Safety
Vapofil Side Effects: Heart, Bleeding and Drug Interactions
Most reported effects of Vapofil's seven ingredients are mild, such as upset stomach, nausea or headache.
These come from ingredient research (LiverTox: Horny goat weed) (LiverTox: Tongkat ali). Horny goat weed has heart-rhythm reports and may lower blood pressure (MSK: Epimedium) (RxList: Horny goat weed), saw palmetto may add to bleeding (MSK: Saw palmetto), and nettle and sarsaparilla can raise lithium levels (RxList: Stinging nettle) (RxList: Sarsaparilla).
To keep within the label, see the daily dose.
Written by the Vapofil editorial teamUpdated
Most likely
Which Vapofil side effects are most likely?
The most likely side effects are mild and short-lived: an upset stomach, nausea, loose stools, headache or a hot, sweaty feeling. They come from safety files on the single herbs.
LiverTox, an NIH database, lists mild stomach upset for horny goat weed (LiverTox: Horny goat weed) and uncommon nausea, diarrhea and headache for tongkat ali (LiverTox: Tongkat ali).
MSK adds one surprise for saw palmetto: lower sex drive, since the herb works against male hormones (MSK: Saw palmetto). At 20 mg, Vapofil holds 1/16 of the 320 mg used in trials, where side effects were no more common than with placebo (LiverTox: Saw palmetto).
Ingredient by ingredient
Which Vapofil ingredient carries which safety flag?
Horny goat weed and tongkat ali carry the strongest flags.
| Ingredient and amount | Reported side effects | Main caution | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horny goat weed 8 mg | Feeling hot, sweating, fast or irregular heartbeat | Blood pressure medicine, blood thinners, heart disease | (MSK: Epimedium) (RxList: Horny goat weed) |
| Tongkat ali 10 mg | Nausea, diarrhea, headache, rash | One liver case; long-term safety not set | (LiverTox: Tongkat ali) |
| Saw palmetto 20 mg | Stomach upset, headache, lower sex drive | Warfarin and clopidogrel; bleeding reports | (LiverTox: Saw palmetto) (MSK: Saw palmetto) |
| Nettle leaf 20 mg | Stomach upset, sweating | Lithium, diabetes and blood pressure medicines | (RxList: Stinging nettle) |
| Sarsaparilla 20 mg | Stomach irritation at larger amounts | Lithium, digoxin, kidney problems | (RxList: Sarsaparilla) |
| Wild yam 20 mg | Vomiting with large amounts | Estrogen-like effects; hormone-sensitive conditions | (MSK: Wild yam) (RxList: Wild yam) |
| Boron, about 1 mg | None expected at diet-level amounts | Upper limit is 20 mg a day | (ODS: Boron) |
Heart and blood pressure
Can Vapofil affect your heart rhythm or blood pressure?
It might, through horny goat weed. Memorial Sloan Kettering lists a rapid, irregular heartbeat among its side effects and advises people with heart disease to avoid it (MSK: Epimedium).
MSK also describes a 66-year-old man with heart failure. He was hospitalized with a new heart-rhythm problem and mood changes after two weeks of daily use (MSK: Epimedium).
RxList adds that, with blood pressure medicine, it may push pressure too low. It may also clash with drugs that affect the heart's QT interval (RxList: Horny goat weed).
A pounding or skipping heartbeat. Stop and call your doctor the same day.
Bleeding risk
Can you take Vapofil if you are on a blood thinner?
Only if your doctor agrees. Three ingredients carry a bleeding flag.
Bleeding case reports
MSK warns against taking it with warfarin and notes it may strengthen clopidogrel. Reports include bleeding around the heart in a man on rivaroxaban (MSK: Saw palmetto).
Slower clotting
RxList says it may slow blood clotting and advises stopping it before surgery (RxList: Horny goat weed).
Vitamin K and warfarin
Nettle contains vitamin K, which can work against warfarin, per RxList (RxList: Stinging nettle).
Liver and long-term use
Is the tongkat ali in Vapofil safe for the liver and for long-term use?
Liver harm looks rare, but long-term safety is not established. LiverTox rates tongkat ali a possible rare cause, based on one 47-year-old bodybuilder whose liver enzyme ALT reached 875 U/L (LiverTox: Tongkat ali).
The larger gap is time. A 2021 opinion from Europe's food safety agency, quoted by LiverTox, found no condition of use under which tongkat ali's safety was settled, citing a possible DNA-damage risk (LiverTox: Tongkat ali).
- Dark urine, yellowing eyes or belly pain that will not settle: stop and phone a doctor; with liver disease, ask first
- WebMD also flags propranolol, testosterone and some prostate-cancer drugs (WebMD: Eurycoma longifolia)
Other medicines
Which prescriptions clash with the herbs in Vapofil?
