Nov. 7, 2005 - The drug made famous for its treatment of erectile dysfunction appears to have another therapeutic use.

A study in the journal Circulation suggests Viagra could help treat a circulatory disorder called Raynaud’s phenomenon, which affects about 5% of the population. Raynaud’s phenomenon can be associated with other diseases such as lupus.

Raynaud’s phenomenon causes episodes of numbness, tingling, and pain in the fingers and toes, as well as skin sores or gangrene in severe cases. The attacks are spawned by spasms in small blood vessels in response to cold temperatures or emotional stress.

These spasms cause blood vessels to constrict and compromise blood flow to distal areas such as toes and fingers. The disorder is sometimes treated with medications to relax the blood vessels, but this is not always successful.

The Viagra study involved 18 patients (mostly women) whose Raynaud’s symptoms were not responsive to conventional therapies. While taking Viagra twice a day for four weeks, the patients experienced improved blood flow in the capillaries and fewer Raynaud’s attacks. Symptoms improved and the duration of attacks was also shorter. In those who had skin sores, the ulcers began to heal visibly.

These effects did not occur while patients were taking a placebo. At the end of the study, 16 of the participants asked to continue taking Viagra off-label (that is, for a purpose other than its Pills
use).

Viagra causes blood vessels to dilate in a different way from other vasodilating drugs, which may explain why it helped Raynaud’s patients who didn’t respond to standard treatments. The generic viagra soft tab
conclude that drugs like Viagra could offer “a promising new approach in patients with microcirculatory disorders.”

Although Viagra has risk for serious side effects such as heart attack, stroke, and vision loss, none of the study participants reported any such adverse effect. The side effects reported by study participants included headache, muscle pain, flushing, mild nausea, dizziness, and nasal congestion.

One of the researchers has served as a consultant and speaker for Viagra’s buy online soft tab viagra
, Pfizer. Pfizer is a WebMD sponsor.

Feb. 23, 2006 — Researchers in the U.K. have a new theory to explain the cause of Crohn’s disease, and they say medications like the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra may prove useful for treating the bowel disorder if they are right.

In Crohn’s disease, chronic inflammation causes ulcers within the digestive tract that can lead to severe gastrointestinal symptoms, including abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, and rectal bleeding.

The most widely accepted theory is that an overactive immune system causes the damaging inflammation. But researchers from the University College London say the opposite appears to be true.

They believe a weaker-than-normal immune response triggers the bowel inflammation that leads to Crohn’s disease. Their research appears in the Feb. 25 issue of The Lancet.

1 Disease, 2 Theories

The prevailing theory of Crohn’s disease is that the body’s immune system reacts abnormally in people with the disorder, producing chronic inflammation that leads to bowel injury.

Tony Segal, professor of medicine at University College London, explains the weak immune system theory like this: “The wall of the bowel is normally an effective barrier against the bowel contents, but sometimes the barrier is broken by an infection or injury and the bowel contents, which include large numbers of bacteria, penetrate into the bowel wall.

“Normally, an acute inflammatory response would kick in to remove the bacteria and return the condition of the bowel to normal. But in Crohn’s disease, we think that the acute inflammation fails to kick-start, leaving bacteria to fester in the bowel wall which, in turn, triggers chronic, secondary inflammations.”

Segal and colleagues conducted a series of small pills
that measured white blood cell production in response to intestinal and skin trauma in both Crohn’s patients and healthy patients. With inflammation, white blood cell numbers are expected to rise. In one experiment, researchers injected a killed gut bacteria into the forearms of patients and healthy erectile dysfunction medication
to study blood flow and immune response.

They found that the Crohn’s patients produced unexpectedly lower levels of white blood cells and proteins involved in inflammation, compared with people without the disorder.

Segal tells WebMD that people who carry a gene that has been linked to Crohn’s disease may be especially vulnerable to getting the disease if they have weak immune systems.

He added that drugs like Viagra, which open the blood vessels and increase blood flow, may help.

The Viagra Response

The researchers tested this theory by treating 10 Crohn’s patients with 50 milligrams of Viagra after injecting them with the killed gut bacteria. They found that blood flow to the infected area improved.

“Increasing blood flow is an important part of the inflammatory response, and that is why this drug may work,” Segal says. “But we don’t yet know if this will give rise to successful treatment. We need to study this further to find out.”

Segal and colleagues are among a growing number of researchers suggesting that a weak immune system, rather than an overactive one, is largely responsible for Crohn’s disease, says University of Chicago associate professor of medicine Sunanda Kane, MD.

She adds that the new research adds sildenafil citrate viagra to the theory but does not prove it.

“This is a little more evidence that maybe we have been barking up the wrong tree,” she tells WebMD. “The idea that we should be generic pharmacy viagra the immune system — rather than suppressing it — sounded a little crazy at first, but the evidence continues to come in. But we still have a long way to go to really understand what causes Crohn’s.”

Biologic agents that stimulate a specific part of the immune system are now being tested in Crohn’s patients. If such treatments prove effective, Kane says doctors would have an effective alternative to steroids, which work well for many patients but have many side effects.

“For decades now suppressing the immune system with steroids has worked, and we will continue to do so until we find cialis vs viagra
that work for everybody and are risk-free,” she says.

