JEDDAH — A number of medical doctors, as well as members of the public, have accused social media users of trading on people's health concerns, especially sexual health, away from the scrutiny of the authorities by promoting unlicensed medicines, Al-Bilad Arabic newspaper said in an investigative report published on Wednesday. They specifically warned the public against sexual stimulants that are advertised on social media, saying they might cause a number of health problems in users. The doctors warned that using sexual stimulants without proper medical advise can lead to sudden death, damage the heart and even cause cancer. Dr. Ahmed Hilal, a cardiology consultant at a private hospital, said sexual stimulants would make the heart pump more blood to the sexual organs, causing high pressure that lead to strokes and heart attacks. He said the continuous use of stimulants over a long time might lead to addiction and cause health hazards in the long run. "The misuse of medicines will jeopardize the health of any person so I advise people to see a doctor when they have any health problems, including sex-related issues," he said. Dr. Hilal criticized pharmacies for dispensing medicines without prescriptions and asked patients never to go for this. He especially warned heart patients not to use sexual or other stimulants without consulting their doctors first. Dr. Ahmed Hassan, a consultant in internal medicine, said some people may damage their health when they take stimulants without the advise of a medical doctor. He said people with chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and others should be more careful not to take medicines without the advice of their doctors. Dr. Haitham Mohammed, the director of a private pharmacy, he was surprised by the fact that many young men would want to try sexual stimulants. "We dispense medicines for simple diseases such as cold and influenza but we ask the patients with serious conditions to see their doctors first," he said. Dr. Hussain Al-Yafie, a pharmacist, warned against taking the stimulants or herbal compounds, which are promoted on social media. "These medicines have no known source and they have not been recognized by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA)," he said. Mubarak Al-Harbe, a 60-year-old Saudi, said a friend of his had been using sex medicines without medical advice and his health deteriorated. "My friend is now suffering from heart problems and he regrets he had used the stimulants without consulting his doctor," he said. Harbe criticized pharmacies that dispense sexual stimulants without prescription and asked the Health Ministry to conduct surprise raids on pharmacies to check the violations. Hamad Al-Alawi, a citizen, said sexual stimulants in general give good results in the beginning but they are damaging to the health in the long run. "The medicines promoted via social media may be fake or may contain harmful substances," he said, while warning people to stay away from them. Ali Al-Qarni, a young Saudi, said it was very easy to obtain sex stimulants from pharmacies because the pharmacists were keen on selling products that are sold at a high margin and they do not advise their customers on the harmful side effects. The SFDA has warned against a sexual stimulant under the name "Shark Extract Tablet", which is being advertised on social media and is sold by unknown vendors. The authority asked consumers not to fall prey to vendors selling medicines that are not approved.