Nettle and sarsaparilla add the longest list. Both act like mild water pills, which can raise lithium levels, per RxList (RxList: Stinging nettle) (RxList: Sarsaparilla).
| Medicine | Ingredient | Possible effect | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lithium | Nettle, sarsaparilla | Lithium levels may rise | (RxList: Stinging nettle) (RxList: Sarsaparilla) |
| Digoxin | Sarsaparilla | More digoxin may be absorbed | (RxList: Sarsaparilla) |
| Diabetes medicines | Nettle | Risk of low blood sugar | (RxList: Stinging nettle) |
| Blood pressure medicines | Nettle, horny goat weed | Risk of pressure falling too far | (RxList: Stinging nettle) (RxList: Horny goat weed) |
| Estradiol and other estrogens | Wild yam, horny goat weed | Effects may overlap | (RxList: Wild yam) (RxList: Horny goat weed) |
Hormone-sensitive conditions
Does the wild yam in Vapofil act like estrogen?
Wild yam may have estrogen-like effects. MSK says people with hormone-sensitive cancers should talk to their physician before using it (MSK: Wild yam).
The body does not turn it into hormones (MSK: Wild yam), but RxList still lists a moderate interaction with estradiol. It also says to avoid wild yam with hormone-sensitive conditions and a clotting disorder called protein S deficiency (RxList: Wild yam).
Men treated for prostate or breast cancer should ask an oncologist first; MSK says the same about horny goat weed (MSK: Epimedium).
Nitrates
Why do nitrates matter with any sex supplement?
FDA lab tests keep turning up sildenafil and tadalafil, the active drugs in Viagra and Cialis, in products sold for sexual enhancement. Taken with nitrates such as nitroglycerin, they can drop blood pressure to dangerous levels (FDA: X10 hidden sildenafil/tadalafil).
No lab test of Vapofil has been published, so its contents cannot be confirmed either way. If you take nitrates for chest pain, talk to your cardiologist before any product sold for sex.
Who should skip it
Who should avoid Vapofil or check with a doctor first?
Men whose erection problems have never been checked should see a doctor first; ED can be an early sign of heart disease or diabetes (NIDDK: ED symptoms & causes). Others should skip Vapofil or ask first:
- Anyone with heart rhythm problems, heart failure or low blood pressure
- Men using lithium, digoxin, warfarin or another anticoagulant, or medicine for diabetes or blood pressure
- Men treated for a hormone-sensitive cancer, or taking testosterone
- Anyone with liver or kidney disease
- Teenagers: the label sets 18 as the line
Quick check
Should you ask a doctor before starting Vapofil?
Five yes-or-no questions; any flag means see your doctor first.
If you react
What steps should you take after a reaction to Vapofil?
Stop the capsules
Do not take more until a doctor or pharmacist says it is safe.
Get emergency care for red flags
Chest pain, fainting, trouble breathing or an erection lasting more than 4 hours need emergency care. Call 911.
Report it to the FDA
The FDA asks people to report supplement reactions through MedWatch (FDA: X10 hidden sildenafil/tadalafil) (FDA 101: Dietary supplements). Keep the bottle and your order ID.
FAQ
Vapofil safety questions men ask
Which Vapofil side effects mean I should stop taking it?
Stop for a racing heartbeat, dizziness, a rash, or stomach trouble lasting several days. Most reports for the ingredients are mild: upset stomach, nausea, loose stools, headache or sweating (LiverTox: Horny goat weed) (LiverTox: Tongkat ali).
Can Vapofil raise my heart rate?
It is possible through horny goat weed, which has reports of rapid, irregular heartbeat, per Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK: Epimedium). The amount in Vapofil is small, 8 mg, but men with heart disease or rhythm problems should ask a cardiologist before taking it.
Can I take Vapofil while on clopidogrel (Plavix)?
Only with your doctor's approval. Memorial Sloan Kettering says saw palmetto may increase clopidogrel's effects (MSK: Saw palmetto), and RxList says horny goat weed may slow clotting when combined with antiplatelet drugs (RxList: Horny goat weed).
Is Vapofil safe if I take lithium?
Ask your psychiatrist first. RxList says nettle and sarsaparilla, two of the seven ingredients, may raise lithium levels by acting like water pills (RxList: Stinging nettle) (RxList: Sarsaparilla).
How many days before an operation should I pause Vapofil?
Your surgeon decides, so mention it. Horny goat weed may slow clotting and RxList advises stopping it before surgery (RxList: Horny goat weed). Saw palmetto has reports of heavy bleeding during and after operations (MSK: Saw palmetto).
Should I tell the FDA about a Vapofil reaction?
Yes. Stop the capsules, get medical care, then file a report with the FDA's MedWatch program (FDA: X10 hidden sildenafil/tadalafil). Give the product name and label revision (REV 10/24). Also tell the order desk at +1 (302) 200-3480.
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
Plain-language pages built from the bottle label, the order page and linked public health sources such as NIH, FDA and CDC.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by a licensed U.S. retail desk for Vapofil, not by the manufacturer. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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Horny goat weed
Horny goat weed is the label's seventh ingredient: 8 mg, against the 250-500 mg most products hold.
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Hidden drugs in sex supplements
What the FDA keeps finding in sex pills, why nitrates make it dangerous, the warning signs and how to report a reaction.
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