An anonymous Viagra user has recently asked Dr. Keith Roach, who writes for North America Syndicate, an important question about its potential side effect.
A 66-year-old healthy man asked Dr. Roach that he was prescribed Viagra by his physician for his symptoms of erectile dysfunction. The man said he was a nonsmoker, was not overweight, and was on no medication. His physician orders blood tests and testosterone test, which were normal. His blood pressure, however, was a bit high. His physician explained to him that as long as he keeps it under 140/90, he would not need any blood pressure medication.
He was prescribed Viagra, which he took three times. The initial dose was 60 mg and the subsequent dose 20 mg (one pill). He said it worked as expected; however, about half an hour after taking the dose, he stated his heart started to beat hard and fast. He mentioned that it happens on and off for a few hours. He questioned Dr. Roach that should he be concerned about it because he read that it is a rare side effect of Viagra (1 in 1,000 people).
Dr. Roach advised the man to discuss this with his prescribing physician.
“It’s important, and you will get to know your new doctor more quickly by discussing something important like this,” said Dr. Roach.
The North America Syndicate writer explained that Viagra (sildenafil) works by adjusting blood flow and acts as a vasodilator, which is why the drug commonly causes flushing. The blood flows into blood vessels that are more open than usual, so the heart will be affected.
With sildenafil running in your bloodstream, your blood pressure drops on average six points systolic and four points diastolic, noted Dr. Roach.
The heart responds by beating a bit more quickly and forcefully in some people who take Viagra. Dr. Roach said, “I would not be surprised by a person paying close attention to their body noticing that. An extra glass of water may help a bit with this side effect.” Dr. Roach recommends keeping a record of when palpitations occur and what you have been doing at that period. He said, “Include a careful measurement of the pulse rate and blood pressure, if you have a cuff at home.”
