Rhino pills: effective ED treatment or scam?

Rhino pills, often marketed as dietary supplements to improve sexual performance or erectile dysfunction (ED), have gained some attention in recent years. But do Rhino pills actually work? It’s unlikely. There is no scientific evidence to support Rhino pills as an effective treatment for ED. 

Worse, they can be dangerous. These so-called “male enhancement” pills often contain counterfeit, unregulated, and unmeasured ingredients. Continue reading to learn more about Rhino pills and why you should opt for evidence-based ED treatments instead. 

Rhino pills are a "male enhancement" or "sexual enhancement" product you'll find at some convenience stores or gas stations, also referred to as “gas station pills.” Like most products in this category, they may contain a number of herbs and supplements purported to help you get and maintain erections. 

Rhino pills often claim to:

• Make your penis longer or thicker

• Give you strong erections

• Help you last longer in bed

• Prevent premature ejaculation (PE)

• Increase semen volume

• Make your orgasms feel more intense

• Boost your sexual confidence

Rhino pills is a catch-all term for the various products sold under the Rhino brand, including: 

• Platinum Rhino 25000

• Krazzy Rhino 25000

• Gold Rhino 25000

• Platinum 69000 Rhino 69

• Rhino 7S Type F3 7000

• Rhino 99 Extreme 90000

• Rhino 96 Platinum 77000

• Rhino 69 Power 500K

• Rhino 69 Platinum 75000

• Rhino 8 Platinum 80000

• Rhino 69 Gummy

• Rhino 11 Gummy

• Rhino Gummy Royal 50000

• Rhino Choco VIP Chocolate for Men

In general, most Rhino pills come in similar packaging emblazoned with an image of a large rhino and contain one pill per package. But questionable branding isn't the only issue with these alleged sexual enhancement pills.

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No, there’s no scientific evidence to support Rhino pills as an effective and safe treatment for ED.

Because they purportedly contain ingredients that may increase blood flow and swelling of the penis, at first, rhino pills sound like they should work (improving blood flow is a key part of how ED drugs like Viagra work, after all). 

The problem is that the substances and doses of active ingredients in Rhino pills are unstudied, unregulated, and can be illegal to sell without a prescription. So there’s no way to know if they actually contain what they say they do, whether they contain dangerous added ingredients, or what unpredictable or dangerous side effects they might come with.

The short answer is: no. The Rhino pills listed above are all considered “potentially dangerous” by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), due to potentially containing hidden drug ingredients. As a result, they’ve landed themselves an illustrious spot on the agency’s round-up of “Tainted Sexual Enhancement and Energy Products.” 

Rhino pills — as well as most non-prescription sexual enhancement supplements — aren’t approved by the FDA and therefore cannot be prescribed. Because they’re considered dietary supplements and not medications, they’re also not regulated by the FDA; this means they don’t have to go through the same rigorous testing for safety and efficacy as prescription or even over-the-counter medications. 

That may not be as concerning when you’re buying protein powder or multivitamins, but the consequences can be very real when it comes to your penis. 

If you’re going to take on personal risk to strengthen your erections, you should know what you’re putting into your body. The problem is, Rhino pills are not being fully transparent with that information.

The FDA has issued warnings that some Rhino pills contain ingredients not listed on the label, including substances that should only be dispensed by prescription because of the risk of side effects or dangerous drug interactions. Some samples have been found to contain printer ink, paint, talcum powder, antidepressants, antibiotics, and amphetamines.

Some Rhino pills may also contain cheap, experimental versions of the active ingredients found in prescription ED medications, such as Viagra (sildenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil) — even when they claim to be “all natural.” Sometimes, they contain up to four times the dosage listed, which can lead to dangerous side effects or interactions with medications. 

Rhino pills do not list risks and side effects on their packaging (another red flag). That said, the FDA has established potential side effects of taking Rhino pills, including: 

• Chest pain

• Severe headaches

• Prolonged erections (aka priapism), which can require surgical intervention

• Extreme drops in blood pressure

Of course, people might also experience side effects even with prescription medications. However, prescription medications have standardized dosing so you always know how much of the active ingredient you are taking, as opposed to rhino pills which may contain different amounts of various substances in different batches. 

