Does Viagra Cause Lower Back Pain

By WD on Jun 26, 2011 at 5:17 PM.
What exactly what is it that causes the extreme back, buttocks, lower back, upper leg pain that some men experience with use of Cialis? I’m currently taking a prescibed a 30 day supply of daily use 5 mg Cialis. The pain is excruciating. Usually experienced at night. Ibuprofen seems to know it out, but every day and most nights I have some incidents of this pain. The drug works very well for erectile purposes–but this side effect is scaring me. not to mention how taking 200 to 400 mg of Advil/ibuprofen daily will affect me, long term.
One med forum poster says it was so bad he went to ER and was diagnosed with “deep vein thrombosis”. I’m really unconvinced that is what’s happening to the rest of us who posted on that med web site. Is there some connection to something like “the bends” that nitrogen buildup causes in scuba divers? Nitrogen, nitric oxide?? Pain feels like muscles are being torn apart. No other symptoms. I’m post radical prostatectomy (4 yrs). Need my boners. Thanks.
47 replies.
Congrats! You fall within the 5-7% of guys that have this lower back/gluteal/leg pain with Cialis. The good news is that Levitra and Viagra tend to have a lower incidence of this side effect (closer to 1%), so you might want to try this. I would advise trying these rather than continuing to take NSAIDs all the time (not so good for you either). It’s not like the bends – it is related to vasodilation.
Thanks Dr. Castllanos. I have tried Viagra and had problematic results. it would work 8 to 12 hrs after taking a dose, but not always within the hour after taking a pill. And the erections with Viagra not as firm and lasting as with Cialis. I’m trying to vary days I take the 5mg. Another Q: why is Levitra so unknown? Why isn’t it marketed like the other ED meds? I’ll get my urologist to prescribe Levitra and give that a try. How long do I need to wait, after ceasing Cialis before I can begin taking Levitra? Again, thanks for your succinct reply. Gotta go google vasodilation.Cheers.
Imagine you had one of those long balloons and put two hands in the middle and squeezed- that would be vasoconstriction. That would result in an increase in blood pressure and a decreased blood supply to an area. Now imagine you squeeze the balloon on the two ends, how that middle section bulges, you can consider that similar to vasodilation. It allows for an increased blood flow to an area, thereby allowing for an erection. Actually, viagra was originally being researched as a blood pressure medication when the company found that the men were very happy with the “side effect” 🙂 The side effect turned out to be what the medication was marketed for and that began the medication treatment for erectile dysfunction. That is why you have to be careful with it if you are on other cardiac medications. So, it is this increase in blood supply to other areas that is likely causing your pain.
Thanks,finally. Those are some good analogies. But Q: why is Cialis the one to cause those vasodilation back/gluteal/leg pains and not Viagra or Levitra. don’t they work the same way? I don’t disagree with your analysis, of course. And no, not on any cardiac meds. I know not to mix Cialis with any nitrates. Can’t I just be 25 again? Sigh.
Blood pressure meds, which was the original purpose of ED meds, can all cause some crazy side effects. Out of 15 BP meds I tried, 14 caused migraine (which is strange because Beta blockers are given FOR migraine). One of the 14 also caused leg cramps and blisters on the feet and inside the mouth.
Some men have good ED effects from alpha blockers with fewer of the side effects. You just have to treat your doctor like your wife and communicate.
Being 25 again just means that you have to go back and make all the same old mistakes that you survived the first time. I think even with some of the health issues we all face, I personally would prefer to be in the over 50 crowd, CHF and all.
Good luck with finding the drug that helps you with less side effects.
