Blindness After Viagra: Premature Conclusions?
Last year there was great interest concerning reports of blindness in older men after having taken Viagra (Sildenafil citrate, Pfizer). Like most health stories in the news there were a few days of buzz and then the issue dropped off the radar in favor of some other, scarier headline.
Eye doctors theorized that Viagra compromised bloodflow to the optic nerve, causing a serious eye problem called Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (NAION). NAION has been around a long time, long before Viagra, and it typically befalls older adults with high blood pressure.
A new report in this month's Archives of Ophthalmology analyzes claims that Viagra caused these men to lose eyesight. To date 86 cases of sudden vision loss after Viagra use have been reported. Several cases were disqualified and rediagnosed. Nearly half recovered vision after the attack - a much higher recovery rate than usually encountered with NAION. 43 cases had insufficient followup data. Bottom line: nothing conclusive, not even 'kinda conclusive'.
At best, there is a 'possible' connection between Viagra and NAION. Having said that, no definitive scientific explanation exists to explain how Viagra could cause NAION. Millions of Viagra tablets have been prescribed to millions of hypertensive older males. Why so few cases? Equally important, if erectile dysfunction drugs were to blame why didn't the problem affect both eyes?
The authors of this retrospective review recommend that only men with documented prior attacks of NAION should avoid use of erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis.
As always, talk to your personal physician for specific advice as it pertains to your individual circumstances.
Related Topics: Routine Maintenance for Men, Diet, Lifestyle May Affect Eye Health
Technorati Tags: viagra, blindness, cialis, levitra, erectile dysfunction
Eye doctors theorized that Viagra compromised bloodflow to the optic nerve, causing a serious eye problem called Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (NAION). NAION has been around a long time, long before Viagra, and it typically befalls older adults with high blood pressure.
A new report in this month's Archives of Ophthalmology analyzes claims that Viagra caused these men to lose eyesight. To date 86 cases of sudden vision loss after Viagra use have been reported. Several cases were disqualified and rediagnosed. Nearly half recovered vision after the attack - a much higher recovery rate than usually encountered with NAION. 43 cases had insufficient followup data. Bottom line: nothing conclusive, not even 'kinda conclusive'.
At best, there is a 'possible' connection between Viagra and NAION. Having said that, no definitive scientific explanation exists to explain how Viagra could cause NAION. Millions of Viagra tablets have been prescribed to millions of hypertensive older males. Why so few cases? Equally important, if erectile dysfunction drugs were to blame why didn't the problem affect both eyes?
The authors of this retrospective review recommend that only men with documented prior attacks of NAION should avoid use of erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis.
As always, talk to your personal physician for specific advice as it pertains to your individual circumstances.
Related Topics: Routine Maintenance for Men, Diet, Lifestyle May Affect Eye Health
Technorati Tags: viagra, blindness, cialis, levitra, erectile dysfunction
7 Comments:
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I got some Cialis pills online and took 1 pill each weekend for a few weeks and noticed a blurred vision. My eye-doctor diagnosed it as Central Serous Retinapathy (CSR) which he said would recover in a few months. I mentioned the Cialis pills and he said it was not related. I took them a few weekends more then stopped for November/December. My vision started to restore (which my eye-doctor confirmed). Then last weekend Dec. 25th, I took another one and immediately my vision dropped again.
I've taken viagra for probably 2 years.About 2 weeks ago I noticed blurry vision in my right eye. I seem to have the most problem with focus. I cannot read a street sign until I'm 30 feet from it. I would like to discuss this with others with similar problems.
Tom tghog@hotmail.com
Spizerinctom email correction.
tbhog@hotmail.com
spizerinctom,
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Whenever I use viagra - about an hour after taking it, any light appears much brighter than normal. My computer screen seems so bright that it's actually hard to look at! And when I turn on the normally bright lights above my bathroom mirror, they're almost blinding they're so bright. I fear that this might be a sign of some kind of future visual "side effect".
Also my eyes get really red. Much redder than normal. And unlike normal red eyes that something like Visine will clear up - no amount of anything clears the red out when I'm using Viagra.
It's really a little scary that it causes all these things to happen. Especially with the "vision" scare a few years ago. It makes me wonder if there's something to all that.
I have had my lights appear brighter plus they have a blue tint to them. The bloodshot eyes are there as well as a headache. I only seem to have this problem with Viagra and not Levitra.
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