Public advisory

Unauthorized sexual enhancement products may pose serious health risks

Last updated

Summary

Product
Various unauthorized health products promoted for sexual enhancement
Issue
Health products - Unauthorized product
What to do

Stop using these products and consult your health care professional if you have health concerns. Report these or any unauthorized health products to Health Canada.

Affected products

Unauthorized sexual enhancement products
Photo Product Hazard Identified Company Action Taken Date Added
Alien Power Platinum 11000 Alien Power Platinum 11000 Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain tadalafil Joy's Lucky 7 Food Store
10639 156 St NW
Edmonton, AB
Seized from retail location 2023-05-30
Rhino 69 Extreme 500k Rhino 69 Extreme 500k Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain prasterone Joy's Lucky 7 Food Store
10639 156 St NW
Edmonton, AB
Seized from retail location 2023-05-30
Royal Honey VIP Royal Honey VIP Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil Joy's Lucky 7 Food Store
10639 156 St NW
Edmonton, AB
Seized from retail location 2023-05-30
All Nite Long All Nite Long Labelled to contain mucuna pruriens (12% L-dopa) Danforth Food Market
651 Markham Rd
Scarborough, ON
Seized from retail location 2023-05-30
Front End Lifter Front End Lifter Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil and tadalafil Danforth Food Market
651 Markham Rd
Scarborough, ON
Seized from retail location 2023-05-30
Gingseng Red 2000 Gingseng Red 2000 Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil Danforth Food Market
651 Markham Rd
Scarborough, ON
Seized from retail location 2023-05-30
Jaguar 25000 Jaguar 25000 Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain tadalafil Danforth Food Market
651 Markham Rd
Scarborough, ON
Seized from retail location 2023-05-30
Master Zone 1500 Master Zone 1500 Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil and tadalafil Danforth Food Market
651 Markham Rd
Scarborough, ON
Seized from retail location 2023-05-30
Rhino 99 Platinum 200K Rhino 99 Platinum 200K Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil Danforth Food Market
651 Markham Rd
Scarborough, ON
Seized from retail location 2023-05-30
Stiff Rox Stiff Rox Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil and tadalafil Danforth Food Market
651 Markham Rd
Scarborough, ON
Seized from retail location 2023-05-30
Super Panther 7k Super Panther 7k Labelled to contain yohimbe Danforth Food Market
651 Markham Rd
Scarborough, ON
Seized from retail location 2023-05-30
White Panther White Panther Labelled to contain yohimbe Danforth Food Market
651 Markham Rd
Scarborough, ON
Seized from retail location 2023-05-30
Alien 2 PowerPlatinum 11000 Alien 2 PowerPlatinum 11000 Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain tadalafil Liberty Variety Convenience Store
83 Liberty St South Bowmanville, ON
Seized from retail location 2023-04-19
Black Panther #1 Black Panther #1 Labelled to contain yohimbe Liberty Variety Convenience Store
83 Liberty St South Bowmanville, ON
Seized from retail location 2023-04-19
Rhino 69 Platinum 35000 Rhino 69 Platinum 35000 Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain tadalafil Liberty Variety Convenience Store
83 Liberty St South Bowmanville, ON
Seized from retail location 2023-04-19
Rhino 69 Platinum 700K Rhino 69 Platinum 700K Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil Liberty Variety Convenience Store
83 Liberty St South Bowmanville, ON
Seized from retail location 2023-04-19
Rush Hour Plus Rush Hour Plus Product was tested and found to contain tadalafil Carrefour du Sexe
1735 boul. Curé-Labelle
Laval, QC
Seized from retail location 2023-05-18
Spanish Fly Spanish Fly Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain tadalafil Liberty Variety Convenience Store
83 Liberty St South Bowmanville, ON
Seized from retail location 2023-04-19