You are correct, they do all work the same. While you will not find the specific information anywhere, this is my analysis. Cialis works longer than the other two medications, and I believe it is the prolonged vasodilation that results in the pain that occurs in some who take this medication. (I’m a nurse practitioner)
Thanks, all, for your support and advice. “finally” I knew you were a med professional immediately based on your practical, scientific response. And I could feel some empathy between the lines. “MDS” I don’t take BB’s but will do some research–I almost never get headaches–my wife gets serious migraines all the time. Yeah, being 25 is a bit sarcastic on my part, I own that. I find a sense of humor the sharpest knife in my drawer. lol. One thing I want to emphasize to anyone reading these posts for help with sexual/relationship issues is this: don’t give up! Be resourceful, which includes getting outside resources. I’ve gone off Cialis entirely and will try the next possible solution, and the next, and the next until I get the results I want. No stone will be left unturned. Whatever your challenge have hope, courage and be persistent. Patience is good, too. 🙂 ttfn.
Alpha blocker my soon to be ex was using for PTSD and blood pressure that also helped like Cialis is called Cardura. He has had no bad effects from it. Just doesn’t have anyplace to use the “Cialis effect”.
I am one of the “seven percenters”. Symptoms are exactly as you describe. I too thought about going to the ER last night but thanks to your post I already new what it was so there was no need to spend the money. I am at about 68 to 70 hours right now and the pain is going away. Thanks.
I started taking 2.5 mg for daily use. After 3 days I started noticing my hamstrings start killing me. Take the pill around noon and pain starts about 4 (like now) and continues to grow more in intensity all night until after bed time. Take ibuprofen and helps. Wake up the next morning feeling fine.
Is this a normal side effect?
I’ve been off and on with Cialis for a few years. Learned a new word here today for the Cialis effect. “Vasodilation”. Thanks. I’ve had a similar experience with dull aching pain. I’ve noticed it occurs in areas where the blood is directed. One morning I took Cialis and went for a jog. Sore lower legs, feet, ankles like crazy. Another time strenuous sex led to sore back. This weekend took a pill before bed and ended up just sleeping. Since I sleep on my back I had a sore butt for days. Will try the advice here to block the H2 receptors and take a whole pill. Normally I just take a sliver of a 20mg pill each time so it lasts longer. My advice to people struggling with this is to be mindful of what muscle area your are directing your energy / blood flow towards. That is where the pain will be. Am working towards the right formula or equation concerning the right dosage, right timing of medicine delivery before sex, and behaviour pattern regimen (directed muscle activity).
Unless you are really making use of the Cialis everyday, lucky. I have had good luck with using Cialis 5mg like Viagra. When the mood is right, eat 5mg over to fix dinner, have a drink and watch a movie, share a shower. I also have tried the others and nothing but Cialis got her to say wow. But if I take it everyday I get the back pains bad. I more men do than admit it for fear the doctor will take it away. 🙂
At first it was like I was a teenager again. Aroused of just the thought of sex. Got half hard just shaking it after a piss. Night time visits went from 4 times a night down to one. Harder erections than I have experienced in years. Wow, my manhood was back full steam and I could again piss over a fence. I was so excited. Ouch, after the eighth day I noticed extreme pains in the back of the upper leg. I thought it was due to outside work. Ibuprofen – https://onlinepharmacyreviews.org/ingredients/ibuprofen and Tylenol wouldn’t touch the pain. I couldn’t sleep at all and even resorted to trying the floor. I suspected this pain may have been from the cialis but until I started reading these reviews wasn’t sure .
I just started taking 5mg Cialis and have extreme back, buttocks, lower back, and upper leg pain that kept me awake all last night (even with doubling my sleep medication and taking 4 small aspirin. I know it was a bad idea, but the pain was so severe. Short history: started one week ago basically for enlarged prostate and worry that my inability to get an erection (blocked capillaries) could have a connection to heart attack and stroke. First morning after taking Cialis I woke up with what we used to call a piss hard-on and felt good about that. Same for the next 2 days – maybe now I could think about finding a girlfriend 🙂 but on the 4th day, no hard-on. Oh, well. Same on the 5th day but I did have a back ache, but thought nothing of it. Day 6 and 7, no erection, but back ache was stronger and sleep was difficult on the 6th night and impossible on the 7th (last night) and because I could not sleep, I turned on the computer and found this site. Thank you for being here.
