Jerry and all, the following article has some interesting bits:
Viagra's bad side may top forecasts
phillynews.com
Pfizer's studies found that, at recommended doses -- a pill of 25 mg to
100 mg once a day -- visual changes were mild, lasted only a few hours,
and occurred in 3 percent to 11 percent of users. The drug labeling
advises patients with retinitis pigmentosa to use Viagra "with caution."
But eye doctors are already hearing that the bluish tinge to vision may be
happening more frequently at prescribed doses, and they're worried
about patients taking higher doses, said Academy spokesman Michael F.
Marmor, a Stanford University ophthalmologist.
"This is the sort of drug [ where ] men tend to think: 'If one pill is good,
then let's see what I can do with four,' " Marmor said.
He conducted a study that showed a 200-mg dose of Viagra reduced
retinal function by 30 percent to 50 percent for at least five hours.
Another concern, Marmor said, is whether the drug may cause
cumulative or permanent changes in vision. "We need to do some studies
about the long-term effects of taking Viagra," he said.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not required Pfizer to
conduct any further studies, but Viagra's warning labeling could be
revised if new information about adverse effects becomes available,
FDA spokeswoman Susan Cruzan said.
The eye doctor study is for 200 mg dosage. No wonder there's side effects. I'll have side effects if I overdose on vitamin A! And revising Viagra's warning label won't, IMHO, have a great effect on the demand for the drug. |
