products Sold to Control Cholesterol
# Study Suggests Fewer U.S. Workers Using Cocaine
# Smokeless Tobacco Increases Exposure to Carcinogens
# Stress Linked to Periodontal Disease
# President Bush in Good Health
# Peter Pan Peanut Butter Back in U.S. Stores
# Export Ban Placed on Two Chinese Toy Makers

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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

FDA Warns of Red Yeast Rice Products Sold to Control Cholesterol

Consumers should not buy or eat three red yeast rice products promoted and sold on Web sites as dietary supplements for treating high cholesterol. The products may contain an unauthorized drug that could cause muscle weakness, leading to kidney damage, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.

The products are Red Yeast Rice and Red Yeast Rice/Policosonal Complex, sold by Swanson Healthcare Products Inc., and manufactured by Nature's Value Inc. and Kabco Inc., respectively; and Cholestrix, sold by Sunburst Biorganics. FDA testing revealed that the products contain lovastatin, the active ingredient in Mevacor, a prescription drug approved for treating high cholesterol, the FDA said in a prepared statement.

"This risk is even more serious because consumers may not know the side effects associated with lovastatin and the fact that it can adversely interact with other medications," said Dr. Steven Galson, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

The FDA said it has sent warning letters to Swanson and Sunburst Biorganics, asking them to stop selling the products. The letters state that the products, sold on the firms' Web sites, are unapproved drugs that are marketed in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

The FDA is advising consumers to consult their doctor if they experience problems that may be due to the products. The agency also asks consumers to report problems with the products to MedWatch, the FDA's voluntary reporting program: www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm; 800-332-1088; Fax: 800-332-0178; and MedWatch, Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Md., 20852-9787.

from http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.asp?docID=607200

So we can add lovastatin, to the list I made in the first post here.
This is a drug patented here by Merck, called Mevacor. It was the first
statin on the market in US.

This is a concern, lacing an herb to make it more potent, because pregnant women cannot take statins, because they cause a form of autistic retardation in infants. In other words, a birth defect. Not only that, but lovastatin is dangerous to people with liver damage, or certain myopathies, or mitochondrial disorders. Dangerous rhabdomyolysis may occur during their use, which damage the kidneys, sometimes permanently.

[MomToEli]

This is a concern, lacing an herb to make it more potent, because pregnant women cannot take statins, because they cause a form of autistic retardation in infants. In other words, a birth defect. Not only that, but lovastatin is dangerous to people with liver damage, or certain myopathies, or mitochondrial disorders. Dangerous rhabdomyolysis may occur during their use, which damage the kidneys, sometimes permanently.

Thank you for posting this! I'm not pregnant, but I can't take statins, either, so I just ran to my cupboard to see what brand of Red Yeast Rice I take! This one is Solaray, so at least I'm breathing a bit easier ...

[Topaz]

for getting strident----

You should NOT be using Red Yeast Rice while pregnant. Even without
contamination, there is no guarantee it won't affect the baby.

The natural ingredients are very similar to statins. In fact ANYTHING that lowers cholesterol, lowers it for the fetus too. And the fetus has a huge, high need
for cholesterol for brain development.

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/red-yeast-000323.htm

No pregnant female should use any cholesterol lowering agent. This should be discussed with your doctor. If you have a very uncommon familial hypercholestermia, with readings higher than 400... you need to be monitored by a doctor.