Viagra Gets Some Blame for the Increase of STDs
We know for a fact that erectile dysfunction medications like Viagra, Cialis and Levitra can and do help millions of men overcome impotence and increase their stamina. We also know that these drugs have some unpleasant side effects, which include headache, dizziness, upset stomach, stuffy/runny nose, and others. But, did you know that the use of Viagra and similar drugs can contribute to the increase of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases)?
An interesting analysis published by the Annals of Internal Medicine found that men who use impotence treatments have higher rates of STDs, especially HIV infection. The study also stated that old men (over 40) are more likely to use ED medications and more likely to engage in unsafe sex practices, and that results in higher numbers of STDs in senior men.
Pfizer (the maker of Viagra), other ED drug manufacturers, doctors, and health care experts always emphasize that ED treatments do not treat or prevent STDs. ED patients who visit their doctor to get medical consultation or prescription are advised to discuss safe sex practices and protection against STDs with their doctor before starting to use the drugs.
FDA Disapproves the “Pink Viagra” Pill Flibanserin
There has been a lot of buzz in the news lately about female Viagra, aka pink Viagra. A German pharmaceutical company, Boehringer, developed a medicine called flibanserin, which has shown promise in “treating” sexual dysfunction in women.
Flibanserin was initially developed as an antidepressant, but in later studies it was fairly successful in treating Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), which is characterized by the decrease or loss of sexual fantasies and desire in women for a period of time. Unlike Viagra, which treats erectile dysfunction in men by improving the man’s physical sexual ability, flibanserin works on the woman’s mind and improves her mood.
Watch the following CBS report for more information about HSDD and this new pill.
But don’t get too excited about this! An expert panel at the FDA has already voted against flibanserin. The following CBS video report has more about this decision.
That’s just another “female Viagra” pill (added to a few dozens more) that gets a ‘No’ from the FDA. There should definitely be more attempts by drug makers in the future to come up with a feminine Viagra counterpart, but will there ever be such a drug with its benefits outweighing its side effects? Let’s keep watching.
Customs in Dubai Seize Millions of Spurious Viagra Pills
About seven million inauthentic and illegal drug pills were seized by Dubai Customs when UAE authorities raided a warehouse in the Dry Port in Dubai.
The seized medicines included Viagra, Levitra, and other sexual medications and supplements, which were found to be fake and illegally manufactured.
This is not the first, and most likely not the last, time that fake Viagra shipments and stocks get seized by authorities in different countries and ports around the world.
The pharmaceutical industry is very lucrative and active worldwide and that is a strong motive for drug counterfeiters to keep making and pushing their illegal copies of legitimate medications. Customs and health authorities in all countries always try their best to combat and stop fake medicines before they reach the end user, but it’s also the consumer’s responsibility to always talk to their doctor before buying or taking a new medicine, and to purchase the medicine from a reputable, certified drugstore.
Priligy: The Premature Ejaculation Pill Now Available in the UK
Priligy (dapoxetine hydrochloride) is the first approved medication for premature ejaculation in men. It is available in many European countries and has recently been launched in the UK. The medicine is still in approval process by the FDA and is expected to be available in the United States soon.
This treatment was originally developed by Eli Lilly and Company (Cialis maker) to be used as an antidepressant. In 2003, Johnson & Johnson bought the patent from Lilly for $65M, and continued to develop the drug for the treatment of premature ejaculation.
Premature ejaculation, or rapid ejaculation, is a condition that affects many men who have poor control over their climax during intercourse, which results in early ejaculation and end of sexual urge for the male partner. Priligy gives hope to men suffering from PE and can help them enjoy long lasting action in bed.
Priligy is sold as 30mg and 60mg oral doses, priced at about £25 ($38) per tablet. The medication is available to men aged 18-64 who have a valid prescription from their doctor.
A New Topical Testosterone Enhancer by Eli Lilly
Eli Lilly and Company, the manufacturer of the popular erectile dysfunction drug Cialis (tadalafil), has signed an exclusive worldwide license to market and sell a new testosterone enhancement drug called Axiron. The drug, which is still in experimental and review stages, was developed by Acrux Ltd, an Australian biotech company focused on developing transdermal drug delivery systems (the administration of medicine through the skin). Axiron will be available as a lotion or a patch.
Men who suffer from low libido as a result of low testosterone levels will benefit from Axiron, which can boost their testosterone to a normal level and help them enjoy better sex drive and improved erectile function.
The drug was submitted by Lilly for FDA approval and global marketing authorization. If approved, Axiron will enter the highly competitive, $1 billion market of testosterone therapies.
About 40% of men aged 45 and older suffer from some degree of testosterone deficiency, which results in weakened sexual ability. This new medicine will add a new option for low testosterone patients who are usually prescribed rub-on gels, patches, or intramuscular injections.
Porn Can Make You More Viagra Dependent
In a Huffington Post article entitled “No Porn, No Viagra?“, Marnia Robinson, an expert on sexual relationships, discusses the negative effects of Internet porn on male potency. She concludes that men who are addicted to Internet porn are likely to develop porn-ED, which is the inability to get an erection without the use of porn stimulation (e.g. watching online pornographic videos).
Men who frequently masturbate to porn will become less responsive to “natural” sexual stimulation by their partners, and will need an external stimulant, like a Viagra pill, to help them get it up.
