Health Canada is advising Canadians to not use a herbal product called Powertabs after concerns were raised by the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products.

Powertabs are promoted as a purely herbal product for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

The Swiss Agency found that the product contains an unauthorized substance, which is similar to the prescription drug sildenafil.

The agency is warning that unsupervised use of the product could result in serious cardiovascular side-effects, especially in individuals with heart disease.

Powertabs are not authorized for sale in Canada and have not be found in the Canadian marketplace, according to Health Canada. But it is possible that the product may have been brought into Canada by travellers or purchased over the Internet.

Health Canada is advising that Canadians who have access to the product do not use it and consult a health professional if they already have.

Recall notice