Moreover, side effects are transparently disclosed on the FDA label whereas rhino pills aren’t even transparent about all of their ingredients. Most importantly, since someone is prescribing those drugs, you can always talk to a healthcare provider if you’re experiencing any issues and work with them to adjust your treatment or dose as necessary. 

Many Rhino products claim to contain the active ingredients found in Viagra and Cialis. But these ingredients are not standardized and, if  present in Rhino pills, are unsafe since you don’t know how much of the active ingredient you are taking. 

In December 2019, the FDA issued another public notification urging people not to buy Rhino pills. The agency's lab testing found that Super Platinum 30000 RHINO 7 contained tadalafil, the active ingredient in Cialis that is only available by prescription, in unregulated quantities. Because it's illegal to include prescription drugs in OTC products, the medication wasn't listed as an ingredient in the Rhino pills. 

One of the reasons these ingredients should only be prescribed by medical professionals is that they can interact with other drugs and medical conditions. It could be dangerous to take Rhino pills without knowing about hidden ingredients. 

The FDA labels for Viagra and Cialis, for example, mention the following medications could have negative interactions with ED medications. While it’s possible to take some of these medications along with Viagra or Cialis, a healthcare provider should be involved in that decision-making and may adjust your dose accordingly.

• Heart medications: Nitrates (nitroglycerin) and blood pressure medications (especially alpha-blockers such as doxazosin) are often used to treat heart conditions. The combination can cause a dangerous and possibly fatal drop in blood pressure. 

• HIV medications: Antiviral medications like ritonavir, which is often taken for HIV, may interfere with your liver’s ability to clear Viagra from your body, causing an increased risk of toxic effects. People on these medicines may be prescribed Viagra at a lower dose to start with. 

• Antibiotics and antifungals: Medications that treat bacterial and fungal infections, like erythromycin, itraconazole, and ketoconazole, may also interfere with your liver’s ability to get rid of Viagra, which could require changes in dosing. 

Hidden ingredients in Rhino pills can lead to potentially deadly drug interactions if taken without the supervision of a licensed healthcare provider, who can check for interactions beforehand in prescription medications that are honest about what active ingredients they contain.

Beyond drug interactions, another major concern is the lack of oversight. Rhino pills are often sold as supplements, which are not held to the same safety and quality standards as prescription medications. As a result, there’s no reliable way to confirm what’s in the product, how much you’re taking, or whether it’s been tested for safety.

You can't buy Viagra (sildenafil) OTC. All ED medications require a prescription — and, as you've just read, for good reasons. 

Most ED medications are vasodilators, meaning they cause blood vessels in the body to dilate (open). That has the potential to cause side effects, and you shouldn't take them if you have certain medical conditions or are taking certain other medications.

To be safe, assume that any "male enhancement" or "sexual enhancement" product you see on store shelves, or anything marketed as "natural Viagra," is likely to be ineffective at best and potentially dangerous at worst. Again, that's because the FDA doesn't regulate dietary supplements like it regulates prescription drugs.

There is, however, a slight — slight — caveat to that. Some small scientific studies have found certain herbs and nutritional supplements could benefit erections (though nowhere near as powerful as Viagra). These supplements include L-arginine, DHEA, ginseng, L-carnitine, and yohimbe. 

However, supplements are minimally regulated, and study results have been mixed. While some studies show some benefit, other studies of the same supplements don’t show the same effect. When in doubt, be safe. If you’re not sure exactly what’s in a supplement, talk to your healthcare provider before introducing something potentially unsafe to your body.

Rhino pills can seem like an attractive option because they’re easy to get without a prescription, and you can avoid going to a healthcare provider for treatment. But there’s a reason why millions of people trust Viagra (sildenafil) and other prescription medications instead — actually, make that three reasons: 

• Viagra is regulated and approved by the FDA, while Rhino pills are not. That means that both the safety and efficacy of Viagra has been proven in numerous clinical trials. The same can’t be said for Rhino pills.

• Viagra actually spells out their ingredients, while Rhino pills do not. The active ingredient in Viagra is sildenafil, and the amount is standardized based on each dosage. The other, inactive ingredients used to make the “little blue pill” are clearly listed on the label. Rhino pills, on the other hand, may not list all their ingredients.

