WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators are warning consumers about fake ExtenZe sex-enhancement pills that are sold as supplements but contain the drugs used in Viagra and another medication.
The Food and Drug Administration said Friday that the counterfeit ExtenZe pills contain tadalafil and sildenafil, the active ingredients in Cialis and Viagra, both prescription drugs.
The FDA says the pills look like the herbal supplement ExtenZe and are marked with lot numbers 1110075 and F050899.
FDA laboratory analysis confirmed that the fake ExtenZe contains tadalafil, or a combination of tadalafil and sildenafil, and that the ingredients may interact with other medicines, like nitrates found in some prescription medicines such as nitroglycerin, and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels.
Men with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease often take nitrates.
"This incident is an example of a growing trend of products marketed as dietary supplements or conventional foods with hidden drugs and chemicals," said Ilisa Bernstein, an FDA spokesman said. "These types of products are typically promoted for sexual enhancement, weight loss, and body building, and are often represented as being 'all natural.'"
The FDA says consumers should stop taking any questionable pills and contact their doctors about any side effects.
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