Sildenafil citrate, commonly known as Viagra, was released in 1998 to treat erectile dysfunction in males. Pfizer pharmaceutical supported research into the drug's potential for females; however, after 3,000 women, the study ended in 2004. Pfizer was frustrated to find out that sexual desire and arousal are more complicated in women. In 2008, data showed that Viagra reduced antidepressants' effects of sexual dysfunction in almost two-thirds of the women. The fact is that women do use Viagra and experience side effects.
Headaches
According to the data from a 2007 study, a randomized clinical trial of 98 participants by Dr. H. George Nurnberg and colleagues at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, the most frequently reported side effect among the women was that of headaches. Specifically, 43 percent of the women in the sildenafil citrate treatment group experienced headaches compared to 27 percent in the placebo group.
Nasal Congestion
Among the participants of the study, the second most frequently reported side effect from taking sildenafil citrate was that of a stuffy nose. This effect occurred in 37 percent of the women in the treatment group while 6 percent of the women in the placebo group also reported this symptom.
Flushing of the Skin
Another frequent adverse reaction to the drug that was indicated by the women was a sudden flushing or redness of the skin. Of the women in the drug treatment group, 24 percent reported flushing of the skin after taking sildenafil citrate compared to no such complaints from the women in the placebo group.
Other Effects
Several of the participants experienced different types of sensory changes during the clinical trial, which included primarily visual (blue vision) as well as less-frequent auditory disturbances: 14 percent of the drug treatment group complained of such sensory changes as did 2 percent of the placebo group during the study. Another reported side effect involved gastric distress. Dyspepsia or indigestion was experienced by 12 percent of the participants who took the sildenafil citrate, whereas none of the women in the control-placebo group reported experiencing this side effect. Additionally, palpitations and insomnia occurred at the same frequency in the respective groups for both side effects: 8 percent of the drug treatment group reported the occurrence of palpitations with sleeping problems in contrast to 2 percent of the placebo group for both of these reported symptoms.
References
- Food and Drug Administration: Viagra
- Women's Health: Female Viagra
- Sildenafil Treatment of Women With Antidepressant-Associated Sexual Dysfunction: A Randomized Controlled Trial; Nurnberg, G. et al.; 2008
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