The New Straits Times, May 21, 1998
Q: There have been a number of reports about a new drug called Viagra recently. Can you enlighten me about this new so-called "wonder drug"?
A: Viagra is a brand name of a drug recently approved in the United States to treat impotence. Like all new drugs that hit the market, there will a lot of hype about it which could at this time be blown out of proportion.
This same phenomenon was observed a few years ago when a new anti-depressant drug, Prozac, was released in the market. It has become one of the biggest-selling drugs in America. So too is the baldness remedy, Rogaine.
Likewise, the initial blaze of popularity of Viagra is quite understandable but it must be kept in mind that all drugs have a downside.
This is especially for the newer ones. Much more need to be known about them before we actually know about all the aspects of the drugs.
No doubt it is claimed to be relatively safe based on clinical trials but it cannot be all that safe because there is always an inherent risk in every drug. For the time being, most reports in the Press tend to focus how "wonderful" Viagra is.
More of the possible risks involved - side-effects, adverse reactions, contraindications - will be known as the drug is more widely used (or rather, over-used). So the description of a "wonder drug" may be true for the time being, mainly on a short-term basis.
The larger picture in terms of its long-term effects has yet to emerge. It is therefore always good to remain very cautious about its usage unless it is medically warranted for real health reasons. Otherwise it can be open to abuse.
Generally, the drug is said to exert its effect by increasing the flow of blood into arteries supplying the penis.
At the same time it acts on certain enzymatic processes such that the flow of blood out of the penis is reduced over a period of time. As such, erection could be further sustained in the case of impotency.
Theoretically, however, there is also the possibility of the erection lasting for a much longer period of time, resulting in a condition called "priapism".
In this case it can lead to a number of harmful effects, including impotency itself. Viagra is reported not to have any effect on a normal erection, nor will it make it last longer. As such, it is not recommended for other than its indicated use, and medical advice is indeed important.
There is already a worrying indication that the drug will be used for the wrong reason, namely, those not suffering from impotency will take Viagra expecting to enhance their sexual prowness.
Others have also raised concern about being psychologically dependent on the substance for sexual performance.
Some others may even mistake it for an aphrodisiac, which it is not! Some of the risks that have been associated with Viagra, especially when used inappropriately, include:
- Temporary "blindness" - some transient problems associated with vision have been reported ranging from blurry to bluish-greenish effects clouding the vision. This is said to be because Viagra has the ability to interfere with an enzyme in the eye, similar to the one in the penis.
- Headaches have also been reported and with increasing dose the severity may also increase, developing into a blinding headache.
- Fainting spells or blackouts may also occur as a result of a sudden drop in blood pressure. In some cases, one can go to shock especially if the effects are accentuated by other drugs taken concurrently, namely, drugs used to treat increased blood pressure (antihypertensives).
Now that there are also reports that the drug is being smuggled into neighbouring countries, one must be even extra careful to make sure that it is not any substandard, fake or counterfeit product that looks like the real thing.
It is possible that some unscrupulous people may be capitalising on the situation to cash in on the billion-dollar sales. Already there are a number of drugs with similar-sounding names reported in the market, and this will confuse the situation even further - The National Poison Centre, http://prn.usm.my
