Helpers for many men at the right time, erectile dysfunction medications showed an increase in their online sales between the months of January and July this year.
However, people who have heart problems should be careful when using them.
This type of medication has a vasodilatory action which, although it acts throughout the body, its main action is on the penis. With this dilation, the organ achieves erection, explains urologist Alex Meller, urologist member of EPM/Unifesp (Escola Paulista de Medicina da Universidade Federal de São Paulo).
“This explains some of the side effects, such as the person taking the medicine and feeling an increase in heart rate, redness in the face or stuffy nose. These reactions have to do with vasodilation.”
Cardiologist João Vicente da Silveira, from Hospital Sírio-Libanês, states that people recommended for this medication are those who have difficulty getting an erection or a weak erection.
However, he emphasizes that people who are undergoing nitrate-based treatment should not use medications for erectile dysfunction, at the risk of a drug interaction and lower blood pressure, leading to cardiogenic shock and even death.
“When you use medications for erectile dysfunction in a patient who is already using a vasodilator, it can cause exaggerated dilation and this can really be serious. So, this is what we most need to pay attention to when prescribing, which medications the patient uses concomitantly to provide them with safety”, argues the urologist.
Therefore, patients who have cardiological problems can suffer the effects of vasodilators immediately, warns the cardiologist.
As for use among younger people, doctors claim there are no risks of use, unless they have problems that affect heart health.
“For younger patients who use medication without a prescription, it can generate an effect of psychological dependence. He does not need the medication, but uses it recreationally, and may feel insecure when he is not under the influence of it”, says Meller.
Silveira recommends that, before starting to use medications for erectile dysfunction, the patient undergo tests to check cholesterol, diabetes, triglyceride and thyroid levels, as well as physical exams and blood pressure measurements, confirming ideal health for the prescription.
“The safe dose of medication for erectile dysfunction is up to 100 milligrams in a single tablet, once a day. Any dose greater than this has not been tested, without proof of effectiveness”, concludes Meller.
