When you take Viagra, the initial effect is usually pleasant, creating an enjoyable experience at first. However, many men have reported getting a persistent and unbearable headache after taking this drug.
Is this just a one-time incident for your personal enjoyment or is there something more to it? Let’s investigate together.
Headache Or Intracranial Pressure
First of all, it’s important to distinguish between a headache and an intracranial pressure (ICP).
A headache is an annoying and uncomfortable symptom that seems to have no particular cause. It affects both children and adults and can be extremely painful. Different types of headaches include: migraines, tension headaches, and cluster headaches.
An ICP is an increase in the pressure inside the skull. It’s different from high blood pressure which affects your vessels. Your blood pressure is the pressure your blood vessels are exposed to, while the pressure inside your skull is known as intracranial pressure (ICP). The increase in ICP can be caused by a number of factors, most notably acute traumatic brain injury, stroke, or high blood pressure. An ICP can range from mild to severe, depending on the underlying condition.
If you experience headaches which are severe, bothersome, and poorly responsive to treatment, you should see your doctor so that he can perform a neurological examination. A complete blood count, a lipid panel, and a comprehensive metabolic panel are usually ordered to diagnose possible causes of an ICP. Headaches can also be a symptom of other serious ailments, such as infection or a brain tumor, so it’s important to look for the underlying cause.
Some men have reported getting headaches when they take Viagra. What is the connection between these two seemingly unrelated conditions? Let’s find out.
An Overview Of How Viagra Works
As mentioned before, the initial effect of Viagra is usually pleasant. It relaxes the muscles in your penis and allows your blood to flow more easily. This improves the quality of your erection. However, this is only the short-lived effect of the medication. A number of men have reported getting headaches long after taking Viagra.
Your body produces nitric oxide as part of the normal metabolic process. Nitric oxide is a potent chemical which relaxes your smooth muscles, allowing blood vessels to dilate (expand). This enables better blood flow throughout your whole body. Your nervous system is important in this process as well because it regulates the dilation (expansion) of your blood vessels. This is why taking nitric oxide supplements has been said to help treat erectile dysfunction and migraines.
Viagra is a PDE5 inhibitor. It works by preventing the breakdown of cGMP. In turn, this prevents the relaxation of your smooth muscles and vasodilation (dilation) of your blood vessels. This is what leads to the headache that many men experience after taking Viagra.
Is There A Way To Prevent The Headache?
It is not yet known exactly why some men get headaches after taking Viagra, while others don’t. However, there are some things which you can try to avoid this problem.
The first and most important thing is to consult your doctor. Your doctor can advise you on whether or not you should take Viagra and what the proper dosage should be. If you are not sure about anything, ask your doctor for help and follow his instructions carefully. Don’t try to self-diagnose or treat yourself with home remedies unless your doctor advises you to do so.
Another thing you can try is to make sure your Viagra dosage is correct. The drug is usually taken as directed by your doctor, but as we’ve established, there is a possibility it could cause headaches. Make sure you don’t take any other medications for erectile dysfunction or migraine headaches at the same time as you are taking Viagra. This is because there is a chance that certain medications could interact with the drug and cause headaches. Your doctor will be able to advise you on which medications to avoid when taking Viagra.
It is also advisable to consume fewer alcoholic beverages while on this medication. In some cases, drinking alcohol has been known to cause severe headaches. If you do drink alcohol, try to consume no more than one alcoholic beverage per day. This is because alcohol inhibits the action of nitric oxide and can thus interfere with the actions of Viagra. Avoid drinking alcohol if you want to be headache-free while taking the drug.
Is there something you’re doing which could be causing your headaches? If so, try changing it or stopping it altogether. Seek medical advice if the problem persists. There are sometimes complications which can arise from untreated or improperly treated ICP, so it’s important to be mindful of this as well.