High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the potential causes of erectile dysfunction (ED). In most men, ED is often associated with hypertension, but there are treatments they can try.
Doctors usually treat ED with one of the drugs called PDE5 inhibitors. Sildenafil, vardenafil, tadalafil, and avanafil are the FDA-approved PDE5 inhibitors that help treat ED effectively. All of these medicines work in similar ways when it comes to treating ED.
Researchers conducted multiple studies to study the effects of sildenafil (Generic Viagra) on blood pressure in hypertensive and non-hypertensive men.
A 2002 study found that sildenafil caused mild, clinically insignificant reductions in ambulatory blood pressure in men with hypertension, suggesting that the drug does not raise blood pressure.
In fact, the study, published in PubMed, suggested that Generic Viagra should be safe in younger as well as older men with or without high blood pressure if used in accordance with the current treatment guidelines and prescribing information.
Dr. Elijah Saunders once told ABC News, “A drug such as Viagra, which is a drug that enhances nitric oxide, and nitric oxide is a vasodilator — and that means that it can lower blood pressure.”
Dr. Saunders, who died in 2015, was a University of Maryland School of Medicine professor of medicine and cardiologist who was a leading voice on African-American cardiovascular care.
He had said, “So Viagra can contribute to a lowering of the blood pressure, especially if one is on other blood pressure-lowering drugs or drugs like nitrates — nitroglycerine, isosorbide — drugs that normally work in a similar way as Viagra.”
“But I would think that other blood pressure drugs and Viagra may act in a synergistic or additive way to affect the blood pressure. So I would be sure that your doctor knows what other drugs you’re on before you take Viagra.”
Word of Caution
Men whose blood pressure is not under control and those who take antihypertensive drugs containing alpha-blockers should not take Generic Viagra. Alpha-blockers and sildenafil interact adversely to reduce blood pressure to a potentially dangerous level.
Men who take this ED drug along with alpha-blockers experience severe hypotension, which is a medical emergency. That’s because both Generic Viagra and alpha-blockers lower blood pressure dramatically.
In addition, men may not be able to take Generic Viagra if they use nitrates for chest pain. Similarly, those with cardiovascular disease, kidney or liver dysfunction, or neurological disorders are not allowed to use Generic Viagra.
The Bottom Line Generic Viagra does not raise your blood pressure. Instead, it slightly decreases your blood pressure, which is why some men who take the drug may experience mild dizziness. However, men who are taking alpha-blockers to manage their blood pressure should not use any PDE5 inhibitors, including Generic Viagra.
