More drug-containing supplements recalled

The Food and Drug Administration's announcement last month that it was getting tough on supplements that contain drugs or synthetic steroids seems to be working. There's been a flurry of voluntary recalls of dietary supplements. Here are a few highlights:

• Fruta Planta and Reduce Weight Fruta Planta dietary supplements, which are marketed for weight loss, were voluntarily recalled on Dec. 30 by PRock Marketing, LLC, of Kissimmee, Fla. Tests by the FDA had found that the product, which is marketed under both names, contained sibutramine, a prescription drug that was withdrawn from the market in December 2010 because of an increased risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke. Sibutramine can cause a rise in blood pressure, pulse, or both, and can pose a significant risk to people with a history of arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, or stroke, according to the FDA. In a press release, PRock Marketing said, "there is NO SAFE formula on the U.S. market and that all versions of Fruta Planta contain sibutramine."

• Specific lots of RockHard Weekend and Pandora supplements, were voluntarily recalled nationwide on Dec. 22 by RockHard Laboratories, after its independent testing found that those lots contained an ingredient similar to sildenafil.

Bottom line: If you have the specific lots of unused RockHard Weekend or Pandora supplements, you can return them to the company for a refund. For Rock Hard Extreme and Passion Coffee Dietary Supplements, you can return them for a refund to the store where you bought them. Fruta Planta and Reduce Weight Fruta Planta should be destroyed or returned to the company, though it makes no mention of a refund. Or, of course, you can just throw them away, preferably in a sealed container where children and animals can't get them. And if you've experienced side effects, call a doctor.

—Doug Podolsky, senior editor

Read more about dangerous supplements.

—Aaron Bailey