VIAGRA®: The wonder drug?
Sometimes when hearing or reading about Viagra® I am reminded of the fabulous Tom Waits song Step Right Up – where Tom sells in style the qualities of an unnamed wonder product for all your needs and woes – "it gives you an erection, it wins the election". SEE the full lyrics here.
Unlike Herbalhard
Viagra® is the wonder drug of the late 20th and early 21st Century – closely followed by its "me too" competitors Levitra® and Cialis®. Not To mention a host of Viagra alternatives .
It makes impotent men virile, restores manlihood, lifts the shame of erectile dysfunction, allows you to fulfill your sexual potential, resolves relationship difficulties, gives aging housewives a new gleam in their eyes, and gives men harder herbalhard like erections up until the end of their days. When it was released on March 27th 1998 it was not just men with problems who wanted to try it, but perfectly healthy men buying into the myth that it would turn 60 year olds into 20 year old lovers, and 20 year olds into 7 times a night studs.
Which also goes some way to explaining its growth in usage as a recreational drug - sold in night clubs and on the black market, often known as "Poke". [1] Healthcare professionals are anxious about how ED drugs are being used with other recreational drugs…
However, despite all the hype, Viagra® does not automatically make men into better, and certainly not more attentive, lovers – as penetrative sex is not THE only thing that matters, especially for women (with 30-52% never having orgasms this way [2] ).
Viagra is not a holy grail. It will not turn a man into the Great Lover. No pill or herbalhard herbal tonic is capable of doing that. [3]
The fear of erectile dysfunction is even leading men to take smaller dosages of Viagra daily, in a similar way people take aspirin to ward off a future heart attack, as a preventative measure against future impotency.
[4] It is far better to take herbalhard in the reccomended daily doses,to help improve male sexual health.
There is little doubt that Viagra® has had a massive impact on male sexual health and can often be positive for those suffering erectile dysfunction. Over the last 9 years an estimated 27 million men in 120 countries having been prescribed Viagra®, [5] while Pfizer claims that 9 Viagra® pills are dispensed every second, equalling almost 300 million tablets a year. [6] The annual sales for the big three (Viagra®, Levitra® and Cialis®) is believed to equal about $2.5 billion [7] with an estimated $400 million spent on advertising Viagra® alone in 2004. [8]
The very word Viagra® - known as the "magic blue pill" - has passed from being simply a drug brand name into the cultural lexicon with the same brand recognition as Coke or Nike [9] – and has provided endless fresh fodder for stand up comedians everywhere. SEE HERE FOR Viagra jokes [LINK: ]
COMMON MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT VIAGRA/ CIALIS/ LEVITRA
- It cures erectile dysfunction
- That it is an aphrodisiac i.e. it will increase sexual desire and make you feel horny or randy. Herbalhard, with it being a natural herbal mix helps you to feel more horny
- It causes immediate penile erections directly rather it enhances the normal sexual response and works with sexual stimulation
- Unlike herbalhard, Some people even believe it offers protection against sexually transmitted diseases and even HIV. In fact some healthcare professionals are worried it could cause more "risk" taking behavour. Read more…
- Likewise, some believe it is a male form of birth control pill
- It works as an aphrodisiac for women
THE VIAGRA MYTH
Associate Clinical Professor of Harvard Medical School and practicing Boston urologist, Abraham Morgentaler, has treated many many men with sexual problems. His experience with Viagra and its impact led him to write The Viagra Myth: The Surprising Impact On Love And Relationships.
As someone who treats men with Viagra nearly every day, I can testify to the remarkable effects of this medication.
However, as he says…
Viagra quickly tapped into a set of wishful fantasies that mirrored our culture's hunger for certainty and the quick fix. Supported by stories that described elderly men restored to such sexual vitality by Viagra that they abandoned their wives in favor of younger women, a conventional wisdom arose that Viagra was a fountain of youth, a sure cure, the real deal. Baby boomers could now look forward to fabulous sex well into their nineties. Men shared Viagra stories with each other at cocktail parties or around the office water cooler.
" All I can say is 'Wow!'" says one man, and other men listening in wonder how their lives might be different if they also took the magic blue pill.
From this a Viagra Myth began to emerge…
The Viagra Myth has less to do with the effectiveness of the medication than with our cultural propensity to look for the easy fix. This myth suggests that a pill that improves blood flow to the penis can solve personal relationship issues, no matter how complex.
His book goes onto explore the disconnect between the reality of male sexuality and the Viagra Myth as he explains…
Magical Viagra. A wonder drug. Or so we have come to believe. But does the reality live up to the myth? Is it really that good? Can it truly solve erection problems? What about relationship issues? What does Viagra do for a man who has lost his sexual desire or for a man who is simply nervous about having sex with a new partner? What's the real story. [10]
Being a man and male sexuality is far more sophisticated and complex than simply gaining an erection.
