In the United States, a 31-year-old young man developed vision problems after consuming too much Viagra bought on the Internet. He will now see red for life.
In terms of health, too much is the enemy of good. And especially when it comes to taking medication. Proof of this is with the latest publication of Retinal Cases, which reports the case of a 31-year-old American who developed irreversible vision problems after consuming too much Viagra. Because he did not respect the doses indicated on the box, the young man will see red for life.
Suffering from erectile dysfunction, a New Yorker orders sildenafil citrate, a drug more commonly known as Viagra, on the Internet. But, instead of using the pipette supplied with the bottle, he decides to drink the liquid directly from the neck, greatly exceeding the recommended 50 mg per day (25 mg for those over 65). Shortly after, a red filter falls in front of his eyes as well as multicolored flashes and a loss of contrasts. The next day, the flashes stopped but the red filter is still there. Very worried, he went to a hospital specializing in ophthalmological disorders.
After examining him, doctors diagnose him with persistent retinal toxicity and identify the nature and damaged areas with a degree of precision never before achieved, the study reports. For the first time, scientists are able to observe the microscopic injuries suffered by the cones, the photo-receptor cells located at the back of the eye and responsible for color vision.
Viagra-related vision problems usually go away within 24 hours.
A year later and despite various treatments, the patient still sees trouble, deplores the study, which according to Mark Fromer, ophthalmologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, warns against drugs purchased online without specialist supervision. “This study shows how a high dose of a commonly used drug can be dangerous,” adds his colleague Prof. Richard Rosen, a retina specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
And this is all the more true with regard to the sildenafil citrate. Indeed, this medication is rich in side effects such as headaches, redness on the face, digestive disorders, hearing problems, muscle pain, painful erections, hypersensitivity reactions (rash, asthma attack, irritation, swollen face , voltage drop…). And if it happens that a normal dose of sildenafil citrate against erectile dysfunction causes visual disturbances in the patient, the effects wear off within 24 hours. On the other hand, a dose much higher than that recommended can cause irreparable damage such as those reported in the review Retinal Cases. In addition, the degree of purity and the concentration of this drug are uncertain: having been bought on the Internet, we do not know its origin and exact method of manufacture, recalls the study.
“If we knew that color disturbances in vision was a known side effect of this drug (but in general, patients see blue, Editor’s note), we had never before been able to visualize the concrete effects of this treatment on the retina so far “, explains otherwise Prof. Richard Rosen. And to conclude: “these discoveries could help the doctors to better inform their patients of the potential risks of cellular changes in the event of overdose of this drug”.
Two deaths linked to overuse of blue pills
Because this 31-year-old New Yorker is obviously not the first to abuse Viagra. In 2015, the British tabloids reported the story of a 36-year-old Englishman who, wanting to impress his friends on a drunken night, had swallowed 35 blue pills. Result of the races: hallucinations, a hospitalization of 36 hours and an erection which will have lasted five days. Despite his approach as stupid as it was dangerous, the young man had done quite well since he had not suffered any long-term side effects, according to The Sun.
The previous year, a 56-year-old Belgian had been admitted to the emergency room 24 hours after swallowing 65 tablets of 100 mg with the aim of killing himself. Again, despite this incredible record and symptoms such as vomiting, blurred vision and tachycardia, the man escaped unscathed. However, two deaths have already been recorded after an overdose of sildenafil in chronic alcoholics. Indeed, the liver of victims, damaged by alcohol, more difficult to eliminate the drug from their blood.
Finally, last precision and not the least concerning the risks associated with overdose of Viagra: an erection that is too long can permanently damage the penis. “If you have an erection that lasts more than 4 hours, go to the hospital immediately,” recommends the official brand Viagra. on the home page of his site, ensuring that a dose greater than 100 mg per day will not increase your sexual performance.
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