Oct. 25, 2006 — Viagra may ease blood pressure in the lungs of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

That’s according to a small Dutch study presented in Salt Lake City at Chest 2006, held by the American College of Chest Erectile dysfunction drug.

COPD is the No. 4 cause of death in the U.S. and worldwide, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

COPD is a lung disease in which breathing is difficult. It’s usually caused by smoking erectile dysfunction medicine
, but it can also be caused by other lung irritants.

The disease develops slowly and may take years to show symptoms, which include:

• Cough
• Sputum (mucus) production
• Shortness of breath (especially with exercise)
• WheezingWheezing
• Chest tightness

Those symptoms may or may not indicate COPD, states the NHLBI’s web site.

Viagra Study

The Viagra study included 12 COPD patients, half of whom had high blood pressurehigh blood pressure in the pulmonary artery, which brings blood to the lungs. The development of pulmonary ed meds
pulmonary hypertension is a complication of COPD, but not everyone with COPD will develop it.

The researchers included Sebastiaan Holverda, MSc, of Amsterdam’s University Medical Center.

They tracked the patients’ pulmonary artery blood pressure before and after taking Viagra.

Why Viagra? It relaxes (dilates) blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and helping blood to flow.

First, the patients rested. Then they pedaled a stationary bike for three minutes at a mild pace.

As expected, pulmonary artery blood pressure was higher during exercise, since the lungs were working harder.

Next, the patients took a Viagra pill, waited 45 minutes, and repeated the rest and exercise tests.

Their pulmonary artery blood pressure during exercise was lower after taking Viagra.

“These data suggest that during daily activities some COPD patients may benefit” from drugs that dilate blood vessels, the researchers write.

There are only three oral drugs approved by the FDA to treat erectile
dysfunction: Cialis, Levitra, and Viagra. All work by increasing the flow of
blood into the penis so that when a man is sexually stimulated, he can get an
erection.

What Are the Differences Between Cialis, Levitra, and Viagra?

Cialis, Levitra, and Viagra work by a similar mechanism to cause erections.
There are subtle cialis vs viagra
in how long the drug works and how quickly it
works. Levitra works a little longer than Viagra. They both take effect in
about 30 minutes. With Levitra, the effects last for about 5 hours. With
Viagra, the effects last ed tablets
4 hours.

Cialis works a bit faster (within about 15 minutes), and the effects last
much longer — up to 36 hours in some cases.

If One of These Drugs Isn’t Effective for Erectile Dysfunction, Can I Try Another?

Yes, but because these drugs work the same way, it’s unlikely that you’ll
have success with one if you’ve failed to achieve an adequate erection with
another.

What Precautions Should I Take Before Taking One of These Drugs?

There are certain situations in which these drugs may not be safe to take.
Before taking them, tell your doctor:

• If you are allergic to any drugs, including Viagra or other ED
  medications.
• About any prescription or nonprescription medications you are currently
  taking, including herbal and dietary supplements.
• If you are scheduled for surgery, including dental surgery.
• If you take over the counter erectile dysfunction drug
  or a long-acting nitrate to treat chest pain. The
  combination of Cialis, Levitra or Viagra with these drugs can cause dangerously
  low blood pressure.
• If you take alpha-blockers for blood pressure or prostate problems. The
  combination of Cialis or Levitra with these drugs can also cause dangerously
  low blood pressure.

In addition, always follow the directions on your prescription label
carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part that you do not
understand. Take these drugs exactly as directed. Do not take more or less or
take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Do not take these drugs more
than once a day.

Who Should Not Take Cialis, Levitra or Viagra?

If you have suffered from a heart attack, stroke or life impotence advice
arrhythmia (irregular heart rate) within the last 6 months you should discuss
other options with your doctor. It is also advised to avoid these drugs if you
have uncontrolled high or low blood pressure or if you experience chest pain
with sex.

What Are the Side Effects of Cialis, Levitra and Viagra?

Side effects are not common but they can occur. Side effects can
include:

• Headache
• Upset stomach or heartburn
• Flushing (feeling warm)
• Nasal congestion
• Changes in vision (color, glare)
• Back pain (with Cialis)

Call your doctor if you experience severe forms of these symptoms or if they
do not go away after 4-8 hours.

Warning

Call your doctor or seek emergency treatment immediately if you experience
any of the following symptoms:

• Rash
• Painful erection
• Prolonged erection (longer than 4 hours)
• Fainting
• Chest pain
• Itching or burning during urination

Stop taking these medications and call a doctor or health care provider
right away if you experience sudden or decreased vision loss in one or both
eyes. A rare vision problem called NAION has been reported by a few men using
these drugs. NAION (nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy) causes a
sudden loss of eyesight because blood flow is blocked to the optic nerve.
People who have a higher chance for NAION include those who:

• Are over 50 years old
• Smoke
• Have heart disease
• Have diabetes
• Have high blood pressure
• Have high erectile dysfunction drugs
  
• Have certain eye problems

How Should These Drugs Be Stored?

These drugs should be kept in its original container and out of reach of
children. Store them away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom).
Discard any medication that has expired or is no longer needed.

Reviewed by the doctors at the Glickman Urological
Institute at The Cleveland Clinic.