TORONTO - Health Canada is warning Canadians not to use 13 foreign-made health supplements, saying they contain an undisclosed prescription drug.
The products are sold as treatments for erectile dysfunction or for sexual enhancement.
They contain sildenafil -- the compound used in Viagra -- or an unapproved drug with a similar chemical structure.
Health Canada says sildenafil is a prescription drug that can cause serious side-effects and should only be used under a doctor's care.
The products covered by the warning are: Shangai Ultra, Shangai Ultra X, Lady Shangai, Shangai Regular, Actra-Sx, Adam Free, NaturalUp, Erextra, Yilishen, Blue Steel, Hero, Naturale Super Plus and an unnamed product that contains the plant Lycium barbarum L.
Health Canada says the products aren't authorized for sale in Canada and haven't been found in this country, but could have been brought into Canada or purchased over the Internet.
It isn't known who distributes all of the products, but some are sold through Shangai Distributor Inc. of Coamo, Puerto Rico, while others are distributed through Active Nutraceuticals or the Marion Group of Carrollton, Ga.
