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If you have taken FDA-approved erectile dysfunction (ED) medications, or have considered requesting a prescription, you may be familiar with some of the side effects included in the official patient\u00a0information pamphlet.<\/p>\nIf you have taken FDA-approved erectile dysfunction (ED) medications, or have considered requesting a prescription, you may be familiar with some of the side effects included in the official patient\u00a0information pamphlet.<\/p>\n
A few of\u00a0the\u00a0most serious of these side effects\u00a0deal with vision.<\/p>\n
However, a recent study published in the\u00a0April, 2009 edition of Archives of\u00a0Ophthalmology <\/em>revealed that when 212 men took Viagra and Cialis\u00a0every day for\u00a0three months, there were no reported changes in visual function, signs of retina damage or intraocular pressure.<\/p>\n Likewise, after\u00a0daily use for 6 months, no vision loss\u00a0or impairment of any sort was reported in 155 men who continued to take the medications.<\/p>\n 2005 Labeling Change<\/strong><\/p>\n After Viagra and Cialis were put on the market, the FDA stated that there were\u00a0a “small number” of\u00a0reports of vision loss,\u00a0which\u00a0prompted a labeling change\u00a0on packages of\u00a0Viagra,\u00a0Cialis and\u00a0Levitra.<\/p>\n Yet, the FDA said “it is not possible to determine whether these oral medicines for erectile dysfunction were the cause of the loss of eyesight or whether the problem is related to other factors such as high blood pressure or diabetes, or to a combination of these problems.”<\/p>\n You can access patient information for Viagra<\/a>, as well as\u00a0patient information for Cialis<\/a> on our website.<\/p>\n ED Medications and the Retina<\/strong><\/p>\n The authors of the study, as quoted in USA Today, stated that\u00a0“PDE5 inhibitors can exert direct effects on the retina, and such effects probably account for many of the visual side effects…\u00a0that have been reported.”\u00a0Some men have rarely reported that their vision appears to have a bluish tint, or that they are more sensitive to light, after taking ED medications.<\/p>\n Men who have ever had severe loss of vision, which might reflect a prior episode of non arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), should share this information with their doctor, as\u00a0such patients are at an increased risk of developing NAION again.<\/p>\n Again, these types of side effects are rare. In the event you have side effects affecting your vision, speak with\u00a0your doctor.<\/p>\n The authors of the above Archives of Ophthalmology <\/em>study\u00a0concluded that, with regard to\u00a0the vision of\u00a0study participants,\u00a0“results indicate that there is no cumulative damage or effect of clinical significance for either 5 milligrams of tadalafil (Cialis)<\/a> or 50 milligrams of sildenafil (Viagra)<\/a> taken daily for six months.”<\/p>\n This is encouraging news for a very specific study carried out by professional ophthalmologists.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"\/blog\/files\/media\/image\/RS%20Eye%20Glasses.jpg\")
Summary of Study<\/strong><\/p>\n