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Stop taking this supplement right now – it’s actually the active ingredient in Viagra

Published Feb 17th, 2021 11:35AM EST
supplement recall
Image: candy1812/Adobe

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  • An over-the-counter male enhancement supplement that was advertised as being “all-natural” is now being recalled. 
  • The pills, which were sold under the brand name Adam’s Secret, were found to contain sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra), and/or tadalafil, which is the active ingredient in Cialis. 
  • The supplement was sold nationwide in the United States and was also available via Amazon and other large online retailers. 

There are quite literally hundreds or even thousands of “all-natural” supplements that claim to be able to treat a variety of conditions. You don’t have to look hard at your local drug store or online to find them, and while some of them may indeed be beneficial, you have to assume that a healthy percentage of them do little or nothing at all. Adam’s Secret, a male enhancement supplement sold on Amazon and at retail stores across the United States, is one of the few that actually did what it said on the box, but unfortunately, it is now being recalled for that exact reason.

The pills, which were sold as a drug-free alternative to prescription medications for male performance issues, actually contained the same active ingredients as drugs like Viagra and Cialis. The FDA found out what Adam’s Secret was and that secret prompted the complete recall of all of the brand’s products.

This is one of those recalls that is just so obnoxious because you know that the company knew what was in the pills. This isn’t a case of a supplement accidentally being contaminated with an allergen or including an ingredient that isn’t on the label. This is a supplement that says it’ll increase male performance and it just happens to have prescription-grade erectile dysfunction drugs in it. I mean, come on, who do you think you’re fooling?

In any case, the FDA explains why this is such a big deal:

Consumers with underlying medical issues who take Adam’s Secret Extra Strength 1500 or Adam’s Secret Extra Strength 3000 capsules with undeclared sildenafil and tadalafil may experience serious health risks. For example, PDE-5 inhibitors may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs (such as nitroglycerin) lowering blood pressure to dangerous levels that may be life-threatening. Consumers with diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease often take nitrates.

There’s a reason why drugs like Viagra and Cialis are available via prescription only. They carry very real risks, and side effects can be serious if they are taken by someone who is vulnerable. That’s why many individuals who are at risk of complications from taking something like Viagra end up taking purportedly “all-natural” supplements in the first place, but in this case, they ended up just taking the drugs they were trying to avoid for the sake of their own health.

Somewhat humorously, the reviews for the product on sites like Amazon are very positive. The men chiming in to review the product say it works extremely fast and gives them a serious performance boost. Now we know why.