FDA: Stiff Bull Coffee contains unlisted pick-me-up

SILVER SPRING, Md., Sept. 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning for a coffee referred to as "The Relationship Saver" because an unlisted ingredient may cause some users problems.

The FDA suggests consumers not drink Stiff Bull Herbal Coffee because it includes the ingredient desmethyl carbodenafil, a chemical that is similar to the active ingredient in Viagra but is not listed on the packaging.

"This undeclared ingredient may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs such as nitroglycerin and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels," the agency said in a press release, noting the danger especially for men with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease who often take nitrates.

Stiff Bull was identified by the FDA during an examination of international mail shipments, and a laboratory analysis confirmed the coffee contains desmethyl carbodenafil, with is structurally similar to sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra and other prescription drugs for erectile dysfunction.

For several years, the FDA has been finding products that include the chemical, as well as hundreds of others, and issuing warnings, as well as taking action to have them removed from store shelves. The potential for the desmethyl carbodenafil to interact poorly with other drugs may pose a danger for patients.

Stiff Bull Herbal Coffee is the 34th product the agency has warned consumers about this year as a rash of products has been found to include undeclared ingredients meant to improve sexual function but unlisted on packaging and potentially harmful for users.