No one knows when a medical emergency might strike. It could happen in the blink of an eye. And your care in the critical minutes that follow can truly be a matter of life or death. To deliver that care, emergency responders need to know everything they possibly can about your medical history and particularly the medications you are taking. And if you are a Viagra user, be sure to mention the little blue pill along with any other prescription or over-the-counter drugs you use regularly.
If it strikes you as curious that you need to mention Viagra use to an EMT or paramedic, remember that virtually every drug, no matter how innocuous it might seem, can interact adversely with other medications. And knowing what drugs may already be in your system can help the emergency responders decide what medications they should employ to help treat you in a critical care situation.
How Viagra Works
Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, temporarily optimizes blood flow to the penis to allow men with erectile dysfunction to get and keep an erection suitable for intercourse. In doing this, the medication expands arteries to carry more blood, which lowers your overall blood pressure. If the EMTs give you another potent blood pressure-lowering drug, such as nitroglycerin, for example, it could cause a potentially life-threatening drop in blood pressure.
Realistically, a future medical emergency may leave you unconscious or otherwise unable to supply this critical information to an emergency responder. For that reason, it’s a good idea to carry a list of all the medications — both prescription and OTC — that you take on a regular basis. Such a list can be tucked into your wallet where it’s most likely to be found by an EMT or paramedic. If you are awake and alert, however, you can tell the responder when you last took Viagra. If it’s been a day or so, the active ingredient is probably out of your system, reducing the chance of any adverse interaction to near zero.
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