The word Viagra is synonymous to strong penile erection in the sexually enlightened world community. Business giants have already sensed the pulse of ED market and challenged Viagra with equally efficient erectile dysfunction treatments. Not that the small fishes in the market are sitting idlethe market is flooded with many generic versions of branded ED pills along with those called Herbal Viagra. But the name itself confuses me, how can Viagra be herbal?

This question erects from the sheer fact that the so-called herbal Viagra contains undeclared ingredients, and the most risky affair about it is, most of the time it is Sildenafil. Ridiculously, it is named after herbal and that too with the marking of VG on it! Medsafe investigators have tested the products named Meng Rong and pills with marking of VG and results revealed the fact that it contained Sildenafil, the main ingredient of Viagra.

A health warning has been issued under Section 98 of the Medicines act 1981 in the month of May, 2006 against so called herbal products containing undeclared prescription medicines. Yixinjiaonang which contains Tadalafil (main ingredient of Cialis) and Reduce Weight containing Sibutramine an FDA approved weight loss pill, are also included in that list.

Sildenafil is never prescribed to those who have glaucoma, and harmful to the patients with heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. At the same time it could have fatal reaction with heart medications containing nitrates. Same goes to Yixinjiaonang, which contains Tadafil, a PDE5 inhibitor for treatment of erectile dysfunction. At the same time Sibutramine which is found in so-called herbal weight loss medicine named Reduce Weight, increases blood pressure and interferes with glaucoma, mental illness as well as liver or kidney problems.

According to Medsafe investigators, the products are supposedly sold through an herbal product retailer and are manufactured in China or in a country where Chinese language is used on the labels of medicinal products. Normally, we, the English speaking lot of Americans, cannot read Chinese labels if available by any fair chance. That is why it is all the important for us to know the other ways to identify the so-called herbal Viagra. Let us know how to identify those five so-called herbal products detected by Medsafe investigators;

Combination of red and brown tablets with no label from the manufacturer with mark of 800mg in a tiny plastic zip-lock bag.

Unnamed bright green colored capsules in small plastic zip-lock bag.

Kang Da named capsules are red, packed in gold foiled blister.

Combination of orange n black capsule in a red dotted transparent plastic pack.

Cream colored capsules in an orange, blue and transparent plastic pack.

The crux of the matter is to know your medicine. We, as consumers, are actually at the most vulnerable point in this whole affair, as we are spending our hard-earned dollars on drugs that are dangerous for our lives. This is a very bad deal indeed! Government is doing its best for the protection of consumer rights as well as lives. But it is also our duty not to be always tempted by the words like under-the-counter and cheap particularly when dealing with health related issues. Do not let yourself bamboozled by the money-monger frauds of the medicine market. Be vigilant and protect life, because it is precious...