United States and Canada have come down hard on Libidus (above) because of its harmful ingredients. (GP)

UROLOGIST DR JERRY EMTAGE is warning Barbadian men to stay away from a "natural" sex enhancer called Libidus.

The drug, which authorities in the United States and Canada have come down hard on because of harmful ingredients, appears to be attracting those suffering from erectile dysfunction.

The doctor told the DAILY NATION he first saw the drug when a patient recently came to him with it.

"I never saw it before so I looked it up on the Internet. I saw that both Canada and the United States have banned this product," he added.

"I have concern if people can just buy this here for [erectile dysfunction]. We need to question this drug.

"There is no drug or food regulatory body here so these drugs can just be sold here. We need a watchdog here for these types of drugs coming into the island. They need to be looked at so that they can be recommended or not," he said.

Erectile dysfunction is a common problem in men with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning asking consumers not to purchase or consume Libidus, among others, because "they contain potentially harmful undeclared ingredients" which could result in potentially life-threatening low blood pressure.

It advised consumers to discontinue its use and consult their health care provider.

In Canada, it was also advertised as a natural sex enhancer for men and women.

However, since last September, Health Canada warned against its use because it contained an undeclared pharmaceutical ingredient, a modified form of vardenafil.

The use of products containing vardenafil has been associated with serious side-effects, including heart attacks. It was also stated that in rare cases, the use of vardenafil might result in penile tissue damage and permanent loss of potency.

A DAILY NATION team was unable to find the Libidus at any of the popular natural health or drug stores. (TM)