I started Cialis for both BPH and ED (51 yrs old). The erection is great. As stated here above, even in the middle of the night and mornings. However, 5 mg terrible lower and middle back paid that did not go away over 5 weeks. I couldn’t take it anymore. Ice worked for 10 mins, Naproxen slightly, but intolerable. Now Im taking every other day to see if I will be able to take the pain and balance with the side effects. My concern is that my insurance may not cover something like Levitra because the coverage is based on the BPH, not ED. I want to feel ready anytime, like when I was 16. I wont stop the med altogether because the benefits are too great. But the pain is incredible after a few days straight of taking it.
Thank you Dr. Castellanos for your reply. Now, if only the lower back, buttock, and leg pain will subside.
Yesterday was day six of a 5 mg. daily dose of Cialis. I’m a 70-year-old widower, having lost my wife eight years ago. In my late 50s I began to experience periodic ED. When I consulted with a urologist, he said that the intermittent nature of the problem wasn’t rare. Any number of factors could have been causing the periodic ED, but he was reluctant to prescribe an ED medication. My wife and I had sexual relations when I was capable.
Now suffering with enlarged prostate and needing to urinate several times a night, I was prescribed 5 mg. daily Cialis. I thought, “Terrific, I’ll get relief from the constant running and the ability to successfully engage sexually, should the situation arise.” The pain I’m experiencing is beyond description.
After the first dose I began to experience incredible heartburn, which I treated with an antacid. The back pain will halt my Cialis use.
It’s just about a month since I wrote the previous post. My urologist suggested that I begin a daily regimen of 2.5 mg. of Cialis to see if I could gradually increase dosage to 5 mg. I experienced minimal heartburn with the 2.5 mg dose, but after one week I began to experience the same horrific pain, I’d previously experienced.
If the high blood pressure med you are on isn’t working, ask your dr about Prazocin, it also helps with sleep and nightmares for PTSD as well. It was developed years ago for High Blood Pressure, before Pharmacueticals became such big business and with lots of side affects. And there are other ways for guys to get and keep their erections. Starting out eating healthier diet, less alcohol, more exercise, having a closer relationship with the woman you love and trying non medication techniques in foreplay, elasta bands for the nutsack and penis which is called a “cock ring” can do temporary wonders in bed with no side affects for a man to please his woman, the only hinge on that is a man should mans ape before using to avoid the pull of sensitive area hairs when removing and making sure it’s the right size. And mans aping can be done together as a couple even if you both go to a salon for hair removal, kinda like getting a massage together at a resort.
As a follow-up to my previous posts, I have this question(s). It’s my understanding that the major ED medications, Cialis, Viagra, and Levitra all work in a similar fashion. As one of the 5-7%ers who experience severe pain with daily 5 mg.Cialis, taking Cialis for benign prostatic hyperplasia is not a viable choice for me. Would a daily dose of 25 mg. of Viagra have a similar outcome for BPH as the 5 mg. dose of Cialis?
Q: “Would a daily dose of 25 mg. of Viagra have a similar outcome for BPH as the 5 mg. dose of Cialis? See: http://www.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/esn-bph-expert.html.
Question answered by Dr. Kevin T. McVary, at time of publication, Professor of Urology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, now Professor and Chair, Division of Urology at Southern Illinois University.
Q: Can Viagra and other erectile dysfunction medications help men with B.P.H.?
Dr. McVary replies:
369 men with erectile dysfunction and B.P.H. were randomized to receive either placebo or 50 milligrams of Viagra a day for 12 weeks. Patients with severe B.P.H. at the start of the study experienced a greater improvement (73 percent) in urinary symptoms. More than 55 percent of the men improved to moderate B.P.H. levels, and 16 percent improved to mild levels.
50 mg of Viagra was taken before bedtime and also an hour before sexual activity.
Please read the entire cited article!
ED pills and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.
