Here’s a bit of bad news!
Taking Viagra, and other erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs, on a “regular” basis, can adversely affect one’s vision. Yes, that’s correct! As you may recall, one of the side effects of Viagra is blue vision which gradually goes away as the drug effects wear off. It’s a short-term effect. This problem, however, is more serious and has long-term consequences.
Viagra, Cilalis, Levitra, and Stendra are phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5I’s) used for the treatment of male erectile dysfunction. They definitely work, and since ED is a common problem for older men, there are millions inclined to use ED drugs often and on a regular basis. Vision problems have long been a concern with PDE5I’s so researchers set out to learn how often these ocular problems were associated with regular use of these drugs.
The three eye problems observed were Serous Retinal Detachment, Retinal Vascular Occlusion, and Ischemic Optic Neuropathy. These are all serious problems that cause partial or total blindness and are in some way related to the circulatory effects of the drugs.
Serous Retinal Detachment: Fluid collects between one of the ten layers of the retina separating the layers and affecting vision.
Retinal Vascular Occlusion: Blood flow to the retina is blocked by spasm or clotting of the retinal artery. Limited blood flow damages the retina and impairs vision.
Ischemic Optic Neuropathy: Lack of blood flow to the optic nerve damages the nerve and prevents visual impulses from traveling to the brain.
These very serious problems were found to occur more frequently in regular users of ED drugs. Over 200K men with a mean age of 64.6 years, who took PDE5I’s regularly, were studied. 1146 of them had these eye problems. Nothing was said about how often PDE5I’s were taken, but they found that men who took them “regularly” had a much greater chance of having one or all of the above eye problems.
The message here is that men who regularly use Viagra-like drugs should be aware of the potential for serious eye problems and report any visual abnormalities to their doctors. Why these things happen has not been determined specifically, but PDE5I’s affect blood vessels and alter blood flow so circulation must be involved. Don’t ignore the warning signs, and don’t overuse Viagra.
References: Etminan M, Sodhi M, Mikelberg FS. Risk of Ocular Adverse Events Associated with Use of Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors in Men in the US. JAMA Ophth 2022;140(5):480-484.
News From the JAMA Network: Regular Use of Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Associated with Eye Problems. JAMA 2022 June 7;327(21):2066.
