'Chinese viagra' danger alert.

A CHINESE "herbal Viagra" sold throughout the UK contains dangerous levels of hidden pharmaceutical drugs, medicine chiefs have warned.

Tests on the product, Jia Yi Jian, revealed huge doses of two drugs prescribed on the NHS for obesity and impotence.

Sibutramine, marketed as Reductil, is an appetite suppressant while tadalafil, commonly known as Cialis, treats erectile dysfunction in a similar way to Viagra.

The maximum dosages per tablet normally allowed for sibutramine is 15 milligrams and for tadalafil 20 milligrams.

But the red and black capsules of Jia Yi Jian seized by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) each contained 68.1 milligrams of sibutramine and 50.06 milligrams of tadalafil..

The undeclared ingredients were deliberately put in the Chinese herbal medicine to con the public, says the MHRA.

The levels are said to be high enough to cause serious side effects, including heart and blood pressure problems.

Adverse reactions could also occur with other prescription drugs, such as those used to treat blood pressure and heart disease..