Why you should not take Viagra with heart problems

Wednesday, October 14 2009

Men with heart problems or heart disease are generally advised not to use Viagra because of the dangers involved with patients with those underlying medical conditions.  The active ingredient in Viagra is Sildenafil, which is well known to have two very dangerous side effects in patients that have heart disease. Primarily, Sildenafil is known to lower the blood pressure, sometimes causing severe and sudden drops in blood pressure. Second, Sildenafil interacts with nitrates.  While the decrease in blood pressure caused by the active ingredient in Viagra has not proven to be particularly hazardous to patients with heart disease, there is a profound danger when the combination is mixed with nitrates. 

The combination of a drop in blood pressure that results from taking Viagra is dangerous in patients that are given nitrates as part of the treatment of their heart disease (specifically coronary artery disease).  Patients who are taking both nitrates and Viagra are at a high risk to experience severe bouts of low blood pressure (formally called hypotension) and also incidents of fainting.  If a patient is treated with nitrates, they should never take Viagra to treat erectile dysfunction.  Similarly, Viagra should not be taken within 24 hours of a patient taking nitrates. 

Without the use of nitrates, Viagra appears to have very little, if any, impact on the rate of heart attacks in men.  However, in men who do take nitrates to treat heart disease, Viagra has very real potential to cause a heart attack. Thus, it is well established that men who have coronary heart disease may safely take Viagra so long as they do not take nitrates as part of their treatment.  For men who are currently being treated with nitrates for heart disease and who suffer from erectile dysfunction, there are many new alternative treatments that can be discussed with your doctor in order to find an alternate treatment to nitrates.  The bottom line is that it is not the underlying heart disease that is unsafe with Viagra; it is the use of nitrates to treat heart disease that is a lethal mix with Viagra.  Talking to your doctor and understanding your options is the first step to finding a way to successfully treat both heart disease and erectile dysfunction at the same time.

Please consult with your doctor first before taking Viagra.  If your doctor feels it's safe for you to take Viagra, then you can either purchase Viagra online at a reputable pharmacy or through your local pharmacy.