‘Honey for Men’ Secretly Contains Viagra, FDA Warns

The FDA issued warnings to four companies that make honey marketed to men about their lacing their products with boner meds. 

“The FDA’s laboratory testing found that product samples contained active drug ingredients not listed on the product labels, including the active drug ingredients found in Cialis (tadalafil) and Viagra (sildenafil), which are FDA approved drugs used to treat men with erectile dysfunction,” the statement, issued on Wednesday, said.

The letters went to Thirstyrun LLC (also known as US Royal Honey LLC), MKS Enterprise LLC, Shopaax.com, and 1am USA Incorporated dba Pleasure Products USA. 

Thirstyrun sells things like “Secret Miracle Royal Honey for Her” that the company claims is a “specialty blend of royal honey is designed to increase sexual pleasure and performance,” and “Dose Vital Honey for Men” that the product page says is “filled with the most potent and natural source of sexual power and testosterone—Vital Honey—that is filled with rich floral nectar and a mix of select roots to maximize the effect.” Viagra, Cialis, or their active ingredients aren’t mentioned in these products’ packaging or descriptions, only things like caviar powder, cinnamon, and tongkat ali root.

These products are foods, but they’re also technically drugs in the eyes of the FDA, since they promise the “cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease” like preventing bacterial infection and reducing prostate illness, according to the letter the FDA sent Thirstyrun.

“Tainted honey-based products like these are dangerous because consumers are likely unaware of the risks associated with the hidden prescription drug ingredients in these products and how they may interact with other drugs and supplements they may take,” FDA Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs Judy McMeekin said in the statement. 

The risk isn’t just of popping a hard-on you didn’t expect, but of serious illness or even death. Cialis and Viagra are prescription medications that are taken under a doctor’s supervision, and in that setting, they’re safe; but if they’re taken without consulting a doctor or in unregulated doses, they can be dangerous, especially for people with heart issues.

The number of companies seeking to make money off of people’s sexual woes with shady miracle pills are endless—including bizarre and potentially painful remedies like pouring apple cider vinegar on one’s dick. Much of the time, supplements like these contain ingredients that just don’t work. But sometimes, they’ll sneak in actually dangerous prescription drugs—in 2021, the FDA advised consumers not to buy Brahma Male Enhancement, which was sold many places including in Walmart stores, because the company added Viagra’s active ingredient sildenafil. 

The four companies included in these most recent warning letters have 15 days to respond to the FDA, or they face “legal action, including product seizure and/or injunction.”