Most Top-Selling Sexual Treatments Unproven, Harmful
13 January, New Delhi
From horny goat weed to ginseng and maca, over-the-counter dietary supplements sold to improve male sexual health and claimed to contain a wide variety of “natural” ingredients may not only be impure and unproven but harmful as well.
Researchers from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Centre reviewed the scientific evidence for the most common ingredients to determine if they are effective – and most importantly – safe. The results are published online ahead of print in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.”While certain natural supplements we reviewed show promise for improving mild sexual dysfunction, they lack robust human evidence,” said Ryan Terlecki, associate professor of urology and senior author of the study.
“In addition, because of concerns that some products are impure or weak, we do not routinely recommend these products to our patients.”For some products, the researchers found no scientific evidence to support claims that can positively impact erectile function, libido and sexual performance.
And perhaps most troubling, some products that are advertised as being “natural,” contain traces of phosphodiesterase-5-inhibitors (PDE5Is), the same class of medication that includes prescription drugs such as Viagra, used to treat erectile dysfunction. One study revealed that 81 per cent of tested samples of over-the-counter products purchased in the US and Asia contained PDE5Is.
“PDE5Is cannot yet be legally sold over the counter in this country,” Terlecki pointed out. “Patients with advanced heart disease, for example, or who take nitrates, such as nitroglycerin, should not use PDE5Is as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure, he warned.Likewise, men with severe liver impairment or end-stage kidney disease requiring dialysis should avoid these products.”
In addition, Terlecki said, men with enlarged prostates who take medications such as Flomax (tamsulosin), terazosin or doxazosin need to know how to time the dosing of the two medications to avoid causing dizziness and potential falls, which may result in fractures.An estimated 40 to 70 per cent of men experience some form of sexual dysfunction during their lives. “There is a dizzying array of formulations available and the health effects of nutraceuticals are often confusing to patients and medical practitioners alike,” Terlecki said.
Ginkgo Biloba has been marketed to treat numerous conditions, but there is no convincing data to support its use in men with erectile dysfunction. It can cause headaches, seizures and significant bleeding, especially if patients are taking Coumadin.Ginseng is the most common ingredient in top selling men’s health supplements and can cause headache, upset stomach, constipation, rash, insomnia and can lower blood sugar (caution in diabetics).