Harvard Men’s Health Watch.
I am 63 and diag with enlarged non cancerous prostate, also, trouble peeing. I was first prescribed Flomax, and after my first one, the next day I felt like I had the flu.. I quit. He gave me a sample of Cialis 5mg for daily. after 4 days, my legs were killing me. Does anyone know if this side effect goes away in time, or this drug is not for me. Maybe I should give the Flomax a second shot and suffer through that a few days. I would really like to stay on the daily Cialis for the other reason I am suffering, the old ED.
Are there any other drugs that work for our problems that do not cause the painful side effects.
mdbill asked, “Are there any other drugs that work for our problems that do not cause the painful side effects.?” According to several studies, including those cited in my posts above, 50 milligrams of Viagra, sildenafil citrate, may have the same effect as the 5 mg.dose of Cialis as it pertains to BPH. Less than 1% of the population will have the same painful reaction as they would have had taking Cialis.
For those who have been following this thread for help with B.P.H. and who cannot take Cialis, I’m scheduled to begin a 6-week trial of 25 mg. daily of sildenafil citrate, Viagra. Dr. McVary’s study, noted above, showed significant success with a 50 mg. daily dose. Should the results of the 25 mg. trial show ineffective results, I hope to follow up with a 50 mg. trial.
Does the pain in the legs go away in time if I continue the drug. I could tolerate it for a week or so if it does.. what causes the leg pain.. is it harmful?
mdbill: It’s a question I’ve asked my urologist and long time personal physician. Both said that it’s remotely possible to “work your way up” from 1.25 mg to a regular 5 mg. daily dose, but it totally depends on the individual. It did not work for me! I was determined to make it work and began a new regimen with 1.25 mg daily dose. It took about two weeks of that dose and the indigestion and severe pain made itself clearly known. My personal physician expressed another “take” on the use of ED medications for BPH. He hypothesized that since most men with BPH also experience ED, they rarely are capable of sex and expressing the accumulated prostatic fluid. By using the medications to produce erections, sexual relations, and ejaculation, pressure is removed from the prostate gland and symptoms seem to diminish. I am currently trying to decide whether to begin a daily 50 mg.dose of sildenafil citrate. I have used 100 mg. dose with great success for intercourse with no side effects.
I ordered generic Cialis. Occasionally was taking a 20mg tablet a day. However went on vacation last weekend and ended up taking 20mg once a day for 3 days.
OUCH! Omg – horrible pain along the front muscles in my legs and lower back. Trying to shag with this pain is unbearable.
Just past my second day of quitting the stuff and pain is getting (a little) better. Aspirin didn’t touch the pain, only hot baths and going to bed with Xanax worked.
Have taken generic Viagra for years with no pain (just blue vision). But the Cialis gives a more natural erection and not retarded ejaculation.
Would love to understand if this pain will go away with continued use or lower dosage or if it’s going to be this way each time. Granted I took 3 pills in 3 days when I should have just taken 1 pill. My bad.
Also – wonder if there are dangers with Cialis – pain is usually a warning symptom that everything is not cool.
Pills worked awesome – erection on-demand. Shorter refractory period.
riceiswhite, That must have been some vacation!! 20 mg. of Cialis(tadalafil)taken daily for three days is far beyond any recommended dosage. I’d guess you were fortunate not to have suffered severe priapism. You really took a dangerous risk. That you had Xanax on hand may indicate that your E.D. issue may be related to why you are in possession of anti-anxiety medication. You appear to have over medicated on the tadalafil because of a fear of poor “performance.” You precipitated what could have been a medically dangerous situation. I suggest and hope that you’ll have a serious and honest discussion with the physician who prescribed your tadalafil. Until you take any medication as it is appropriately prescribed, you can’t reasonably know what the side effects will be.
Update – by the third day pain completely vanished. So for those of you that have this, seems like it will go away – just have to wait it out.
