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Archived – Dr. Life and Chong Cao Ju Wang
- Starting date:
- September 19, 2008
- Posting date:
- September 19, 2008
- Type of communication:
- Foreign Product Alert (FPA)
- Subcategory:
- Natural health products
- Source of recall:
- Health Canada
- Issue:
- Important Safety Information, Unauthorized products
- Audience:
- General Public
- Identification number:
- RA-12000550
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.
Source of alert
Hong Kong Department of Health
Product names
- Dr. Life
- Chong Cao Ju Wang
Manufacturer / Place of origin
Manufacturer and place of origin are unknown for both Dr. Life and Chong Cao Ju Wang.
Product description
Dr. Life and Chong Cao Ju Wang are promoted for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Reason for warning
The Hong Kong Department of Health warned consumers not to buy or use Dr. Life or Chong Cao Ju Wang because they were found to contain undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients. Dr. Life was found to contain an unauthorised substance with a structure similar to tadalafil (aminotadalafil), while Chong Cao Ju Wang was found to contain sildenafil.
Tadalafil and sildenafil are prescription drugs used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction, and should only be used under the supervision of a health care practitioner.
Possible side effects
- Unsupervised use of tadalafil or sildenafil by patients with heart disease can result in serious cardiovascular side effects such as sudden cardiac death, heart attack, stroke, hypertension, chest pain and abnormal heartbeat.
- Additionally, use of tadalafil or sildenafil may be associated with other side effects including temporary vision loss, seizure, prolonged erection, headache, flushing, nasal congestion and abdominal pain.
- Products containing tadalafil or sildenafil should not be used by individuals taking any type of nitrate drug (e.g., nitroglycerine) due to the risk of developing potentially life-threatening low blood pressure.
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 1-800-267-9675 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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