Online Sex Supplements Linked to Serious Psychoactive Effects
Ingredients in sexual enhancement products advertised and sold online are associated with several serious psychoactive effects, new research shows.
A review of 108 Web sites and other online resources showed that the most common of these products contained the active ingredients yohimbine, maca, ginkgo biloba, and/or horny goat weed. These 4 substances were linked to the induction of anxiety, panic, mood changes, hallucinations, and/or addictive behaviors.
“There are different compounds that have sexual enhancement properties, but they can also have psychiatric effects, such as acting as a stimulant or predisposing someone for a manic episode,” Giovanni Martinotti, MD, PhD, from the Department of Neuroscience and Imaging at the G. d’Annunzio University in Chieti-Pescara, Italy, told Medscape Medical News.
The researchers note that they wanted to raise public awareness about the adverse effects of these products, most of which are not regulated. In addition, they suggest that clinicians should ask their patients about use, especially because additional adverse reactions can occur when mixed with psychiatric medications.
“The possible impact on population health, particularly among subjects with psychiatric disorders, who are usually at risk for sexual dysfunction, may be significant,” they write.
The results were presented here at the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA’s) 2014 Annual Meeting.
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