Know your drugs: Warning against drugs sold over the Internet

We all get spam emails about cheap drugs sold over the Internet. However, these drugs and their distributors not only clutter your inbox, they actually present serious health hazards to those who actually buy and use them.

Here are examples of drugs that can harm your heart and badly affect your blood pressure:

Weight-loss drugs

HealthDay News reports that American researchers identified several weight-loss drugs to be dangerous, especially those being sold over the Internet. They examined the ingredients of 12 different brands of drugs that supposedly help you to lose weight without endangering your health. These drugs come with a variety of names, such as diet pills, slimming pills or weight-loss supplements. Some of these drugs contain herbal extracts, vitamins as well as minerals.

Among these drugs, 8 contained at least 1 ingredient which has potentially hazardous cardiac effects. One brand even contained ma huang aka Chinese ephedra, a substance which has been banned by the US FDA since 2004.

Although the researchers did not give any brand names, they listed potentially dangerous substances found in these pills, as follows:

bitter orange

Camellia sinensis

green tea

buckwheat

guarana

Korean ginseng

licorice root

Synephrine HCl

caffeine anhydrous

citrus aurantium.

What is also worrying is that these products’ hazardous effects can further be augmented by food and beverages that people consume daily such as coffee, tea, and other caffein-containing drinks.

Sexual enhancement drugs

In March this year, the US FDA warned consumers against buying and using “Blue Steel” and “Hero”, two dietary supplements sold over the Internet that are supposed to treat erectile dysfunction and for sexual enhancement.

“They are considered unapproved drugs and have not been proven to be safe or effective. These products contain undeclared ingredients, which may dangerously affect a person’s blood pressure level.” 

Although the products were declared as “all natural,” lab analysis by the US FDA revealed that that they contain a chemical similar to sildenafil (Viagra). However, this chemical and other unlisted ingredients in the above named drugs haven’t been approved by the FDA for human use.

According to the FDA

“Blue Steel is sold in bottles containing 10 blue capsules or blister packs containing two blue capsules. Hero is sold in blister packs containing two blue capsules. Both products are distributed by Active Nutraceuticals or the Marion Group, Carrollton, Ga.”

Buying drugs over the Internet is a risky business because in the end you don’t know what exactly you are buying. The labelling may not but accurate. Some may not give warning about the risks and side effects. Counterfeit drugs are rampant. So the next time you get those emails selling drugs, put them where they belong – in the trash.

Photo credit