Viagra: Uses, side effects, and risks, What Does A Real Viagra Pill Look Like.



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Uses and risks of viagra

Viagra works by relaxing the muscles in the walls of blood vessels in certain areas of the body. In most cases, Viagra works well and has changed people’s lives for the better.

In this article, we will look briefly at the effects of Viagra, why it is used, the side effects, and history.

Here are some key points about Viagra. More detail is in the main article.

  • Viagra was initially designed to treat hypertension and angina pectoris.
  • Viagra’s main competitors are Cialis (tadalafil) and Levitra (vardenafil).
  • Viagra pills are blue and diamond-shaped.
  • Individuals with kidney disease should not take Viagra.
  • Some people use Viagra recreationally, although it is not thought to have any benefit for people without penile dysfunction.

What is Viagra?

Viagra was initially designed to help lower blood pressure but is now typically used to treat erectile dysfunction.

Viagra is the brand name for sildenafil citrate and is used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Originally developed by scientists in the United Kingdom, it was brought onto the market by Pfizer Inc., an American pharmaceutical company.

Viagra is also sold under brand name Revatio.

Viagra can help men who cannot achieve or sustain an erection due to erectile dysfunction. It improves the erectile response when a man is already sexually stimulated, but it does not provide sexual stimulation. If there is no sexual stimulation, viagra will not work.

When sexual stimulation occurs, nitric oxide is released by the nervous system in the erectile tissue of the penis. Nitric oxide stimulates an enzyme that produces messenger cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP).

cGMP causes the arteries in the penis to dilate, so that the arteries and the erectile tissue fill with blood. An erection results.

Viagra prevents cGMP from becoming degraded, so the blood flow and the erection can continue.

Side effects

According to clinical trial results, the most common side effects include:

Less commonly, some users have experienced cyanopsia, where everything appears to have a tinted blue tinge.

In very rare cases, Viagra use can lead to nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or damage to the optic nerve.

Other potential side effects include:

Since 2007, Viagra’s labeling in the United States has included a warning of the potential risk of sudden hearing loss.

Viagra can decrease blood supply to the optic nerve, causing sudden vision loss. This very rare adverse event occurs mainly in people with heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, or pre-existing eye problems. Nobody really knows whether the vision loss was caused by the Viagra.

Viagra interactions

People with HIV who take protease inhibitors should discuss using Viagra with their doctors, because protease inhibitors increase the likelihood and severity of side effects. Experts say that these individuals should have no more than 25 milligrams (mg), and not more often than every 48 hours.

If the individual is taking alpha-blockers, they should make sure they take Viagra at least 4 hours before or after to prevent dangerously low blood pressure.

Viagra contraindications

The following individuals should not take Viagra, or should check with their doctor first:

  • those on nitric oxide donors, nitrates, and organic nitrites
  • men who are advised to refrain from sexual intercourse because of cardiovascular risk factors
  • people with severe liver impairment
  • people with kidney disease
  • individuals with low blood pressure (hypotension)
  • those who have had a recent heart attack or stroke
  • individuals with hereditary degenerative retinal disorders

Some athletes take Revatio to increase their exercise capacity, but there is little evidence to support this use.

A viagra overdose can be serious, although death is rare.

The dosage will be different if the drug is taken for erectile dysfunction or for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

For erectile dysfunction, Viagra comes in blue, diamond-shaped pills, in doses of 25, 50, or 100 mg.

The individual takes a maximum of one pill in a 24-hour period, 30 minutes to 1 hour before sexual intercourse.

For pulmonary arterial hypertension, Viagra comes in white, round, film-coated tablets. People take one 20-mg Revatio tablet three times a day.

Viagra overdose

A Viagra overdose can be serious. If you believe you have had more than the standard dosage, call a doctor or local Poison Control Center.

symptoms of an overdose might include:

  • vomiting
  • blurred vision and distorted vision
  • papilledema – swelling in the optic nerve
  • optic neuropathy – damage to the optic nerve
  • tachycardia (increased heart rate)
  • prolonged priapism
  • blindness
  • rhabdomyolysis – break down of muscles
  • diarrhea

Deaths from viagra overdose are rare but possible.

Initially, Viagra was designed by Pfizer scientists working in the U.K. They were, in fact, working on a drug for hypertension, or high blood pressure, and angina pectoris, a symptom of ischemic heart disease.

During the phase 1 trials, it was noted that the drug did very little to prevent angina but did induce marked penile erections. Hitting the market in 1998, Viagra was the first oral treatment approved to treat erectile dysfunction in the U.S.

Viagra’s meteoric rise to fame has seen it enter usage as an illicit drug. But, Viagra use in individuals without erectile dysfunction does not seem to have any effect. Although, researchers have noted that there is a significant placebo effect. On a similar note, there is no proven benefit for women taking the drug.

In 2008, Viagra generated some $1.93 billion of revenue for Pfizer.

Related coverage

Additional information

Article last updated by Yvette Brazier on Thu 11 January 2018.

References

Agostino, P. V., Plano, S. A., & Golombek, D. A. (2007, November 2). Sildenafil accelerates reentrainment of circadian rhythms after advancing light schedules. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(23), 9834-9839. Retrieved from http://www.pnas.org/content/104/23/9834.abstract

Matheeussen, V., Maudens, K. E., Anseeuw, K., & Neels, H. (2015). A non-fatal self-poisoning attempt with sildenafil. Journal of analytical toxicology, 39(7), 572-576. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/jat/article/39/7/572/819563/A-Non-Fatal-Self-Poisoning-Attempt-with-Sildenafil

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