• Viagra does not contain any hidden ingredients, while many Rhino pills do, according to various FDA reports and research. One study of supposed “all-natural” ED supplements found that 81% contained sildenafil. Because Rhino pills don’t disclose their ingredients, you don’t know how much sildenafil — or other ingredients, for that matter — they contain, which can lead to unexpected or even dangerous side effects. 

All three points are true when comparing Cialis to Rhino pills,  too.

The good news is you have plenty of safe, proven options to use for treating your ED instead of Rhino pills.

Prescription medications  

It’s easier than ever to get quality, prescription ED medications online, such as through Ro, and get these treatments delivered to your door in discreet packaging — if they’re appropriate for you. 

ED meds, including Viagra, belong to a class of drugs called PDE-5 inhibitors. These medications have proven to be safe and effective when taken as prescribed. They work in part by relaxing the blood vessels in the penis and allowing blood to flow in. As of now, there are four FDA-approved prescription ED medications available in the United States: 

• Viagra (sildenafil)

• Cialis (tadalafil)  

• Vardenafil (previously available as brand name Levitra) 

• Stendra (avanafil) 

Some PDE-5 inhibitors come in other formulations, including:

• Ro Sparks, which combines sildenafil and tadalafil in a sublingual treatment that dissolves under your tongue for fast-acting effects 

• Daily Rise Gummies, which contain 7 mg of tadalafil in each fruit-flavored gummy

Though these formulations are not FDA-approved, they contain active ingredients that have been individually FDA-approved for ED and federal law allows them to be prescribed by a licensed healthcare provider at their discretion.

Additional treatment options

If prescription medications aren’t right for you, products such as cock rings and penis pumps may be able to help you get and keep an erection during sex. 

Penis pumps, also known as vacuum pumps or erection pumps, can deliver a harder erection by drawing blood into the penis. You insert your penis into a plastic chamber and pump, either by hand or battery. 

Once you’re hard, you can place a cock ring around the base of your penis to keep the blood from flowing out. You can also use a cock ring without a penis pump if you are able to get an erection on your own but have difficulty maintaining it.

Be careful not to make the cock ring too tight, or to use a penis pump or cock ring for too long, because bruising and injury to the penis can occur. 

Lifestyle changes

Lifestyle changes can also be effective for treating ED. These include: 

• Eating a healthy, balanced diet. The Mediterranean diet in particular is recommended for improving erectile function. If you’re not a fan of following a specific diet, make sure to eat these foods proven to help with ED.

• Regularly exercising. Regular exercise can help relieve ED caused by a lack of physical activity, obesity, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Experts recommend a total of 160 minutes per week, or 40 minutes of moderate- to high-intensity aerobic exercise four times per week. Speak to a healthcare provider before making drastic changes to your routine.

• Limiting (or quitting) smoking, drugs, and alcohol. Men who quit smoking see their erections improve by 25% in one year. 

• Improving your sleep. Regularly getting less than 7 hours of sleep is linked to worse erectile function. Instead, aim for 7–9 hours of restful sleep per night.

• Taking care of your mental health. Stress, anxiety, depression, and ED are all interlinked — with one often compounding the other. Find ways to manage your stress and lift your mood. A mental health professional can also help you work on the psychological causes that may be contributing to your ED.

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Whatever your erection goals are, taking Rhino pills simply isn’t worth it. There’s no reason to take an unproven, unsafe (potentially dangerous) product when there are so many proven, safe ED treatments out there. 

• Rhino pills go by various names, but they all tend to have Rhino in the name, an image of a Rhino on the package, and can be found in gas stations or convenience stores.

• There is no scientific evidence showing that Rhino pills work, despite what their packaging may claim.

• The FDA has issued several safety warnings for Rhino pills due to their inclusion of hidden ingredients, including prescription drugs, amphetamines, and printer ink.

• Rhino pills can cause chest pain, severe headaches, extreme drops in blood pressure, and prolonged erections that may require surgical intervention.

• Rhino pills can dangerously interact with medications commonly prescribed for heart conditions, HIV, and bacterial or fungal infections.

• Instead of Rhino pills, safer ED treatments include prescription ED medications, lifestyle changes, and devices including penis pumps and cock rings.