HoneyBoost and Your Medicines: What to Ask Before You Take It

It says not to take HoneyBoost if you take other medications, and to consult a physician first.

The warning block on the label is short and strict. It says: do not take if pregnant, lactating, suffering from a medical condition or taking other medications, and consult a physician before using this product. It also says keep out of reach of children, not intended for use under age 18, and do not use if the seal is broken or missing. Read that first sentence again: it excludes anyone who takes any other medication.

That is a strong warning. The useful step is to say which medicines have a known reason, so you know what to ask your pharmacist. A pharmacist can see your whole list, which a website cannot.

Because the combination can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure.

The first interaction to know about is with nitrates, the medicines used for chest pain such as nitroglycerin. FDA warns that sexual enhancement products sometimes contain hidden sildenafil or tadalafil, and that mixing those drugs with nitrates can drop blood pressure to a dangerous level (FDA, Sexual Enhancement and Energy Product Notifications). MedlinePlus says the same about sildenafil itself (MedlinePlus, Sildenafil). HoneyBoost does not list a drug. But you cannot see inside a gummy, so if you take a nitrate, ask your doctor or pharmacist before using any product sold for male sexual performance.

Hidden drugs are the best documented risk in this product category. An FDA laboratory found that 15 of 26 herbal products sold for "sexual performance" held undeclared ED drugs or close copies of them (Gryniewicz et al. 2009). FDA keeps a public list of tainted sexual enhancement products and says the list is not complete (FDA, Sexual Enhancement and Energy Product Notifications). We have no test showing that HoneyBoost holds anything beyond its label. We also cannot rule it out, and no review site can.

Bring the label, and ask three questions.

• Does anything on this label interact with my medicines?
• Which line concerns you most, and why?
• Should I wait, or choose a different product?

Show them the Supplement Facts panel, which is typed out on the supplement facts page. A pharmacist can check each line against your list in a few minutes, and the call costs nothing.

Tell the surgeon, the anesthesiologist and the dentist about every supplement before a procedure. This habit is advised by NCCIH, which says supplements can affect how medicines work and that your care team needs the full list (NCCIH, Using Dietary Supplements Wisely). With six active-type lines, including a levodopa source and a blood-sugar-active plant, HoneyBoost belongs on that list. Ask the surgical team when to stop any supplement before the date.

HoneyBoost is a product for adult men. The label says not to take it if pregnant or lactating, and it is not for anyone under 18. Do not buy it for a partner, a teenager or anyone who is pregnant. If someone swallowed more than a label allows, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 in the U.S.

Yes. Cold medicines, pain relievers, sleep aids and other supplements all count.

Many people list prescriptions and forget the rest. A decongestant can raise blood pressure. A sleep aid can add drowsiness. A multivitamin can add zinc. Bring everything you take, in the bottles, to the pharmacist, or write it down. NCCIH recommends telling every health professional about every supplement and medicine you use (NCCIH, Using Dietary Supplements Wisely). The more complete the list, the more useful the advice.