4 hospitalised after taking illegal sex drugs

SINGAPORE - The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is alerting the public on a series of serious adverse events related to the consumption of illegal sexual enhancement health products.

HSA said over the past week, four patients between the ages of 30 to 78 years old have been admitted to hospitals with dangerously low blood sugar levels.

Two of them were unconscious upon arrival at the hospitals and the other two were confused and weak, HSA said.

Although all four are no longer in a critical condition, one of the patients who was initially unconscious is in a "non-communicative state", while the other is only capable of holding simple conversations.

Tests revealed that their urine and blood contained glibenclamide, a prescription only anti-diabetic medicine, which was later identified to be the cause of their dangerously low blood sugar.

Of the four patients, three are non-diabetics and one is a diabetic. However, the diabetic was not prescribed glibenclamide for the treatment of diabetes.

Although the patients were not sure of the products that they had consumed, HSA determined through investigations that these cases are likely related to the consumption of illegal sexual enhancement health products.

Glibenclamide is frequently used as an adulterant in such products, which include Power 1 Walnut, Singapore Power 1, fake Cialis and Santi Bovine Penis Erecting pills.

As Glibenclamide can cause a person's blood sugar to drop from normal to dangerously low levels, it can leads to serious adverse effects such as seizures, coma and death. Hence, the medicine is a controlled substance that should not be present in non-medicinal health products under the Poisons Act.

HSA has informed healthcare professionals and requested that they report any suspicious cases.

Although investigations are still ongoing and in the preliminary stage, HSA is also alerting members of the public as a warning not to fall prey to vendors selling such products.

Over the past three years, HSA has conducted more than 80 raids, seized about 1.4 million units of such illegal products and prosecuted more than 20 illegal sellers.

If you have any information related to the investigations or wish to report suspicious sales of illegal products, you can contact HSA’s Enforcement Branch at 6866 3485 during office hours, or email hsa_is@hsa.gov.sg.

yamadak@sph.com.sg