Have you ever heard about Spanish Fly? The name, Spanish fly, is usually used today for any mixture of aphrodisiacs. On the market, we can find many products with that name. Most of them have a herbal or chemical origin. The name itself came from crushed bodies of beetles called Spanish Fly. This method of production was used in the past, but it is not used anymore because of its toxicity and side effects. One very important question might come up: are there any similarities between new and old Spanish Fly products or is it just marketing? Well, the main difference that we can see is that compounds nowadays must be FDA[1] compliant and use only proven aphrodisiacs that have a very low risk of serious side effects. On the other hand, there are many cases which refer to the dangerous nature of original Spanish Fly. The ability of these mixtures to raise libido is a connection between old Spanish Fly and new ones, which leads new manufacturer to name their product after old substance.
How to use Spanish Fly?
Depends on what kind of Spanish fly you have in your hands. Products available on the market usually have a liquid form. Many of them are of tasteless flavor, but this is very hard to achieve as every compound and aphrodisiac has its own smell and taste. As it is very hard to achieve tasteless Spanish Fly product, there are many fake products, which are tasteless, but they have absolutely no aphrodisiac effect. We can say the same about the color of these products. When somebody wants to slip a Spanish fly into the drink, it could be reasonable to use a colorless and tasteless product, but at the end, we recommend products with good reviews made by its customers even though they have their own taste and color.
For how many hours does it work?
Any effect caused by herbal or chemical aphrodisiac depends on the person who consumed it. It is not possible to raise libido in just a few seconds. Effect of an aphrodisiac or Spanish Fly compound will start slowly, and it could even take more than 30 minutes to start working properly. Research made by American Health organization showed up results that strongest aphrodisiacs could raise libido by more than 6 hours. Research also showed that properly made mixture could have stronger results in every part. So, it starts faster and works for a longer period of time. There is no surprise that there is a high demand on the market for products like Spanish Fly as a mixture of already proven aphrodisiacs.
Is it dangerous?
This is a very hard question. There is no record of a case where a person was poisoned or killed by aphrodisiacs approved by FDA. So, any mixture of proven aphrodisiacs should be considered as safe. Still, it is very important to check the website for products and to see labels on the product. On the other hand, there are many products that have been homemade with absolutely no control or FDA compliance and never checked by anybody, so it is very hard to guess what it contains. There is a huge list of products that contains hidden drug ingredient.[2] Such as Cialis: FDA laboratory analysis confirmed that Cialis contains sildenafil, the active ingredient of Viagra, an FDA-approved prescription drug for erectile dysfunction (ED). This undeclared ingredient may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs such as nitroglycerin and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Men with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease often take nitrates.[3] So we can say that Spanish Fly is a safe product if it is FDA compliant and made in proper conditions.
A brief history of Spanish Fly
If you are a fan of fraternity house sex comedies from the 80s, then you might have heard of an aphrodisiac named Spanish Fly. Back at that time, it was supposed that every lady and gentleman could become physically hot by slipping it into a drink. As it turns out, this aphrodisiac does not only exist in the imagination. It does exist in real life too.
The actual existence of Spanish Fly is probably the weirdest thing about this creature. Even its name is not completely wrong because this species is originated from a group of insects with the most distinctive subspecies known as Spanish flies. They are also called blister beetles or meloid beetles, depending on the region. No matter where people find them, these insects are often used as aphrodisiacs.
The main component found in Spanish Fly is a compound named Cantharidin[4], which makes it possible to use it as an aphrodisiac, both practically and metaphorically. In addition, since it would blister the skin and produce Cantharidin, a harsh poison if taken in, it is the main reason why meloid beetles are also named blister beetles. Many biological studies have shown that meloid beetles produce this chemical in order to make them unattractive and protect themselves from dangerous predators. These creatures generate Cantharidin as a milky substance from their joints in the legs. In most cases, will discharge it continuously and try to store this component as much as possible. When the meloid beetles mate with each other, they perform in an apparently natural way, with the female getting a sperm packet from the male. After that, the female beetles will fertilize the eggs with the sperm at their convenience[5]. In general, females could get rid of any packet that does not please them. More importantly, to make the process easier, the male beetles will generate an additional amount of cantharidin so that the females could cover and protect the eggs from other predators. According to scientists who study meloid beetles, this process is called a nuptial gift. The observation of this phenomenon is probably the first thing, which inspires people to come up with the idea of a substance that can induce the mating session.
For those who have ever experienced the meloid beetles, it is important to know the irritation is a feature of Cantharidin. Humans have made use of it as an external way to get rid of tattoos, moles, and warts. Digestion and ingestion will not minimize these features. When the substance is carried inside your body, it will irritate the urethra’s lining. While this problem can be externally insignificant in women, most men could suffer from swelling in the affected parts. As a result, it will lead to a long-lasting erection. Even though this is not actually a pleasant experience, many people in the past still provided a small amount of cantharidin to the bridegrooms so that they could have the best performance during their first night with the partner.
The only drawback of consuming authentic Spanish fly is the risk of health issues or even death. Even though it can bring many benefits to people, a minor overdose of this substance would require immediate medical intervention. That is also the main reason why it is much better to sell Spanish fly as a fraudulent instead of a genuine dose. In fact, the well-known philosopher and poet, Lucretius, had been rumored to pass away due to an overdose of cantharidin extracted from meloid beetles.[6]
Some common signs of health issues after applying cantharidin from meloid beetles include coma, convulsions, bloody urine, renal failure, heart and respiratory problems, and severe abdominal pain. But thanks to medical advancements, now there are less people who suffer from meloid poisoning. Thus, it is much easier to use this substance to induce erection with control. If you have pets and children at home, just be careful to keep the substance away from them. These signs mentioned above could be serious, but all are treatable if you seek immediate treatments. Also, always keep in mind to consult your doctor or healthcare provider before deciding to use cantharidin for any purposes to ensure safety and overall wellbeing.
[2] https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/MedicationHealthFraud/ucm443502.htm
[3] https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/MedicationHealthFraud/ucm359070.htm
[4] https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/cantharidin
[5] Guzman AK, Schairer DO, Garelik JL, Cohen SR. Int J Dermatol. 2018 Aug;57(8):1001-1006. doi: 10.1111/ijd.14079. Epub 2018 Jun 15.
[6] Torbeck R, Pan M, DeMoll E, Levitt J: Cantharidin: a comprehensive review of the clinical literature. Dermatol Online J. 2014 Jun 15;20(6).