This condition seems to be reversible and can be cured “simply” by quitting porn. That may not be an easy step to take for most porn addicts since their brains are wired in a certain way that makes them more sexually responsive to porn/masturbation and less reactive to real women. That’s why men trying to recover from porn addiction usually get frustrated and many of them return to using porn after just a few days/weeks. However, if someone has real determination to continue the healing process by abstaining from porn for a certain period of time (could be weeks or months) then his brain will rewire and return to normal mode, i.e. being able to get it up and engage in satisfactory sexual intercourse with a real partner without the help of porn or medicines like Viagra.
Use the link above to read the full article for more details on this issue and some real stories of men who suffered from it.
A Really Long Lasting Erection Almost Kills a Man
A 55-year-old Indian businessman, whose name has not been published for privacy, had a 21 day lasting erection, which doctors say could have killed him. The man was very lucky to get medical attention at the last minute.
This health condition is known as priapism, which happens when the erect penis does not return to its flaccid state after the stimulant that caused the erection is gone. In this condition, the blood (that flowed into the penis to make it erect) stays trapped into the penis causing it to remain “up”. If the erection lasts for more than 4 hours, it can cause serious problems including: permanent impotence, death of the penis (which may require amputation of the organ), and even death of the patient.
Priapism can be caused by other health problems, or as a reaction to the use of ED drugs (like Viagra, Cialis and Levitra). In this man’s case, doctors believe that the erection was triggered by a neurological disorder, and that the patient did not use Viagra or any other medication for impotence. Unfortunately and ironically, the man will be impotent for the rest of his life as a result of the surgical operation that saved his life.
The FDA and ED drug manufacturers persistently advice patients who take prescription ED medications (i.e. Viagra, Cialis and Levitra) to seek immediate medical care, or see their doctor, if an erection lasts for more than 4 hours. Otherwise, the price can be as high as the patient’s life.
Viagra Spam Targets Twitter Users
Due to the huge amounts of spam being sent out lately, and the “smarter” spam filters employed by most, if not all, email service providers, email spam started to get less effective for its operators. That’s why spammers are always seeking and trying new methods to deliver their unsolicited messages to naive-enough users who would fall for whatever the spammer is offering. Social networking sites are becoming more trendy and popular, and such sites have started attracting the interest and focus of many spammers and scammers.
Recently, a blast of Viagra spam messages targeted Twitter users who received “get bigger and last longer” offers with a link to a “pharmacy” site selling herbal/fake Viagra. The spam messages were sent out from other compromised Twitter accounts that belong to innocent users. Twitter has warned its users about this issue and urged those of possibly-hacked accounts to change their password immediately.
Viagra spam has always been a huge problem and source of concern to end users (who get lots of annoying pill ads), website owners (who get hit by spammers), manufacturers of authentic medications like Pfizer (Viagra maker), and health authorities. As long as Viagra sells, spammers will try to do anything to push it to as many potential online customers as possible. So, educating Internet users and consumers about the dangers of spam would (in my opinion) be a better investment than trying to put roadblocks in the spammers’ way, because they can always find one byway or another.
Pfizer to Launch an Over-The-Counter Version of Viagra
Viagra developer and manufacturer, Pfizer Inc, is planning on launching a new, non-prescription version of its blockbuster anti-impotence drug, Viagra (sildenafil citrate). The new medicine, which does not have a name yet, is expected to be available in 2011. This new product comes just in the perfect time, since Pfizer’s U.S. patent on Viagra expires in 2012, after which the “much cheaper” generic versions of Viagra are expected to take over.
The new product contains revised ingredients (some of which are also found in Viagra) that make it safe and available for use without a prescription, i.e. anyone will be able to buy it over the counter without seeing a doctor.
Pfizer has always been trying to make their in-demand ED drug as easily obtainable as possible, even if it was at the expense of the patient’s health. In fact, Pfizer has already sought to make Viagra available over the counter in Europe in 2007. However, they withdrew the application after the European Medicines Agency objected to the bid due to the potential health risks of Viagra, and to prevent increased misuse of this medication.
So, will this new ED treatment replace Viagra? Well, it will all come down to results. Even though OTC drugs are generally less effective than prescription-only ones, Pfizer may be cooking some “big” surprises in this new product. We will be following and posting updates on this story.
Hitler Took Custom Made Viagra Injections
A new book about the health of Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany, reveals that Hitler took a special form of Viagra to keep up with his mistress, Eva Braun, who was 23 years younger than him.
The claim is based on medical archives and papers from Hitler’s personal physician, Dr. Theodor Morell, who was well-known for his controversial and quirky treatments.
The papers revealed that Morell prepared an energy-boosting “medicine” that contained testosterone and a mix of young bulls’ semen and prostate glands. Morell gave this “Viagra” to Hitler as an injection, like he preferred to take most of his medications, because Hitler was afraid of pills. Who wants to take a pill that has bull semen in it, anyway? Yuck!
Testosterone supplements are used nowadays to improve male potency as an alternative to prescription ED drugs, like Viagra (sildenafil citrate) and Cialis (tadalafil). But I am not sure about the bulls’ semen and prostate glands.
Well, at the end of the day, there’s a great woman behind every great man, and a little blue pill in his pocket!