Australia’s top medicines watchdog has raised the alarm over a sweep of dodgy imported tablets from China, warning consumers the products contain serious health hazards and have not been tested to Australian standards.
Tablets labelled ‘Maximum Powerful’, ‘Bigger Longer More Time More Sperms’ and ‘Ying Da Wang’ have been flagged for an undeclared substance that can lower blood pressure to dangerous levels, while capsules under the Li Da Daidaihua brand increase the risk of cardiac events and stroke.
I wish they’d use the common names for the drugs alongside the technical ones, that would allow people to remember the message more clearly and have generally better benefits overall. In fact I’d expect links to Wikipedia or Healthdirect at a minimum – amongst other things that lets non-english speakers discover what these drugs are called in their native language. Stating things like “Consumers are advised that sibutramine is a prescription-only substance in Australia” is like trying to explain a car loan with a latin copy of the old testament; all people will remember is that there were complex words that they’ve never heard before.
Public advice with links:
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sildenafil = Viagra (also see Healthdirect). Do not take if you are on nitroglycerin AKA glyceryl trinitrate (commonly Rectogesic bum cream for piles/haemorrhoids/anal fissures, also used as a heart medication), your blood pressure might go extremely low and kill you. It interacts with some other medications badly too, hopefully you doctor will warn you before prescribing but if you are unsure then you need to ask them.
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Sibutramine = Reductil, Meridia, interestingly Healthdirect has very little information on this one. Can cause strokes & heart attacks, no longer considered a worthwhile medication due to its safety concerns.
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