There is no question that medications can play a big role in an individual’s well-being. Most people take their medications as prescribed, but sometimes there are unexpected interactions that can arise between paired medicines. While this can sometimes be fun…it can also lead to very dangerous situations. A case in point is the drug Viagra, which is known for helping men with erectile dysfunction (or, as it is more formally known, erectile dysfunction, or impotence). Men who are taking Viagra for the first time may not be aware of the damage that their medication can do if they are not careful.
Just like any other medication, there is a potential for fatal or dangerous interactions when taking Viagra. That is why it is so important to be mindful of any interactions that might occur, especially if you:
- Are also taking aspirin or another prescription drug that interacts with Viagra
- Are suffering from hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Are taking nitrates (heart medicine, including nitroglycerin, glyceryl trinitrate, and isosorbide mononitrate)
- Are taking a MAO inhibitor (an anti-depressant or an appetite suppressant)
It is also important to note that there may be interactions between the medications that you are taking and the foods that you eat. This is why you should avoid taking certain medications and/or foods if you are also taking another medication; the combination can sometimes cause severe poisoning. Eating the wrong foods while taking certain medications can also cause major health problems. For instance, if you are taking a drug for high blood pressure and are also anemic (low on blood), you should eat more iron rich foods (like red meat) to help your body fight off the effects of the hypertension medication. This is why it is essential to be knowledgeable about what kinds of food you should avoid taking in conjunction with your medications and vice versa.
Let’s examine each of the above scenarios in more detail. First off, it is important to mention that not all strokes are created equal. There are several different types of stroke, and each one has a slightly different warning flag. In general, strokes are caused by either a blood clot (thrombosis) or an abrupt decrease in the blood flow to the brain (cerebrovascular accident, or CVA).
What exactly is a blood clot? Well, think of a blood clot as a large, hardened mass of blood that has formed in one or more blood vessels. A clot can be created for a variety of reasons, but the most common are:
- Injury to the blood vessel, usually from a cut or poke from a needle
- Disease, such as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries due to excessive cholesterol and/or carotid plaque buildup)
- Genetic predisposition, such as antiphospholipid syndrome
- Certain medications, such as birth control pills and some antibiotics
What are the different types of strokes? Let’s start with the most common and most dangerous type of stroke, known as a cerebral hemorrhage. A cerebral hemorrhage occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, causing a pool of blood to form on the surface of the brain. This is usually the result of either a blood clot or an aneurysm (a weakened spot on a blood vessel that can expand, causing more damage).
A cerebral hemorrhage can be very dangerous because if it is not treated promptly, the pool of blood can cause the oxygen-deprived brain tissue to death. Depending on where the burst occurred in the brain, the patient may be able to recover some function (such as speech and comprehension), but may experience severe neurological damage.
Next, we will examine intracerebral hemorrhage, which is similar to a cerebral hemorrhage, but confined to the brain itself. An intracerebral hemorrhage occurs when a blood vessel within the brain bursts, causing a pool of blood to form on the surface of the brain. Intracerebral hemorrhages are generally less serious than a cerebral hemorrhage, but they can still be very dangerous if not treated promptly. Like a cerebral hemorrhage, an intracerebral hemorrhage can be caused by a blood clot or an aneurysm.
Aspirin and Viagra
Many people are probably already aware of the potential risk of taking aspirin and/or Viagra together. Both of these medications are known for their ability to prevent blood clots, so it makes sense that they would cancel each other out. This is why you should not take both aspirin and Viagra at the same time unless instructed by your doctor to do so. Certain medications that are used to treat high blood pressure, heart disease, and angina (chest pain) can also cause an increased risk of bleeding. Aspirin is one of these medications and it is actually listed under a subheading called: “WARNING: Aspirin may increase the risk of cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction and stroke.” So, if you are taking aspirin for any reason, you should probably avoid taking Viagra as well.
Aspirin and Nitrates
If you are also taking aspirin for cardiovascular protection and you are also taking nitrates for chest pain, you must be careful with how you interact with each other. Nitrates are a class of medications that help to relax the blood vessels, so it is important that they do not interact with aspirin and/or other blood-thinners. A serious interaction can occur if you combine nitrates with aspirin or other medications that thin the blood. If this happens, you can experience severe bleeding, which in some cases, has proved to be fatal.
To avoid this situation, you should not take aspirin while on nitrates unless instructed by your doctor to do so. This is because when aspirin and nitrates are taken together, there is a possibility that the nitrates will become depleted, leaving you susceptible to experiencing a heart attack or stroke. If you experience any of these medical conditions, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible to ensure that you do not experience any complications.
MAOIs and Stroke
Now, we come to the part where we discuss medications that can interact with each other, regardless of whether you are taking them for the same condition or not. A medication that is often used to treat depression called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) can interact with any number of medications, including aspirin, nitrates, and others. If you are taking an MAOI for depression, you should be very careful around these medications and you should know that a potential for serious interactions exists. One such interaction is with aspirin, which may cause a serious and potentially fatal allergic reaction.
To complicate matters further, there is sometimes an interaction between the aspirin that you are taking and the MAOIs, resulting in even more severe allergic reactions and even death. So, if you are taking an MAOI for depression and you are also taking aspirin regularly, you should consult with your doctor about stopping or lowering your aspirin dose. Alternatively, if you experience any allergic reaction from aspirin while taking an MAOI, you should have no hesitation in stopping the medication and seeking medical help immediately. In many cases, the allergic reaction is so severe that it is only recoverable with the help of a medical professional.
In conclusion, it is always important to be mindful of possible drug interactions, especially when taking multiple medications. This is why you should consult with your doctor about any potential interactions, especially if you are not sure about how any of the medications might interact with each other. The better informed you are about these interactions, the better. You should not be afraid to ask your doctor questions, as he or she will not judge you for wanting to understand your medical situation better. Hopefully, this article will help you to avoid some of the more serious complications that may arise from interactions between medications. If you are worried about the medications that your doctor has prescribed for you, it might be a good idea to consult with a pharmacist or other healthcare professional.