The recent health crisis of former NBA great Lamar Odom has thrust erectile dysfunction medication into the spotlight. It is being widely reported by several media outlets that Odom may have been using an herbal substitute for the drug Viagra. The familiar blue pill produced by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals is one of the most popular drugs in the world. But the drug is expensive, at a cost of over $400.00 for 10 100-mg tablets.
For many that has left them the choice of choosing herbal supplements that have not been approved by the FDA. These supplements are marketed under different names, such as King of Romance, African Superman, Black Mamba and other descriptive tittles that hint at sexual prowess. But the FDA is warning that many of these drugs come from China and can be deadly with prolonged use. The drugs often have hidden ingredients that exceed the recommended dosage of drugs like Viagra. Take for example Black Mamba Premium, which was the subject of a warning in early 2015. The FDA found that Black Mamba Premium contained an undeclared amount of Sildenafil, the active ingredient in the drug Viagra. According to the FDA warning, “This undeclared ingredient may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs such as nitroglycerin and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels.”
Multiply this warning 300 times and you have the list of herbal sexual enhancement products that can prove deadly for many men. The FDA states that “one of these tainted products included 31 times the prescription dose of tadalafil, (the active ingredient in Cialis), in combination with dapoxetine, an antidepressant that is not approved by FDA.”
The type of herbal Viagra Odom is said to have used has not been identified by authorities. But according to the brothel owner, Dennis Hof, Odom took “upward of 10 herbal Viagras.”
Considering the numerous FDA warnings, there is a strong possibility that this may have led to Odom’s current medical crisis.