White Panther White Panther Labelled to contain yohimbe Liberty Variety Convenience Store
83 Liberty St South Bowmanville, ON
Seized from retail location 2023-04-19
Bio-Love Bio-Love Product was tested and found to contain tadalafil and caffeine Paris Natural Foods
1500 Paris Street
Sudbury, ON
Seized from retail location 2023-04-19
3800 Hard Rock Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain tadalafil Family Mart
930 Queen St. W.
Toronto, ON
Seized from the retail location 2023-03-21
7K Labelled to contain yohimbe Family Mart
930 Queen St. W.
Toronto, ON
Seized from the retail location 2023-03-21
7K Max Power Labelled to contain yohimbe Family Mart
930 Queen St. W.
Toronto, ON
Seized from the retail location 2023-03-21
Black Panther Labelled to contain yohimbe Family Mart
930 Queen St. W.
Toronto, ON
Seized from the retail location 2023-03-21
Rhino 7 Platinum 5000 Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil and yohimbe Family Mart
930 Queen St. W.
Toronto, ON
Seized from the retail location 2023-03-21
Arize Product tested by Health Canada and found to contain tadalafil or nortadalafil Carrefour du Sexe
1735 boul. Curé-Labelle
Laval, QC
Seized from the retail location 2023-03-21
Blue Rhino Super Long Lasting Extreme 1000K Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil Carrefour du Sexe
1735 boul. Curé-Labelle
Laval, QC
Seized from the retail location 2023-03-21
Gold Lion Honey Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil Carrefour du Sexe
1735 boul. Curé-Labelle
Laval, QC
Seized from the retail location 2023-03-21
Oh Baby! Platinum Product tested by Health Canada and found to contain sildenafil and tadalafil Carrefour du Sexe
1735 boul. Curé-Labelle
Laval, QC
Seized from the retail location 2023-03-21
Pink Pussycat Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain hydroxythiohomosildenafil Carrefour du Sexe
1735 boul. Curé-Labelle
Laval, QC
Seized from the retail location 2023-03-21
Pink Pussycat Honey Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil and tadalafil Carrefour du Sexe
1735 boul. Curé-Labelle
Laval, QC
Seized from the retail location 2023-03-21
Rhino 69 Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil Carrefour du Sexe
1735 boul. Curé-Labelle
Laval, QC
Seized from the retail location 2023-03-21
Rhino 69 (Triple) Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil Carrefour du Sexe
1735 boul. Curé-Labelle
Laval, QC
Seized from the retail location 2023-03-21
Rhino 70000 Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil Carrefour du Sexe
1735 boul. Curé-Labelle
Laval, QC
Seized from the retail location 2023-03-21
VIP GO Rhino 69K Labelled to contain yohimbe Carrefour du Sexe
1735 boul. Curé-Labelle
Laval, QC
Seized from the retail location 2023-03-21
Rhino 7 Platinum 5000 Rhino 7 Platinum 5000 Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil and yohimbe JC Foodlane
270 Wellington St. W. #7-8
Toronto, ON
M5V 3P5
Seized from retail location 2023-04-05
Ginseng Red 2000 Ginseng Red 2000 Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil JC Foodlane
270 Wellington St. W. #7-8
Toronto, ON
M5V 3P5
Seized from retail location 2023-04-05
XXL Ant 3000 XXL Ant 3000 Labelled to contain yohimbe JC Foodlane
270 Wellington St. W. #7-8
Toronto, ON
M5V 3P5
Seized from retail location 2023-04-05
Black Panther Black Panther Labelled to contain yohimbe JC Foodlane
270 Wellington St. W. #7-8
Toronto, ON
M5V 3P5
Seized from retail location 2023-04-05
Rush Hour 72 Rush Hour 72 Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil and tadalafil JC Foodlane
270 Wellington St. W. #7-8
Toronto, ON
M5V 3P5
Seized from retail location 2023-04-05
Stiff Rock Stiff Rock Product with similar packaging (previously seized) was tested and found to contain sildenafil and tadalafil JC FoodLine
270 Wellington St. W. #7-8
Toronto, ON
M5V 3P5
Seized from retail location 2023-04-05

