Former Los Angeles Lakers player and NBA star Lamar Odom is still connected to a life-support machine after collapsing and being found unconscious while at a Nevada brothel on October 13, Tuesday. The local sheriff's department reported on Wednesday that Odom had taken cocaine and sexual performance enhancer supplements or "herbal Viagra" during his multiple-day stay at the Love Ranch, before his hospitalization. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued stern warnings about the health risks of those Reload and Libimax Plus pills and many other so-called "natural" products.
The brothel's owner Dennis Hof told The Washington Post in an interview that Odom had purchased a lot of the herbal supplement pills named Reload. Hof described it as an over-the-counter (OTC) herbal supplement that treats erectile dysfunction (ED). It gives a burst of energy like an energy drink.
However, the FDA released a warning in 2013 that Reload contains a hidden ingredient that could result in dangerous side-effects. That mystery ingredient is Viagra's active ingredient: sildenafil.
Interestingly, Reload's packaging does not mention sildenafil. Instead, it lists other ingredients such as ginseng and ginkgo biloba.
Viagra is an ED-treating prescription drug that the FDA approved in 1998. However, while Reload's packaging claims that the product is a nutritional supplement, the federal agency warned that the OTC product is an unregulated real Viagra, according to The Washington Post.
The FDA noted that the sildenafil contained in Reload could cause dangerous side-effects when combined with nitrates (nitrogen and oxygen) found in prescription medications, including ultra-low blood pressure. It advised consumers to throw out the product.
Herbal supplements are not required to undergo the same strict testing and approval systems as prescription drugs. This allows their manufacturers to make unsubstantiated claims such as through Internet testimonials.
Peter Cohen is a Harvard Medical School assistant professor. He explained that current laws and the FDA's lack of regulation have resulted in dangerous products being allowed to stay on store shelves, according to Tech Times.
The exact cause of Odom's collapse is unclear. Blood samples have been taken but the results could take weeks.
The separated husband of Khloé Kardashian also reportedly used Libimax Plus (sexual enhancement pill) and cognac during his stay at the brothel with two women. He also claimed to have used cocaine prior to arriving.
This video is a recap of the events involving Lamar Odom's collapse: