Beware of Online Dietary Supplements

Many people look to the Internet to purchase all kinds of products, including dietary supplements. Claims that a product can help with pain relief, male enhancement, better sleep, bodybuilding, and weight loss are extremely popular because they are often affordable and can be purchased without having to go to the doctor in person. But these, and other online supplements, can be very dangerous, not to mention illegal. That’s because they frequently contain ingredients that have the potential to be quite dangerous—and those ingredients are not listed on the label.

A Decade-long Problem 

The Food and Drug Administration has been warning consumers for years about online purchases that have big claims. Manufacturers may claim such products contain the active ingredients that are approved by the FDA, but those claims are often false. Instead, dangerous hidden ingredients can be found in these supplements. Unfortunately, distributors and retailers have not prevented such potentially dangerous products from making it to consumers.

Some Examples 

Recently, approximately 70 male enhancement and weight loss products that are found on sites like eBay, Amazon, and Walmart.com were tested by the FDA. The majority of these supplements did, in fact, contain pharmaceutical components that the labels did not list. Many of the ingredients that were contained in these products are FDA approved in other prescription drugs—the concern is that the ingredients are not listed for consumers to evaluate whether or not they are appropriate for them. All of the Amazon products contained undeclared pharmaceuticals, 80 percent of eBay’s did, and half of Walmart’s did. Why is this a problem? There are two key issues:

1. Unlisted pharmaceuticals may have serious side effects worth knowing about;
2. Unlisted pharmaceuticals could potentially have serious interactions with other drugs a person is taking.

How Can You Identify These Products? 

Obtaining online products to address issues related to weight loss, sexual function, sleep issues, pain relief, or bodybuilding is just not a good idea. For those determined to make such a purchase or any type of dietary supplement, there are a few things you can do to better your chances of avoiding serious problems:

1. The FDA has a database worth checking. Over 2,000 tainted products are listed there, and the list is routinely updated. While this is a great resource, be aware that it simply cannot keep up with all of the new websites and products that pop up all the time.
2. Talk to your doctor before making any such purchase.
3. Avoid non-prescription products that have claims of miraculous results.
4. Check out the FDA’s BeSafeRx for tips on how to make safe online medicine purchases.

Following Serious Issues 

If you discover that an online product led to severe health issues, you may wish to consider holding the company accountable with a personal injury lawsuit. The experienced, hard-hitting Kissimmee and Orlando personal injury attorneys at Salazar & Kelly Law Group can help. Schedule a confidential consultation in our office today.