Viagra and Nitrates

One very important thing that you must remember about Viagra is that Viagra and Nitrates can’t be mixed! And when it is so done there can be really serious damage done to the human body and most importantly to the heart itself. So when a person goes for a treatment of his erectile dysfunction he should take special care about the drugs that he is given for it and check if it mixes with his other prescribed medication. Viagra is indeed a prescription drug and everybody should surely consult a physician before even considering taking up the pills for sexual health. If not taken with care and full knowledge Viagra can be potentially dangerous. Recently it came up in the news only because of mishaps that took place after this special care was not taken and some patients faced serious injuries and even death due to Viagra usage.

Doctors always state that Viagra is never, and strictly, never to be taken with nitrates and other drugs that include nitrate. The FDA's warning was issued in conjunction with Pfizer, the manufacturer of Viagra.

What nitrates do is cause the relaxation of the muscles that control the size of blood vessels. Now Viagra also do the same. After each of these chemicals effect the muscles and they begin to relax the vessels begin to get larger in diameter. This results in a considerable drop of the blood pressure. That is the reason why Viagra and nitrates are not to be taken together because the effects that both of the chemicals have on the blood pressure is much greater than what it is if either of the drugs are taken.

This radical drop in blood pressure is unfavorable to patients who have angina pectoris that is heart pain. In such a condition of the heart a higher pressure of blood is needed to flow to the heart and the heart then needs a much greater supply of blood. At this point of state if the blood pressure drops and the flow of blood to the pumping machine lowers then it can certainly lead to a heart attack.
But at the same time it is very true and even medically proved that sexual activity or exercise can precipitate a heart attack in patients with angina pectoris. Therefore it is very likely that it was never the combination of Viagra with nitrates that caused those deaths. But still it is suggested and warned that the two should not be mixed in any case to minimize all kinds of risks.
So a heart patient should consult his physician or cardiologist to make sure that the drugs that he takes for his heart condition does not contain nitrates. If he does then for his treatment of erectile dysfunction he can not take Viagra. His physician in that case will warn him against it and maybe prescribe something else to help him with his problems- something other than this particular drug.s