In the News – Viagra and Hearing Loss

In non-hair loss news:

Sure, Pfizer’s wonder pill has side effects such as headaches, facial flushing, upset stomach, erections lasting more than four hours, bluish or sudden loss of vision. There’s one more risk to the pill that grants erections: Hearing loss.

Research published this week in Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery showed an association between long-term hearing loss and Viagra.

This side effect is already acknowledged by Viagra – especially after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration forced this labeling changes for oral erectile dysfunction medicines known as PDE5 inhibitors in 2007.

Read the rest of the article — Viagra associated with hearing loss

Interesting. All medications carry some side effect risks, regardless of rarity… but there are some medications, like Viagra, where many of the side effects are well known. It got me to think about how many millions of people still take Viagra despite those side effect warnings, including sudden loss of vision and now apparently hearing loss. Yet the pills still sell incredibly well and men (even those without erectile dysfunction) are eager to take it!

And then think about all the men who worry about Propecia’s sexual side effects, which occur in 1 to 2% of men (which are reversible) and are afraid to even try it. I guess it is all about perspective. I suppose we’d rather be bald, blind, and deaf than to not have sex!