As writer and freelance investigative reporter, Trish Wilson, reflects…
As the old saying goes, be careful for what you wish. You may get it. By narrowly defining manhood - virility, potency, sexuality - as the ability of a man's penis to remain erect for a given period of time, with the final result being an explosive orgasm, male sexuality has been reduced to nothing more than the isolated functioning of one body part. [11]
VIAGRA HYPE
5 years after its launch 54,678 stories had been written by news organisations about Viagra. [12] At that point an internet search returned 1.98 million hits [13] today it is 57.7 million. [14]
What is interesting is that only half of the men prescribed Viagra refill their prescriptions. [15] For some the drug does not work, others refill via online sources and for others as Mike Sweeney, Pfizer's own senior medical director of urology, says "Giving somebody a good erection doesn't necessarily give somebody good sex. [16]
DANGERS/ DEATHS
One of the underreported aspects of the Viagra craze is the number of deaths where Viagra has been present. Although it is believed that an already existing health problem was to blame rather than the drug itself directly.
Within the first 8 months or so after Viagra was launched (late-March to mid-Novwember 1998) 130 deaths involving sildenafil users were reported in the USA, [17] with at least 54 further deaths worldwide. [18] As of July 1999, the FDA (the USA’s drug control body) found that out of 1,473 major adverse drug events reported 564 of those were Viagra associated deaths. [19] The men were usually taking the recommended dosage, had no history of cardiovascular problems and were younger than 65. [20] There is also serious concern that there is considerable under-reporting as reports are submitted voluntarily to the FDA and people (such as a recently deceased man’s wife) may well be embarrassed to disclose that their partner had been using Viagra. Also, strokes (Cerebrovascular accidents) have been reported but are generally reported as side effects and not fatal. [21] There is very little publicly available information for recent years - when sales of the drugs (Viagra, Cialis and Levitra) have rocketed (excuse the pun) - about how many men may have died worldwide.
There is the danger of serious side effects from contraindications if taking nitric oxide donors, organic nitrites and nitrates (including nitroglycerin for heart problems, sodium nitroprusside for blood pressure, and amyl or butyl nitrate or "poppers"), for men advised that sexual intercourse is inadvisable due to cardiovascular risk factors, for men with decreased liver or renal (kidney) function, low blood pressure (hypotension), recent stroke or heart attack, and hereditary degenerative retinal (or eye) disorders. [22]
If you have a medical emergency and have recently taken Viagra it is important to tell the healthcare professionals as soon as possible.
RISK OF BLINDNESS
Recently there has been increase concern about the possibility that Viagra has led to varying degrees of blindness – this has been categorically denied by Pfizer. [23] However, the FDA are concerned enough to state; "A small number of men have lost eyesight in one eye some time after taking Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra. This type of vision loss is called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). NAION causes a sudden loss of eyesight because blood flow is blocked to the optic nerve. ??We do not know at this time if Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra causes NAION. [24]
Viagra use has been linked to over 40 reports of a condition called NAION (non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy), which can lead to rapid reduction of vision and blindness. [25] NAION is a rare condition in which blood supply to the optic nerve is reduced causing permanent nerve damage. With researchers at the University of Minnesota believe they have detected a cluster of cases of blindness from this cause in men who have taken Viagra. [26]
SIDE EFFECTS
In studies, about half of men who use Viagra experience at least one side effect, and the incidence is higher at higher doses. [27]
Commonly reported side effects:
- Headaches
- Facial flushing
- Nasal congestion, sneezing or runny nose
- Indigestion, upset stomach or diarrhea
- Urinary tract infection
- Visual disturbance (usually seeing a blue tinge to objects with difficulty telling the difference between blue and green). This has led to a ban on pilots using Viagra for between 6 and 12 hours before flying. [28]
- Photophobia or excessive sensitivity to light
- Palpatations (sometimes leading to anxiety or panic attacks)
- Priapism (a painful erection that won’t subside after ejaculation – this side-effect almost sounds like it should be too good to be true. However, it can lead to damage to the tiny valves in the penis – most likely in healthy men – and lead to permanent impotence [29] )
- Reliance on the drug for future erections
DANGERS OF BUYING VIAGRA/ CIALIS/ LEVITRA ONLINE
Viagra, Cialis and Levitra should only be bought after a thorough medical examination by a trained healthcare professional. However, it is estimated that 70 million men but it online from men who have got prescriptions – often at greatly inflated prices. [30] Some companies take faxed or on-line script orders from people for Viagra, when signed by a doctor or use an online "consulatation" instead. These drugs should not be used with nitrates (usually nitro-glycerine and amyl nitrate or "poppers") or alpha-blockers as this can cause a dangerous (potentially fatal) drop in blood pressure or severe hypotension.
WHAT TO TELL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL
If you are going to get a consultation for Viagra, Cialis and Levitra then tell them if you…
- have or had heart problems
- have low blood pressure or have high blood pressure that is not controlled
- have had a stroke
- have liver problems
- have ever had severe vision loss
- have kidney problems or require dialysis
- have retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic (runs in families) eye disease
- have stomach ulcers
- have a bleeding problem
- have a deformed penis shape or Peyronie's disease
- have had an erection that lasted more than 4 hours
- have blood cell problems such as sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma, or leukemia
- are taking a medicine called a protease inhibitor for the treatment of HIV
- are taking medicines called alpha blockers (alpha blockers are sometimes prescribed for prostate problems or high blood pressure)
