What Doctors Don't Tell YouAdverse effects of Pfizer’s impotence drug Viagra continue to surface.
Researchers in Germany believe that, even at low blood concentrations, sildenafil (the generic name for Viagra) can affect retinal function (Lancet, 1999; 353: 1442).
The researchers do not comment on the mechanism by which sildenafil might damage the eye. However, both erectile dysfunction and retinal function can be linked with poor vascular condition. The heightened reaction to the drug, which may cause heart deaths in vulnerable men who take Viagra, may also produce eye symptoms in others.
These findings suggest that men who have an existing retinal disorder may not be suitable for this particular impotence treatment.
Daniel Redwood DC
Tom Ferguson MD
