Four in hospital after taking illegal sexual enhancement products

SINGAPORE- Four men aged between 30 and 78 years have been admitted to hospital after they apparently consumed illegal sexual enhancement products.

Two of the men were unconscious when they were brought to the hospital while the other two were confused and weak.

All four are no longer in a critical condition.

However, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said the two men who were initially unconscious suffered more severe consequences. One remains in a non-communicative state while the other can only hold simple conversations.

Based on HSA's assessment of the cases, the adverse effects experienced by the four men are likely related to the consumption of the illegal health products.

HSA has issued an alert to the public not to consume or buy such illegal health products from vendors or peddlers.

The four men were hospitalised after they developed very low blood sugar levels. Their urine and blood were tested and found to contain glibenclamide, an anti-diabetic medicine which was identified as the cause of their dangerously low blood sugar.

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

Glibenclamide is a potent Western medicine used in diabetic treatment to lower blood sugar levels to normal levels. It is a prescription-only medicine and should be used under medical supervision, said HSA.

Many illegal sexual enhancement health products in the past have been found to contain glibenclamide, which can cause patients to suffer serious adverse effects of seizures, coma and death.

HSA said the patients could not positively identify the products that they had consumed but based on their case histories, the test results, and HSA's surveillance activities, HSA has assessed that these cases are likely related to the consumption of illegal sexual enhancement health products.

HSA added that it has been closely monitoring the sales of illegal sexual enhancement health products in Singapore and has conducted more than 80 raids and seized about 1.4 million units of such illegal products over the last three years.

More than 20 illegal sellers of these products have been prosecuted by HSA in the past few years.

Glibenclamide is a substance controlled under the Poisons Act. It is an offence for an unlicensed person to import, sell or possess for sale any product containing the substance.

Anyone found guilty of an offence under the Poisons Act is liable to a fine of up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment for a term of up to two years.

HSA said it takes a serious view against those engaged in the sale and supply of illegal health products and will take strong enforcement action against such persons.