Rhino pills: risks, side effects and more

You’ve probably seen pills that claim to improve male enhancement at your local gas station. And you may even have been tempted to give them a try. Rhino pills, often marketed as dietary supplements to improve sexual performance, have gained some attention in recent years. 

But do Rhino pills actually make you hard? At best, probably not. At worst, Rhino pills can contain counterfeit, unregulated, and unmeasured ingredients that may be dangerous.  Continue reading to learn more about Rhino pills for me and why you should opt for evidence-based erectile dysfunction (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 of this type, they 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

And that’s just a sampling of the Rhino pills that are considered “potentially dangerous” by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and listed on the agency’s roundup of “Tainted Sexual Enhancement and Energy Products.” 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.

Rhino pills—as well as all over-the-counter (OTC) sexual enhancement products—aren’t approved by the FDA and don’t require a prescription. Because they’re considered dietary supplements, 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 medications. 

The FDA has issued warnings that some pills may 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. These pills may contain cheap, experimental versions of the active ingredients found in prescription ED medications, such as Viagra (sildenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil). Some samples have been found to contain printer ink, paint, talcum powder, antidepressants, antibiotics, and amphetamines. 

Rhino pills can be deceptive. 

Because they purportedly contain ingredients that may increase blood flow and swelling of the penis, at first, they may seem to work. The problem is that the substances and doses of active ingredients in Rhino pills are unstudied, unregulated, and illegal to sell without a prescription. So you might get an erection, but you might also get unpredictable and dangerous side effects.

There is no scientific evidence to support Rhino pills as an effective and safe treatment for ED. If you’re going to take on personal risk to strengthen your erections, you should know what you’re putting into your body. Rhino pills might illegally contain the active ingredients of Viagra, even when they claim to be “all natural.” However, since they’re completely unregulated, there could be almost no active ingredient or so much that dangerous effects can occur, and there would be no way of knowing. 

Some individuals have experienced erections for up to 48 hours on Rhino pills. While this may seem like a good thing, it definitely isn’t—trust us. Erections lasting longer than 4 hours (aka priapism) can cause permanent damage to the penis and even result in long-term ED. 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 leading to surgical intervention

• Extreme drops in blood pressure

Of course, people might also experience side effects even with Rx medications. However, those effects are listed on the labels for those FDA-approved medications. More 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 undeclared and unlicensed when present in Rhino pills. 

One of the reasons these ingredients should only be prescribed and administered by medical professionals is that they can interact dangerously with other drugs and medical conditions. The FDA labels for Viagra and Cialis, for example, mention the following medications could have negative interactions with ED medications. It could be dangerous to take Rhino pills without knowing about hidden ingredients. While it’s possible to take some of these medications along with Viagra or Cialis, a healthcare provider should be involved in the decision-making.

• 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 need to take Viagra at a lower dose. 

• 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. 

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 (brand name Cialis), a prescription drug for ED. Because it's illegal to include prescription drugs in OTC products, the medication wasn't listed as an ingredient in the Rhino pills. This hidden ingredient can lead to potentially deadly drug interactions.

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 prescription drugs.

There is, however, a slight—slight—caveat to that. Some small scientific studies have found certain herbs and nutritional supplements could benefit your erection. 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 a benefit, other studies of the same supplements don’t show the same effect.

Rhino pills can seem like an attractive option because they’re easy to get OTC, 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 of active ingredient is standardized based on each dosage. The other, inactive ingredients used to make the “little blue pill” are clearly listed on the prescription label. Rhino pills, on the other hand, may not list all their ingredients, as FDA reports have shown.

• Viagra does not contain any hidden ingredients, while Rhino pills sometimes do. Various FDA reports and research have found that Rhino pills may contain active drug ingredients, such as sildenafil. One study of supposed “all-natural” ED supplements found that 81% contained sildenafil. But because Rhino pills don’t disclose this, 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. 

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

Prescription medications  

If you’re having trouble getting or staying hard, try ED medications that are proven to be safe and effective when taken as prescribed. ED meds, including Viagra, belong to a class of drugs called PDE-5 inhibitors. These medications help you get and maintain an erection once you’re sexually aroused; 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: 

• Viagra (sildenafil)

• Cialis (tadalafil)  

• Vardenafil (previously available as brand name Levitra) 

• Stendra (avanafil) 

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.  

Compounded medications

Compounded medications can be helpful for individuals who can’t take a drug in its traditional form as well as for those who could benefit from a different dosage of active ingredients than those offered by traditional ED meds. 

For example, Ro Sparks combines sildenafil and tadalafil in a sublingual treatment that dissolves under your tongue for fast-acting effects. Another good example is Daily Rise Gummies, which contain 7 mg of tadalafil in each fruit-flavored gummy. In other words, there are ways to reap the rewards of PDE-5 inhibitors without taking pills—although they still do require a prescription from a healthcare provider. 

When it comes to compounded medications, it’s important to note that they do not undergo the same FDA review for safety and effectiveness as prescription medications. But federal law allows them to be prescribed by a licensed healthcare provider. This oversight of a healthcare provider is a key difference between compounded ED medications and Rhino pills

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. Be sure to make sure the ring is not too tight.

Lifestyle changes can also be effective for treating ED. These include eating a healthy, balanced diet, regularly exercising, getting ample sleep, and taking care of your mental health, among others. 

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. If you’re interested in harder, longer-lasting erections, consult a  healthcare provider. They can help you figure out if a prescription medication, such as Viagra or other oral medications, or another treatment option is right for you, and get you back to loving your sex life again.

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How we reviewed this article

Every article on Health Guide goes through rigorous fact-checking by our team of medical reviewers. Our reviewers are trained medical professionals who ensure each article contains the most up-to-date information, and that medical details have been correctly interpreted by the writer.

Editorial Guidelines | Medical Review Process

Current version

August 20, 2024

Written by

Michael Martin and Amelia Willson

Fact checked by

Raagini Yedidi, MD

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About the medical reviewer

Raagini Yedidi, MD

Raagini Yedidi, MD, is an internal medicine resident and medical reviewer for Ro.