Viagra: Were they right -you can go blind?

[rickfarang]

Why do some Viagra users go blind?

 

May 27 2005 at 06:55PM

 

By Lauran Neergaard

 

Washington - United States health officials are examining rare reports of blindness among some men using the impotence drug Viagra.

 

The Food and Drug Administration is still investigating, but has no evidence yet that the drug is to blame, said spokesperson Susan Cruzan.

 

This type of blindness is called NAION, or non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.

It can occur in men who are diabetic or have heart disease, the same conditions that can cause impotence and thus lead to Viagra use.

 

The FDA has 50 reports of the blindness. Viagra has been taken by more than 23 million men worldwide.

 

"We take this seriously," said FDA's Cruzan.

 

On its website, Viagra manufacturer Pfizer Inc., states: "The most common side effects of Viagra are headache, facial flushing, and upset stomach. Less common are bluish or blurred vision, or being sensitive to light. These may occur for a short time." That language had been available before the current inquiry.

 

Pfizer spokesperson Daniel Watts confirmed on Friday that the drugmaker was in discussions with the FDA about adding a disclosure to Viagra's label to say that in rare cases, men taking Viagra had developed blindness. However, he said there is no proof that Viagra caused the blindness. He said that men who take Viagra often have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which are also associated with the conditions that can cause blindness.

 

FDA is working with Pfizer to determine what, if any, information about the condition should be added to the drug's label. The story was first reported by US television network CBS.

 

Viagra was approved by the government in 1998. It may aid in the treatment of enlarged hearts that can result from high blood pressure, tests on animals indicate.

 

Viagra, approved to treat erectile dysfunction, should not be used by men with heart conditions whose doctors have warned them not to have sex. Also, patients taking drugs that contain nitrates have been warned not to take Viagra because of sudden, unsafe drops in blood pressure.

 

The drug's label also warns of erections lasting longer than four hours, painful erections lasting longer than six hours, headache, flushed skin and vision problems.

 

Pfizer, the New York-based maker of Viagra, said in its most recent quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that sales of the drug rose 5 percent - to $438-million (about R2,9-billion) in the first quarter of the year. Pfizer also said at the time that Viagra had a 68 percent worldwide market share.

[Guest]

No. there appears to be nothing to this media happening. Viagra has been used by well over 20,000,000 men with approximately 34 reports of partial field loss, decrease in visual accuity or other difficulty in vision. Not total blindness. This rate is less than would be expected in the general population. I do not plan to abandon "vitamin V".

[Guest]

I just can't see it.

[kamui]

Viagra Label to Note Risk of Vision Loss

By REUTERS

 

WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration approved new labeling on Friday to warn men about the risk of blindness from taking Viagra, the impotence drug made by Pfizer. But F.D.A. officials said they did not know if the drug actually caused cases of blindness.

 

Cialis, sold by Eli Lilly & Company and the Icos Corporation, and Levitra, which is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline and Bayer, will also carry new labels.

 

Pfizer agreed last month to change the drug's label but said a company review found no evidence of increased risk of blindness in patients taking the drug.

 

The new label said such vision loss, known as nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, "has been reported rarely." Thirty-eight cases of vision loss among Viagra users had been reported to the F.D.A. as of May 27.

 

The label also tells doctors to discontinue the medication "and seek medical attention in the event of a sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes."

 

Those most at risk for the vision loss are patients older than 50 who have diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, among other ailments, the label says.

[Guest]

so, can we keep using it until we just need glasses?

[Steve]

I was told as a kid I'd go blind if jerked off too much, now this, argghhhhhh!

 

Could it also be from continual daily use by those who may take them like they take daily vitamins? Has any one on this forum found any such problems from its use?

[ALHOLK]

You can also grow hair in the palms of your hands if you indulge in to much wanking while on the vitamin V.

[Guest]

The FDA has 50 reports of the blindness. Viagra has been taken by more than 23 million men worldwide.

If those are the numbers, it sounds like you are more likely to be struck by lightening than go blind by taking Viagra. But what about a more mundane malady - headaches. Viagra gives me such a serious headache that I avoid the stuff. Anyone here know why and how to avoid headaches?

[Guest]

"Anyone here know why and how to avoid headaches?"

 

Switch to taladafil

[SoiCowboyTony]

pasathai said:

Switch to taladafil

 

Can Tadalafil cause problems?

 

Along with their desired effects all medicines can cause unwanted symptoms, which usually improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine.

 

Speak with your doctor if any of the following symptoms continue or become troublesome:

• Headache
  tummy pain
  tummy upset
  dizziness
  back pain
  muscle aches
  blocked nose
  facial flushing
  irregular heartbeats
  skin rashes
  swelling eyelids
  redness of eyes
  eye pain
  hard-on ::

Note: if you have a persistent erection for four hours or more, contact your doctor at once.