We’re not saying this can happen to every man, but taking too much Viagra has been associated with a significant change in at least one man’s vision. According to reports, a 31-year-old man who consumed a greater than recommended amount of liquid sildenafil (Viagra) experienced a permanent damage to the cells in his eyes that are responsible for distinguishing color. The bottom line is, everything he sees from now on will have a red tint.
What are the side effects of Viagra?
Typically, the side effects of Viagra can include headache, a temporary blue tinge to your vision, bloody nose, diarrhea, upset stomach, low blood pressure/dizziness, heartburn, difficulty falling asleep, muscle or back pain, and sensitivity to light. In this recent study, permanent damage to the retina resulted in seeing red.
According to experts, this is the first reported case of a man experiencing permanent damage to the retina resulting in red vision.
Explanation of the case of too much Viagra
The subject of the study purchased the Viagra from an online source (which is not recommended). It is possible the medication was contaminated in some way that resulted in the red vision he now experiences. He proceeded to take an unknown amount of the liquid drug, ignoring the dosing instructions on the bottle, which were to take 50 mg. Shortly after taking the dose, he experienced flashing lights and a red tint to everything he saw.
Two days after taking the overdose, the patient visited an urgent care clinic, where he was shown to have permanent damage to his retinal cells that are responsible for color. His final diagnosis was persistent retinal toxicity associated with taking a high dose of sildenafil citrate.
More than 12 months after the damaging dose was taken, the patient has not experienced a lessening of the red tint despite treatment with various steroids. It is possible the patient was affected by unknown contaminants in the drug.
What’s important to take away from this study is that men should
- Always take medications according to directions
- Ask questions before taking a dose if there are any doubts or questions
- Purchase medications from reputable sources
- Let their doctors know about any side effects or reactions associated with sildenafil or any other medication they are taking
Reference
Yanoga F et al. Sildenafil citrate induced retinal toxicity—electroretinogram, optical coherence tomography, and adaptive optics findings. Retinal Cases and Brief Reports 2018 Oct; 12(p): S33-40
