The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Consumer alert: FDA recalls Long Weekend

    It’s is the third time this year the FDA has identified a “natural” product sold via the Internet for the treatment of impotence (erectile dysfunction) that was adulterated with the prescription drug tadalafil (Cialis).

    Earlier recalls included V-Max and Rhino Max, and Liviro3.

    It’s a neat little trick. Promote and sell a “natural” sexual enhancement product over the Internet. Add an unknown quantity of a drug proven to be effective. But don’t tell anybody you did it. When you’re found out, you simply announce a recall of the product.

    How could you be expected to know?

    To the casual consumer it sounds like a great way to get sexual enhancement without the bother of a doctor’s visit.

    Here’s what your risk.

    • Dyspepsia
    • Back pain
    • Myalgia
    • Nasal congestion
    • Flushing
    • Limb pain
    • Change in color vision

    Less common, but more significant.

    • Body as a whole: asthenia, face edema, fatigue, pain
    • Cardiovascular: angina pectoris, chest pain, hypotension, hypertension, myocardial infarction, postural hypotension, palpitations, syncope, tachycardia
    • Digestive: abnormal liver function tests, diarrhea, dry mouth, dysphagia, esophagitis, gastroesophageal reflux, gastritis, GGTP increased, loose stools, nausea, upper abdominal pain, vomiting
    • Musculoskeletal: arthralgia, neck pain
    • Nervous: dizziness, hypesthesia, insomnia, paresthesia, somnolence, vertigo
    • Respiratory: dyspnea, epistaxis, pharyngitis
    • Skin and Appendages: pruritus, rash, sweating
    • Ophthalmologic: blurred vision, changes in color vision, conjunctivitis (including conjunctival hyperemia), eye pain, lacrimation increase, swelling of eyelids
    • Urogenital: erection increased, spontaneous penile erection

    And did I mention that tadalafil is not recommended for the following consumers.

    • Patients with a myocardial infarction within the last 90 days
    • Patients with unstable angina or angina occurring during sexual intercourse
    • Patients with New York Heart Association Class 2 or greater heart failure in the last 6 months
    • Patients with uncontrolled arrhythmias, hypotension (greater than 90/50 mm Hg), or uncontrolled hypertension (greater than 170/100 mm Hg)
    • Patients with a stroke within the last 6 months

    One more thing.
    There are rare reports of prolonged erections greater than 4 hours and priapism (painful erections greater than 6 hours in duration). Priapism, if not treated promptly, can result in irreversible damage to the erectile tissue. Patients who have an erection lasting greater than 4 hours, whether painful or not, should seek emergency medical attention.

    Are ya feelin’ lucky?

    Erectile dysfunction is often a symptom of other ongoing diseases. Be smart, see your qualified healthcare provider if you experience impotence.

    6/26/07 21:47 JR

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