The New Club Drug: Preparation H?
The hottest club drug appears to be one normally used to fix a "burning" problem.
Preparation H, the topical medication used to treat hemorrhoids, reportedly is catching fire as the latest "drug" to hit the New York City club scene.
The topical solution contains a medication called phenylephrine HCL, which shrinks the swollen tissues of hemorrhoids. It works by constricting the nearby blood vessels that surround the area. But the ingredient will shrink other tissue as well.
The method has been hailed on the Internet and has long been used by body builders in need of a quick fix for a problem area prior to competition, as well as women looking to reduce puffiness around their eyes.
But one doctor said the off-label usage of the drug is ludicrous.
"It doesn't even work that well for hemorrhoids," said Dr. Marc Siegel, a FOX News medical contributor. "I find in my practice it has to be combined with hydrocortisone. The notion of phenylephrine is problematic at best. It's a placebo effect."
Siegel told FOXNews.com that the drug can cause uncomfortable side effects such as rashes, as well as more serious side effects such as elevated blood pressure.
New York bouncer, blogger and author Rob Fitzgerald told ABCNews.com that men are slathering up their torsos with the hemorrhoid cream to make themselves look "ripped."
Fitzgerald, who writes the blog Clublife, recently conducted his own research on the phenomenon, interviewing a user, a drugstore worker and a nightclub manager.
Girl #1: Did you talk to that cute guy over there?
Girl #2: Yeah, but he smells like an old man's butt.
