I was working on a medical program at work today, and while proofreading spotted the following passage:
INTRACTABLE PRIAPISM ASSOCIATED WITH HERBAL STIMULANTS. Tuckler VE, Barton C, Litner J, Matinez J, Section of Emergency Medicine, Medical Center of Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Background: A wide variety of herbal supplements are available to the public over-the-counter without any restrictions and are often advertised as a safe ?natural? alternative to prescription medications.
Case Report: A 43 y/o white male without any past medical history presented to the ED complaining of approximately 60 hours of sustained erection. He had used an over the counter sexual enhancement drug with the trade name ?All Night Long? which contain 16 ingredients including niacin and horny goat weed standardized extract. He took no prescription medications but was taking niacin and ginseng supplements. After taking the supplements, he achieved an erection, but the erection failed to subside and became associated with significant pain. [.. painful sounding medical procedures on his wang removed …]
Conclusion: Herbal supplements are provided over the counter without restriction and are thought by many people to be without risk. However they can be associated with significant negative effects and morbidity.