Women
Viagra is neither approved or recommended for use in women. Therefore, women should not take Viagra under any circumstances.
Older Men
Men older than 65 are very sensitive to the effects of Viagra. It's for this reason that men over 65 are started on a smaller dose and increased if indicated and tolerated.
Other Medicines
Certain drugs can alter the way Viagra works in the body and vice versa. For this reason, some drugs are not recommended for use while taking Viagra. In fact, some drugs can interact in such a way that they could cause harm or severe illness. The following is a list of drugs your doctor needs to be made aware of before taking Viagra.
- Protease Inhibitors (Crixivan, Invirase, Norvir, Viracept,
Fortovase, Agenerase, Lopinavir): Increases the amount of Viagra in your blood and prolongs the action of Viagra. Men on Protease Inhibitors should start with a dose of 25mg and at most use 50mg.
- Cimetidine (Tagamet)
- Erythromycin (E.E.S. or Ery-Tab)
- Itraconazole (Sporanox)
- Ketaconazole (Nizoral)
- Mibefradil (Posicor): These medicines may increase the unwanted effects of sildenafil, unless lower starting doses of sildenafil are used.
- Nitrates / Nitroglycerin (Nitrostat or Transderm-Nitro): Sildenafil and nitrates excessively lower blood pressure when used together. Therefore you should NEVER use sildenafil when you have been prescribed nitrates for chest pain.
What About Other Medical Conditions
Certain medical conditions make taking Viagra a little more difficult. In fact, certain conditions prohibit the use of Viagra all together. Here are some medical conditions your doctor must know about before you start taking Viagra.- HIV/AIDS: Certain HIV drugs may interact with Viagra (see above)
- Arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat)
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart attack or a history of (within the last 6 months)
- High blood pressure or low blood pressure
- Stroke or a history of (within the last 6 months)—Chance of problems occurring may be increased
- Abnormal penis, including curved penis and birth defects of the penis
- Bleeding problems
- Retinitis pigmentosa (disorder of the retina)
- Conditions causing thickened blood or slower blood flow, including leukemia, multiple myeloma (tumors of the bone marrow, or polycythemia, sickle cell disease, and thrombocythemia (blood problems)
- Priapism (prolonged erection) or a history of priapism
- Heart or blood diseases
- Kidney problems (severe)
- Liver problems (severe) - Lower starting doses may be used and doses increased as needed and tolerated.