So the apparent question that remains is why Cialis causes pain in 5 to 7 % of users, while Viagra and Levitra do not. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, it’s because of phosphodiesterase subtype selectivity. Simply put, we, the 5 to 7%, are allergic to the specific PDE5-inhibitor which is the active ingredient in Cialis.
There is a drug, Udenafil, which also can be taken on a daily basis as is “5 mg. daily” Cialis. 50 to 75 mg. of Udenafil are taken daily. The problem is that the FDA has not approved the use of Udenafil in the United States, even though it’s been available in Asia since 2009.
I took 20 mgs of generic Cialis on Thursday and one on Saturday. It worked quite well as I had erections quite easily and quite hard. Had not had this quality in a long time. However on Sat nite some leg pain started but tolerable. Last night Sunday, I hardly slept as the hip/buttocks area, back and back of legs were hurting severely. This morning I am better with slight discomfort. Question is should I cut my pill in half or quarter and see how I do. Also would take every other day. Help. Like result but not the pain. Some ED after proton therapy for prostate cancer. Treatment was a success. No seminal fluid ejaculation but climax feeling is still great.
Well, I guess the good news is that my mail-order Cialis from India is the real stuff! 😉
Same symptoms as others described. Lower back pain so severe that I couldn’t sleep, and I wondered whether the pain would last longer than I could stand it.
Lying down hurt, so I would get up and pace around the room. That hurt, so I would hang on the door and stretch, until that hurt. so I would repeat the cycle.
All night and day for three days. while on vacation.
I took half of one of the generic pills one day, and then half two days later. It was after the latter that the pain kicked in.
I don’t remember the dosage, and it isn’t on the pills.
I took a whole one once. It made my head buzz and my face feel stuffy (I now those are other common side effects). That’s why I scaled it back to a half-dose.
This was so severe that I won’t be taking it any more. I have pre-existing pain in that area (attributable to hyper-mobile spine/sacral joints), so that may have contributed to this.
John wrote: “Well, I guess the good news is that my mail-order Cialis from India is the real stuff!”
After reading many posts to this thread, it becomes apparent to me that many are taking this medication without a physician’s supervision. It’s a dangerous practice. There’s a reason that in the descriptive material for Cialis there are significant warnings to the user. I can understand why one would order a generic version to mitigate the high U.S. cost of tadalafil, but to take any medication without the supervision of a physician is far too dangerous.
Uncertain about precisely what you are looking for, before getting any medicine or herbs you need to consult with a physician. To find out more or even to educate yourself you can go through some very nice sites like EverydayHealth etc . also you can get a free e-book on pain relief here http://www.thepainreliefsecret.com/
robertrowe, Your post above and the accompanying link do provide some information, but it then appears to lead to a site where a book is being sold. Free-e-book? Not really. Ultimately, there is “material to be subscribed and purchased.
First of all I think the report of 5 to 7 % of men are having these problems. is BS. once you start believing that the FDA is bought and paid for by Big Pharm and that anything you put in your body that is chemically made the better off you are. I am 72 and started using Cialis about a month ago. wow I was like a 17 year old and loved it. I use one single 5mg before sex and it lasts for at least two days. always better on the second day but the upper back pain was horrible and my eyes would not focus. I have found that a small amount of baking soda helps the back pain but may not use it again. I have been playing around with a couple of amino acids that seem which seem to help a lot with no chance of going blind. I am very bitter against both MD’s and Big Pharm however I love Nurses and Pharmacists and will believe them over most doctors. if I could write a book about all the things my family and I went thru during the years you might heed what I am saying .
McQueen wrote: “First of all I think the report of 5 to 7 % of men are having these problems. is BS.”
Your comment requires significant additional clarity and substantiation. Are you stating that the 5 to 7% number is smaller or larger than the actual reported numbers? And, please include a reputable citation.
If 5 mg. of Cialis gave you horrible back pain and the inability to visually focus, it’s reasonable to assume that it’s a medication you should not be taking.
