Important Information On The Side Effects of Viagra
We’ve written before about the side effects of viagra/sildenafil, but for this article we thought we would go into motr detail. Side effects can be a deal-breaker in taking any medication. This is because bad side effects can impair our everyday lives causing us undue pain, discomfort and inconvenience, and this simply isn’t good enough and so many users start to question whether the pros outweigh the cons, ergo many patients stop taking their medication and continue to suffer the symptoms. This scenario is neither good for the clinician or the patient. But what can you expect from Viagra?
First of all, it is important to acknowledge that, unfortunately, all medications including simple multivitamins have side effects and that Viagra is no exception to this. The following information looks at the clinical data concerning Viagra’s side effects allowing readers to get a feel for what users of Viagra generally experience while on this medication, therefore, enabling them to make a more informed decision on taking this treatment.
According to official product literature produced by the manufacturers of Viagra, the most common reported side effects were flushing, headache, nasal congestion and nausea.
Looking at the very specifics of research conducted in this field we can consider the previous clinical trials which have been conducted.
One initial trial to consider involved 9570 patients, executed over 74 double blind placebo-controlled experiments. These results have been gathered over a ten year period and can be summarised by the following table:
Table 1: A table compiling the side effects of Viagra in regards to frequency
Other studies relating to the side effects of Viagra have looked at the frequency of side effects in relation to incidence and severity of side effects.
In these fixed-dose studies, in which participants took a set dose of 25 mg, 50mg, 100mg or a placebo, it appeared that the sum of adverse reactions increased with higher doses. Results of this study have been summarised below.
Table 2 A table showing the adverse reactions reported for ≥2% of Patients (number of patients =n) treated with Viagra on a fixed-dose regime compared to a Placebo
It is important for readers at this point to take note that Viagra is not recommended to be taken as a fixed dose regime medication but rather as a flexible dose treatment. In a flexible dose system a patient would take Viagra on an ‘as required’ basis following direction from the doctor or other health care provider. Typically, patients taking Viagra the recommended dose is 50mg daily and should be taken with a glass of water. This is a starting dose and is generally amended on a per patient basis to suit their individual needs, for example, if the erection was not sufficiently rigid for the desired or necessary length of time then the dose would be increased.
In a subsequent study Viagra was taken on a flexible regime of ‘take a tablet as needed’ basis and in which doses where tailored on an individual needs basis, over a duration of 26 weeks in which all participants took Viagra at least once a week. The following results were observed:
Table 3A table showing the adverse reactions reported for ≥2% of Patients (number of patients =n) treated with Viagra on a flexible dose regime compared to a Placebo
As can be seen by the information above, it is much more beneficial for patients to take Viagra as a flexible dose basis in accordance with advice from the health care professional. Following this advice has resulted in a reduction in the adverse side effects experienced by patients compared to those in a fixed dose regime study, as discussed above.
Furthermore, post-marketing surveying related to angina (a heart condition) have been rare and mostly occur in men who had a pre-existing heart problem and, therefore, it is not possible to determine whether these side effects were directly related to the use of Viagra or not.
A final study to consider is that comparing how likely the side effects of Viagra are in making patients stopping medication. In a placebo controlled study Viagra was administered to 3700 patients aged between 19 to 87 years old. The duration of this study lasted one year, after which patients were asked whether they had stopped taking Viagra on the basis solely of adverse side effects. Of the 3700 patients only 2.5% discontinued treatment. This is especially significant considering that 2.3% of patients taking a placebo medication had ceased treatment due to side effects. Therefore, only a tiny margin of 0.2% of volunteers has to stop Viagra due to adverse reactions as compared to the drug free placebo.
If you experience any of the symptoms listed above or any other abnormal signs/ feelings, don’t delay in seeking professional advice. Furthermore, for information on dosing the regime of Viagra medication patients should also seek the aid of a trained professional who will be able to answer any questions you may have.
In conclusion, side effects of Viagra do definitely exist and that really is the hard truth. However, they are generally mild in terms of severity and frequency. Clinical data, as listed above, has shown that although these adverse reactions do exist, very few users actually stop treatment, perhaps indicating that in this case the pros do outweigh the cons. For information on how well Viagra works as well as much more information see the rest of our blog; you too may soon discover the benefits of Viagra.
References:
- BNF 64, September 2012 edition; section 7.4.5; Drugs for erectile dysfunction, pages 527 to 529
- https://www.viagra.com/learning/what-are-possible-side-effects
- http://www.drugs.com/sfx/viagra-side-effects.html
- http://www.medicines.org.uk/EMC/medicine/1474/SPC/Viagra+25mg,+50mg,+100mg/
- http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/PIL.2367.latest.pdf
Assured Pharmacy is not liable for the currency or accuracy of the information contained in this blog post. For specific information about your personal medical condition, please contact our doctors or pharmacists for advice on [email protected] .
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