A New York man died after he ate an illegal aphrodisiac derived from toad venom.
According to the Associated Press, New York City’s poison control center issued a warning to people to stay away from the concoction after receiving a hospital report that a 35-year-old man who ingested the hard, brown substance died earlier this month.
The product is sold under names including Piedra, Love Stone, Jamaican Stone, Black Stone and Chinese Rock at sex shops and neighborhood stores. It is banned by the Food and Drug Administration, the same source noted.
Health officials said the aphrodisiac was made with venom from toads of the Bufo genus which has chemicals that can disrupt heart rhythms. It was supposed to have been applied to the skin, not ingested, but even that use can be harmful.
Four men in New York City died after using this product between 1993 and 1995 and a teenager was sickened after using similar products.
The man had bradycardia, an abnormally slow heart rhythm, and his blood showed levels of potassium and digoxin, a drug used to treat congestive heart failure. He was taken to an emergency room, complaining of chest and abdominal pain, after more than 10 hours after ingesting the aphrodisiac. After 36 hours, his condition deteriorated and he died.
“There is no definitely safe way to use it,” said Dr. Robert Hoffman, director of the city's poison control center, according to the AP. “Don't buy it. Don't sell it. If you have it, don't use it. Throw it out.”