Issue

Health Canada is advising about unauthorized sexual enhancement products that may pose serious health risks. The products are labelled to contain or have been tested and found to contain dangerous ingredients. Health Canada updates the table when it finds unauthorized health products for sexual enhancement. Links to previous tables with affected products are also available below.

Unauthorized health products have not been approved by Health Canada, which means that they have not been assessed for safety, effectiveness and quality. Unauthorized health products can pose many health dangers, including:

  • They may contain ingredients not listed on the label. This includes ingredients like prescription drugs, possibly at doses exceeding maximum recommended amounts. Prescription drugs should be taken only under the supervision of a health professional because they may cause serious side effects. Using a product that contains ingredients that the consumer is not aware of increases the chance of dangerous allergies and interactions with other medications and foods.
  • The label may indicate a dangerous ingredient or combination of ingredients. For example, it could list a drug that should be available only by prescription from a health care professional, or a combination of ingredients that Health Canada does not permit because of serious health risks.

Health Canada maintains this page so that the public can easily identify products they may have purchased and take appropriate action. You are encouraged to check back regularly for updates. Advisories on safety issues involving other types of products are available in the recalls and safety alerts database.

What you should do

What companies should know:

  • Selling unauthorized health products in Canada is illegal.
  • When Health Canada identifies unauthorized products that may pose serious health risks, Health Canada takes appropriate action to prevent further distribution and informs the public. This includes working with the Canada Border Services Agency to help prevent further importation of unauthorized products.

Additional information

Background

Levodopa, also known as L-dopa, is a prescription drug that is combined with other drug ingredients in anti-Parkinson's medications. It should be used only under the supervision of a health care professional. Levodopa may interact with drugs prescribed for high blood pressure, and should not be used by breastfeeding or pregnant individuals. Among other contraindications or precautions, it should not be taken by people with narrow angle glaucoma, with untreated heart, liver, blood, kidney, lung (bronchial asthma) or hormonal diseases, with a history of melanoma or suspicious skin lesions, or those recently treated with monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor drugs. Side effects requiring medical attention include: sudden onset of sleep; uncontrollable and abnormal movements of the face, eyelids, mouth, tongue, neck, arms, hands, or legs; severe or persistent nausea or vomiting; an irregular heartbeat or fluttering in the chest; hallucinations; feeling lightheaded when standing quickly; or unusual changes in mood or behaviour.

Prasterone is a controlled substance in Canada. It is approved as a prescription steroid hormone for vaginal insertion for the treatment of postmenopausal vulvovaginal atrophy, a medical condition characterized by the thinning and drying of the vaginal walls that may occur at menopause. It is illegal to sell controlled substances without proper authorization from Health Canada. Prasterone has not been approved in Canada for any other use, or in an oral (i.e., taken by mouth) format. Prasterone is transformed in the body into androgen and estrogen hormones. Androgens may increase the risk of liver damage, heart attack, stroke, reduced fertility, hardening of the arteries, the development of male characteristics in women (e.g., increased facial hair), and enlargement or tenderness of male breasts or nipples. Estrogens may increase the risk of high blood pressure, headache, breast and uterine cancer, and blood clots. People with a history of breast cancer, abnormal vaginal bleeding, or who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use prasterone. Prasterone risks increase with the dose. The long-term health consequences of prasterone use are unknown.

Sildenafil is a prescription drug used to treat erectile dysfunction and should be used only under the supervision of a health care professional. It should not be used by individuals taking any kind of nitrate drug (e.g. nitroglycerine) as it can cause potentially life-threatening low blood pressure. Individuals with heart problems are at increased risk of cardiovascular side effects such as heart attack, stroke, chest pain, high blood pressure and abnormal heartbeat. Other possible side effects include headache, facial flushing, indigestion, dizziness, abnormal vision, and hearing loss. Desmethyl carbodenafil and dithiodesmethyl carbodenafil, and hydroxythiohomosildenafil are unauthorized substances that are similar to sildenafil and may pose similar health risks.

Tadalafil is a prescription drug used to treat erectile dysfunction and should be used only under the supervision of a health care professional. It should not be used by individuals taking any kind of nitrate drug (e.g., nitroglycerine) since it can cause potentially life-threatening low blood pressure. Individuals with heart problems are at increased risk of cardiovascular side effects such as heart attack, stroke, chest pain, high blood pressure and abnormal heartbeat. Other possible side effects include headache, facial flushing, indigestion, dizziness, abnormal vision, and hearing loss. Nortadalafil is an unauthorized substance that is similar to tadalafil and may pose similar health risks. Tadalafil taken in combination with caffeine may increase the risk of serious adverse reactions, including, but not limited to heart attack, stroke, blood pressure changes, abnormal or irregular heartbeat, headaches, and dizziness.

Yohimbine is a prescription drug and should be used only under the supervision of a health care professional. Yohimbine is derived from yohimbe, a bark extract. The use of yohimbine or yohimbe may result in serious adverse reactions particularly in people with high blood pressure, or heart, kidney or liver disease. Side effects include increased blood pressure and heart rate, anxiety, dizziness, tremors, headache, nausea and sleep disorders. It should not be used by people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, those who have liver, heart, or kidney disease (especially people with a history of stomach or intestinal ulcers), or by people with psychiatric conditions.

Previous recalls or alerts

Details
Original published date: 2023-03-21
Alert / recall type
Public advisory
Category
Health product - Drugs
Published by
Health Canada
Audience
General public
Identification number
RA-73357
Media and public enquiries

Media enquiries

Health Canada
613-957-2983
media@hc-sc.gc.ca

Public enquiries

(613) 957-2991
1-866-225-0709
info@hc-sc.gc.ca