Viagra: Don’t Worry, Your Heart can Take It

Heart disease patients often worry that Viagra will have an adverse effect on their health. Yes, Viagra (sildenafil) can have dangerous effects on patients with heart disease who are currently also taking nitrates but if you’ve got coronary artery disease but have it stable and you’re not currently taking nitrate medicine, then you are a good candidate for Sildenafil.

In fact, when it comes to mixing E.D. drugs with nitrates, sildenafil is not alone. Mixing Viagra (or any other PDE-5 inhibitor such as Levitra or Cialis for that matter) with nitrates can likely cause severe hypotension (dangerously low blood pressure) and may possibly result in a heart attack, a stroke or even death, so it is NOT recommended.

Heart Disease and Viagra

The good news is that studies have shown that the side effects associated with low blood pressure medications or anti-hypertensive drugs (e.g. nausea, dizziness, fainting, etc.) do not in any manner increase when patients are also taking Viagra.

This is true even though Viagra is also a vasodilator, which means it dilates blood vessels and therefore reduces blood pressure.

In fact, tests have shown that Viagra is well tolerated in patients with stable coronary artery disease even when it is severe. This is true as long as those patients are not currently suffering from a condition known as active ischemia. A person having active ischemia will not get an adequate amount of blood flow going to their heart muscle and will feel chest pains. In this case, and in the case of a patient requiring the use of nitrate medication, Viagra should not be taken.

When should Viagra Not be Taken?

Neither Viagra, Levitra nor Cialis should be taken by:

In the case of patients taking nitrate medications it should be noted that modern methods now enable doctors to treat coronary artery disease without the use of nitrates. Doctors are treating these conditions with angioplasty and stenting, etc… Therefore, if you are taking nitrates and wish to also take Sildenafil or any other PDE-5 drug, you can ask your doctor about alternative treatments that can help you refrain from depending on nitrates.

Conclusion

Except under the above circumstances, Sildenafil (Viagra) is a safe alternative for men suffering from heart disease who also want to better their sex life by attacking erectile dysfunction. Keep in mind that Viagra should only be taken under a doctor’s guidance, especially in patients having heart disease, so consult your doctor as to your available options. Never self-prescribe Viagra.