Doctor discusses effect viagra has on erectile dysfunction
It has been 25 years since Viagra was approved for medical use in the UK, as well as the US and European Union.
The brand name for sildenafil, the medication is most commonly marketed for and used to treat erectile dysfunction.
Since its discovery and launch, creator Pfizer estimates that around 62 million men worldwide have bought the little blue pill.
While its efficacy against impotence has been proven, research has also suggested it could have other uses – with tackling period pain among them.
Taking it back to when it was first developed, sildenafil was originally conceived to treat cardiovascular problems due to the way it could dilate blood vessels.
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However, rather than dilating blood vessels in the heart, it worked in another area of the body among men causing them to have erections.
This sparked the creation of Viagra, which Is thought to bring in more than $1bn a year.
And in 2005, sildenafil was approved under the name Revatio to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension, a condition that causes high blood pressure in the lungs.
But one study, conducted in 2013, looked into the potential of sildenafil in an often “overlooked” area of medicine.
Viagra and period pain
Period pain, or dysmenorrhea, can be extremely painful and debilitating leaving the sufferer unable to carry out their usual activities – and even more so if they also are living with conditions such as endometriosis or adenomyosis.
Despite this, there is no real cure for the problem, with many relying on over-the-counter painkillers and hot water bottles every month.
However, researchers from Croatia and the US, revealed that sildenafil could help relieve dysmenorrhea for hours.
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In a study, published in Human Reproduction journal and presented at the 15th World Congress of Gynaecological Endocrinology in 2012, they examined the effects of sildenafil on 25 women who suffer from moderate to severe period pain.
They found that sildenafil provided better pain relief than the placebo, and “significantly” lowered participants’ uterine artery pulsatility index – one indicator of period pain – at the two hour mark.
The study said: “A number of medications have been investigated to improve the treatment options for primary dysmenorrhea (PD), but most have proven unsuccessful or to have an unfavourable risk/benefit ratio.
“Since PD is a condition that most women suffer from and seek treatment for at some point in their lives, our study offers hope that vaginal sildenafil citrate is a safe and effective option for patients who do not desire or are unresponsive to treatments now available on the market.”
However, they were unable to pursue this further due to a lack of funding.
Is it safe to take Viagra for period pain?
While this study suggests it could be safe to use the pill to tackle period pain, more research on the subject is needed. Express.co.uk spoke with two experts to find out more.
Doctor Susanna Unsworth, gynaecologist and women’s health expert for INTIMINA, said: “In theory, the mechanism of action of sildenafil could definitely offer a way of improving pain symptoms by improving blood flow, along with increasing relaxation in the muscular wall of the womb.
“However, based on this study alone, I would not currently consider it an option for women who are struggling with period pain as there is not enough evidence to show benefit, and there was no discussion about any associated side-effects.
“The treatment is not currently licensed to be used in this way, and larger scale testing is definitely required before it can be recommended for use.”
Dr Alexis Missick, of UK Meds, agreed. She said: “Sildenafil has been shown to successfully reduce menstrual pain in women who have primary dysmenorrhea (Oladosu et al, 2019).
“Similarly, Dmitrovic et al (2013) found that vaginal preparation of sildenafil citrate alleviated acute menstrual pain in PD patients, with no adverse effects observed.
“Whilst Viagra (sildenafil) may improve sexual experience in healthy women, by acting on the different sexual pathways, additional studies are needed to define the use of sildenafil in clinical settings.”
Dr Unsworth recommended other options for tackling period pain.
“At present, there are a number of things I usually recommend to help relieve pain associated with periods,” she said.
“Simple, self-help measures include applying heat to the low abdomen (either taking a bath/shower, or using a hot-water bottle or heat pad), massaging the lower abdomen/lower back, exercise, and even having sex can help.
“There are then over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen and paracetamol – these can be helpful, and I often recommend starting them as soon as possible with your period, ideally before the pain starts. I also suggest taking them regularly during your period so the effects do not wear off.
“However, if these measures are not enough to manage your pain, I would recommend speaking to your doctor. “
She added: “Sadly, there are many women who struggle with significant period pain without getting the help they need.
“Although there are treatments that can help, the options are limited. I feel this is definitely an area of medicine that has been poorly researched. This study dates back to 2013, and things have not really moved on since. It was sad to read this study did not reach completion, due to lack of funding.
“I imagine this was not the case when sildenafil was being trialled for erectile dysfunction – the drug was actually being trialled as a treatment for angina when this beneficial side-effect was noted. I feel this is another example of the inequalities still seen in medical trials when it comes to women’s versus men’s health.”
Dr Missick said: “Women’s health is often overlooked within medical research. Female participants are commonly excluded from medical research for illnesses that affect us regardless of gender.
“Research funding is also more likely to be allocated to male-led studies. This means that women’s health is less understood.”
Viagra is not considered safe to take if you:
- Have ever had an allergic reaction to sildenafil or any other medicine
- Are taking medicines called nitrates for chest pain (angina)
- Have a serious heart or liver problem
- Have recently had a stroke, heart attack or a heart problem – your doctor should carefully check whether your heart can take the additional strain of having sex
- Have low blood pressure (hypotension)
- Have a rare inherited eye disease, such as retinitis pigmentosa
- Have sickle cell anaemia (an abnormality of red blood cells), leukaemia (cancer of blood cells) or multiple myeloma (cancer of bone marrow)
- Have a deformity of your penis or Peyronie’s disease (curved penis)
- Have a stomach ulcer
- Have a bleeding problem like haemophilia.
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