Issue

These foreign health products have been found by regulators in other countries to contain undeclared drug ingredients.

The products are not authorized for sale in Canada and have not been found in the Canadian marketplace, but it is possible they may have been brought into the country by travellers or purchased over the Internet.

What you should do

• Contact Health Canada at 1-800-267-9675 or by completing an online complaint form if you find a product listed above in the Canadian marketplace.

• Consult a healthcare professional if you have health concerns related to the use of any of these products.

• Read the label of the products you buy to verify that they have been assessed by Health Canada for safety, effectiveness and quality. Health products that have been authorized for sale by Health Canada will have an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), Natural Product Number (NPN) or Homeopathic Drug Number (DIN-HM).

Background

Prescription drugs should only be used under the supervision of a healthcare professional.

Dapoxetine is a prescription drug used to treat premature ejaculation. It is not authorized for sale in Canada. Side effects may include seizures, changes in blood pressure, blurred vision, dizziness, headache, and nausea.

Phenolphthalein was previously used as a laxative, but is no longer authorized for sale in Canada because it may cause cancer. Additional side effects include decreased blood pressure, skin rash, and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Sibutramine was previously used to treat obesity, but is no longer authorized for sale in Canada because of its association with an increased risk of cardiovascular side effects such as heart attack and stroke. Other side effects include increased blood pressure and heart rate, dry mouth, difficulty sleeping, and constipation.

Sildenafil is a prescription drug used to treat erectile dysfunction. Sildenafil should not be used by people taking any kind of nitrate drug such as nitroglycerine because it can cause potentially life-threatening low blood pressure. People with heart problems are at increased risk of cardiovascular side effects such as heart attack, stroke, chest pain, high blood pressure and abnormal heartbeat. Other side effects include headache, facial flushing, indigestion, dizziness, abnormal vision, and hearing loss.

Tadalafil is a prescription drug used to treat erectile dysfunction. Tadalafil should not be used by people taking any kind of nitrate drug such as nitroglycerine as it can cause potentially life-threatening low blood pressure. People with heart problems are at increased risk of cardiovascular side effects such as heart attack, stroke, chest pain, high blood pressure and abnormal heartbeat. Other side effects include headache, facial flushing, indigestion, dizziness, abnormal vision, and hearing loss.

Report health or safety concerns

To report a side effect for a health product to Health Canada:

• call toll-free at 1-866-234-2345; or
• visit Health Canada’s Web page on Adverse Reaction Reporting for information on how to report online, by mail, or by fax.

As of September 19, 2017, no adverse reactions suspected to be associated with the use of these products have been reported to Health Canada.

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