Your pronounced bitterness toward physicians really adds little to this discussion.
I have read through this forum, and see most complaints are about thigh and back pain. I have had pain in my jaw and teeth for 9 months. I have seen a dentist,endodotist (had an unnecessary root canal), my family physician, a neurologist and now have been doing physical theraphy. The current thinking is that the cause is muscle spasms in muscles of the jaw. Although I have been making progress, I had a terrible week this week. I’m beginning to think that there may be some connection to my use of tadalafil. I can go weeks without using it, but then when I get together with my girlfriend for a week or weekend, I admittedly over use it (maybe 140mg over the course of a week). Are there any reports of pain in the jaw muscles caused by tadalafil? Would it be possible for this to evolve into a chronic condition even when I haven’t taken tadalafil for weeks?
“I admittedly over use it, maybe 140mg over the course of a week.”
Wow! Generally speaking, a 20 mg. dose is considered a weekend pill. Cialis, I recall, advertises the 20 mg. dosage as enough for 2+ days. You may be taking double or more the normal dosage. Have you told your physician and neurologist that you’re over dosing on tadalafil? If you’re a 5-7%er, I’d suggest that you switch to Viagara for your E.D. and see if the oral pain subsides.
I currently take tadalafil 5mg ( generic Cialis) 3-4 times per week for past year About 10 months ago I began to experience burning in both forefeet. Also, have burning/ stinging in both feet when I need to urinate. It stops when I pee. I have had all the peripheral neuropathy test and all negative. Am wondering if this could be a Cialis side effect.
I spoke to my urologist about pain appearing in other areas of the body after taking tadalafil and he said he’s heard a multitude of painful tales. I’d be very surprised if your symptoms continued if you discontinued using this medication.
After nearly 5 years of hell — 5 years in which I have spent thousands of dollars with pain specialists who didn’t have a clue — I finally find an answer to this long-standing, horrific pain!
There were times I thought I’d never be well again, but after discontinuing my daily Cialis (5 mg) for about a week I am already starting to feel somewhat whole again.
(My pain was centered throughout the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and tensor fascia lata region. There were days in which I truly found it difficult to walk.)
The tragedy is that Viagra doesn’t produce nearly the positive effect Cialis does.
Now that I have found myself among the roughly 5%-7% of the male population who is genetically predisposed to these profound side effects, I am wondering if there is any “near-Cialis substitute,” as it were?
If I take Viagra for the blood flow, is there anything else I can take in addition to enable heightened sensations?
Does anyone have any experience with yohimbine, for instance?
I must share. though I was prescribed Cialis by my awesome Doc, I went in recently for ongoing lower back pain.sciatica and he scheduled an MRI next week.
This thread has been an epiphany!
Well, I was already one of the 99% have nots, now I’m one of the select small percent that have Cialis side effects. Lucky me Lol!
Thanks everyone who contributed.
Thanks for sharing this information.
I haven’t seen a response to this that answers my questions, fortunately I now have my answer. After about 4 days of taking the daily dose of 5 mg, I developed the very intense leg pain and some in the back, too. I was considering giving it up, but I need it for the BPH and ED. I had almost decided not to take it on the eighth day, but I did. I’m happy to say that on that day the pain was not nearly as bad and did not last through the night. On the ninth day it was very minor and I have now taken the dose for today which is the tenth day and there is almost no memory of the pain and it appears that I am done with that. I know that everyone has a different experience, but wanted to share at least one happy ending. I am also having a better stream when urinating and a more sustainable erection. I did take more ibuprofen than I should have to cope with the pain and a small dose of some pain meds my wife had left over from a recent surgery to get me through it. That was a life saver.
Sometimes I also feel legs pain. but taking warm water therapy helps me to reduce all my pain.
Thank you all for providing an answer! I have been experiencing lower back pain (wakes me up from sleep, can barely bend over to tie my shoes, makes me pop Advil like candy, etc.) after taking these off-brand pills. I will discontinue immediately!
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