What are the main drug interactions to beware?

Alongside all the other prescription-only drugs, viagra has a real effect on the way the body works. In most men who take it, the effects are positive and the outcomes good. Unfortunately, a small number of men suffer adverse side effects. As with everything in life, there is a trade-off between costs and benefits. Many men are prepared to accept a minor side effect as the price of recovering their sexual power. However, some effects are avoidable.

There is clear evidence that the combination of some drugs produces side effects, some of them dangerous. The first warning should be redundant. If you are taking viagra, there is no need to take an excessive dose or to take one of the other erectile dysfunction drugs at the same time. The standard dose should be sufficient in most men. If you do take an overdose whether just in viagra or by combining viagra with another PDE5 inhibitor or another drug designed to produce an erection, this can cause an undesirable drop in your blood pressure. The same sometimes dangerous effect is produced if you combine viagra with any other drug containing a nitrate. These drugs are most commonly prescribed for heart conditions. Nitroglycerin is a common ingredient in pills, capsules, ointments, pastes and patches. As a warning, the street drugs called poppers are based on butyl or amyl nitrate, and should also be avoided. For the same reason, alphablockers and similar drugs used to treat high blood pressure and other diseases and disorders of the blood should be considered potentially dangerous. Always get the advice of your physician or pharmacist before taking them at the same time.

What are the most common adverse side effects?

For the vast majority of men, there are no obvious side effects. Even if a small percentage are unlucky, they experience only mild symptoms that usually pass within a hour or so. The most common effects are a headache or indigestion. Some experience an obvious blushing of the face and neck. This is not painful although it may be embarrassing.

What are the uncommon but more serious side effects?

Side effects become more common and potentially more serious if you take a higher dosage. However, at the standard doses, it is quite rare for men to experience any of the more serious effects. A few prove to be allergic to the active ingredients. This shows itself with eruptions on the skin, shortness of breath and irregular heartbeat. Rarely, vision is affected. There can be a blue tinge to what is seen. One or two men have experienced loss of vision but the evidence this is due to taking viagra is not conclusive. Similarly, there is no conclusive evidence that viagra caused the loss of hearing in the one or two men reporting it. Finally, you should beware the occasional case of priapism — an erection that lasts and unnatural length of time and becomes increasingly painful. Any erection lasting more than four hours can be dangerous and cause permanent damage.