I imagine most people would agree, taking a whole bottle of Viagra in one go is not the best idea in the world, and it turns out, the effects are just as alarming as you might think.
A story has emerged about an unnamed man in his mid fifties, who drank down an entire bottle of liquid sildenafil (30ml) in one go.
Sildenafil is the active ingredient found inside Viagra pills – the famous erectile dysfunction medication – and the man had taken 10 times the recommended dose.
As you might imagine, this has had some serious consequences.
As reported by Live Science, the man began to have eye problems after taking the excessive dose.
After two months, the eye problems persisted and the man went to his doctor to seek advice. Explaining how his vision had been affected, the man described seeing a ‘doughnut’ shape in the centre of his vision.
Medics treating the man at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston found the man had ‘debilitating night blindness’ and was suffering from extreme light sensitivity.
Tests found retinal disruption in both his eyes, and although some symptoms cleared up, the donut shapes in his vision remained.
Viagra ConnectThe case was outlined in the journal, JAMA Ophthalmology:
A man in his mid-50s presented with reports of bilateral central ring scotomata of 2 months’ duration after ingestion of liquid sildenafil.
He reports he consumed the entire 30-mL bottle (total dose, 750 mg, almost 10 times the recommended dose of 80 mg) and experienced debilitating night blindness, photophobia, and central doughnut-shaped field defects in both eyes.
The nyctalopia and photophobia improved within days, but central ring scotomata persisted. He was a frequent sildenafil user prior to this episode and noted transient photophobia with sildenafil use in the past.
Today I learned why viagra can cause loss of vision. At last being a neuroscience major has paid off.
— cool ranch (@_RachelAbraham) November 3, 2017
As reported by Live Science, lead case-report author Dr. Hilary Brader, explained the man had not returned for his follow-up appointment, so it is unknown whether or not his condition has improved.
Definitely not worth taking these sorts of risks and it’s always best to remember, prescribed doses are there for a reason. Let’s just hope this man is ok.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.