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Foreign product alert

Archive - VG

Starting date:
August 23, 2006
Posting date:
August 23, 2006
Type of communication:
Foreign Product Alert (FPA)
Subcategory:
Natural health products
Source of recall:
Health Canada
Issue:
Product Safety, Undeclared Substance
Audience:
General Public
Identification number:
RA-1200066

These products are not authorized for sale in Canada and have not been found in the Canadian marketplace, but it is possible they may have been brought into the country by travellers or purchased over the Internet.

Product name

VG

Manufacturer / Place of origin

Unknown / China

Product description

VG is marketed as a sexual enhancement and erectile dysfunction product. The product comes in capsule form in blister packs within an unknown type of carton.

Reason for warning

On May 15, 2006 the New Zealand Ministry of Health issued a press release on VG because the product is adulterated with sildenafil.

Possible side effects

The adulterant sildenafil (the generic name for Viagra) is a prescription medication which should only be used under medical supervision.

Use of sildenafil may lead to serious health risks, especially for patients with existing medical conditions such as heart problems, who are taking heart medications, or who may be at risk for strokes.

Sildenafil has also been associated with serious side-effects including sudden vision loss, penile tissue damage and urinary tract infection.

Special information

No adverse reactions have been reported to Health Canada.

What you should do

Canadians who have this product are advised not to use it, and should consult with a health care professional if they have concerns about their health related to the use of this product.

Health Canada advises Canadians to contact the Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate at 1-800-267-96755 if they find the product listed above in the Canadian marketplace.

Background

Drugs and natural health products that are authorized for sale in Canada will have either an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), a Natural Product Number (NPN) or a Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM) on the label. These numbers indicate that the products have been assessed by Health Canada for safety, effectiveness and quality.

As of the date of this posting, no adverse reactions suspected to be associated with the use of this product have been reported in Canada.

Report a health or safety concern

  • Call toll-free at 1-866-234-2345.
  • Visit Health Canada's Web page on Adverse Reaction Reporting for information on how to report online, by mail or by fax.

Media enquiries

Health Canada
613-957-2983

Public enquiries

613-957-2991
1-866-225-0709

Images

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