Viagra, a treatment for erectile dysfunction, was first introduced to the US market in 1998. In the ensuing years, similar erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs, including Cialis and Levitra, were introduced as well.
These drugs have been remarkably profitable for their manufacturers. Viagra, manufactured by Pfizer, has been used by over 23 million men, and had about $1.7 billion dollars in sales in 2005. Cialis, manufactured by Eli Lilly, and Levitra, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, have also proved very profitable for their manufacturers.
ED Drugs and Sudden Vision Loss
In the years since Viagra and other erectile dysfunction medications have been available in the US, several disturbing new side effects of the drugs have been discovered, including newly publicized risks of vision loss and even blindness.
According to data in the US Food and Drug Administration’s Adverse Event Reports database, analyzed by the consumer protection group Public Citizen, Viagra is associated with more cases of Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (NAION) vision loss than any other medication currently on the US market.
The study concluded that NAION blindness per one million prescriptions was 18 times higher for Viagra users and 25 times higher for Cialis users. No information on Levitra was calculated for this study.
NAION is a type of sudden vision loss that occurs when the blood flow to the optic nerve is blocked. One of the most common causes of sudden vision loss in older Americans, and is frequently associated with conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, which are also correlated to erectile dysfunction. However, several of the reported cases of NAION occurred within approximately 14 hours of taking the erectile dysfunction medications, which makes the correlation between the drugs and the vision loss much stronger. In the study by Public Citizen, too, patients taking ED medications had a much higher incidence of NAION than patients taking medications that would indicate similar cardiovascular risk factors.
Other Side Effects
In addition to NAION vision problems, Viagra and later drugs Cialis and Levitra have been linked to a number of other alarming side effects caused by the sudden drop in blood pressure caused by the drugs. This drop in blood pressure can cause sudden death, heart attacks, and hypertension, among other problems.
FDA Warnings
In response to the mounting evidence of a correlation between NAION blindness and use of ED medications, warnings were included in the packaging for Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra, alerting patients to the risk of NAION vision problems.
Public Citizen, however, has petitioned the FDA to require stronger, “black box” warnings, to alert patients of the risks. In public statements, however, FDA officials have claimed that the correlation is not sufficiently supported by data to require such strong warnings.
What You Can Do
If you or someone you love suffered from vision loss or or other side effects while using Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra for erectile dysfunction, you may have recourse to recover damages from the drug company that manufactured and marketed the drug.
To learn more about current lawsuits and scientific research into the links between these erectile dysfunction medication and vision problems, contact an experienced pharmaceutical injury attorney in your area today. He or she can review your case with you and help you determine how you can recover damages for your losses.
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