If you struggle with ED, drugs like Viagra, sildenafil, tadalafil, and other FDA-approved medications could help with your performance. But if you’re not prescribed one of these meds, taking them could cause serious health problems.
Recreational Viagra use does happen, and while some men see harmless benefits from the active ingredient in the famous “little blue pill,” they’re still taking a significant risk every time they take it without medical advice from a urologist, urology expert, or other healthcare professional.
Below, we’ve explained how and why Viagra could become a serious men’s health issue.
Image Credit: Wavebreakmedia / iStock.
Why Do People without ED Take Viagra?
Viagra is an effective ED treatment that can improve performance, make arousals firmer, and improve your intimate life. Since those benefits are attractive whether you have ED or not, some men without ED may take Viagra off-label to try to up their game – despite the serious side effects.
Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.
Some younger men take Viagra in hope of enhanced performance in bed.
Young men are more likely to take Viagra without actually needing it, given they’re less likely to struggle with ED. Performance anxiety, inexperience, and feelings of inadequacy may play a motivational role as well. Research involving more than 1,900 college-age men found that four percent of otherwise healthy undergraduates reported recreationally using ED drugs like Viagra.
More than 70 percent of these guys were “just curious” about ED medications, while others said they used it to counteract other drugs that were affecting their health. Some reported using it to impress a partner or enhance their self-esteem.
Image Credit: Jovanmandic / iStock.
Other men may take Viagra because they’re mistaken about the benefits.
There are a lot of misperceptions about how ED drugs work, and these mistaken ideas make it more likely that someone will take Viagra in a risky way. For instance, many men believe that Viagra might reduce their refractory period — the period of time after coming when it’s difficult to get another arousal.
Image Credit: KucherAV / iStock.
Some men need medication for ED, but don’t want to ask for a prescription.
Some men take Viagra off-label because they lack confidence or want to avoid professional treatment. Research shows that men who use ED medications recreationally typically report lower confidence and reduced satisfaction compared to peers.
Image Credit: gorodenkoff/istockphoto.
Some don’t take Viagra for intimate reasons at all, using it instead to boost their athletic performance.
Since it was originally used as a treatment for pulmonary hypertension (a form of high blood pressure in the lungs) and functions as a vasodilator that increases blood flow to the lungs, “Vitamin V” could have some mildly positive effects on a few types of exercise.
In fact, a 2004 study showed that sildenafil increased the maximum exercise capacity of mountaineers and trekkers at both sea level and at altitude.
Image Credit: gregepperson / iStock.
Side Effects and Risks of Taking Viagra without ED
There’s not much research about the long-term dangers of taking ED meds recreationally, but there’s more than enough information available about the general risk factors of taking this medication and the health conditions it can cause or exacerbate.
Common side effects of Viagra include:
-
Headache
-
Facial flushing
-
Dyspepsia (indigestion)
-
Nasal congestion
-
Myalgia (muscle pain)
-
Abnormal vision
-
Back pain
-
Nausea
-
Dizziness
-
Rash
Viagra could lead to more serious side effects, such as:
-
Priapism (a painful, long-lasting arousal)
-
Vision loss
-
Chest pain
-
Flu-like symptoms
-
Stroke
-
Dizziness
You could also face serious risks from drug interactions.
Taking this medication with other medications and products can be dangerous, particularly when using:
-
Nitrates
-
Alpha blockers
-
Grapefruit juice
-
Recreational drugs like cocaine
-
Supplements for finishing early
-
Certain medications for heart disease
If you experience severe side effects after using Viagra or other ED medication, it’s important to seek medical advice and assistance as soon as possible.
Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.
What Happens If You Take Viagra and You Don’t Need It?
What happens if you take Viagra and don’t have intimacy or ED? There may be no serious side effects, or you may be at risk of damaging the blood vessels in your privates, creating dependency, or causing yourself heart problems.
Using medications when anxious can lead to psychological dependency — a crutch in place of working on the most important problems ( self-confidence, physical health, etc.).
Then there’s the behavioral risk. Recreational use of ED meds is associated with risky behavior, according to a review of 14 studies, 11 of which focused on Viagra use among gay men.
In many of these studies, the researchers found more than 10 percent of men having intimacy with men used sildenafil citrate — and that its use is associated with higher risks of unprotected intimacy with HIV-positive partners.
According to the review, men who use ED drugs like Viagra recreationally are likely to display one or more of the following behaviors:
-
Frequent one-night stands
-
Multiple partners
-
Intimacy with other men
-
Illegal drug use
-
Unprotected intimacy
Last but not least, using Viagra when you don’t have ED brings the risk of poisoning.
Some of the pills out there could be counterfeits or may be manufactured in unsafe environments. They could also be made using potentially harmful ingredients — and those won’t be listed on the labels.
Image Credit: Andrea Migliarini / iStock.
Taking Half a Viagra for Fun: Not Worth the Risks
ED medications aren’t magic, and a healthcare professional will explain that phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors aren’t growth hormones, nor do they treat finishing early or psychological ED.
Here’s what you need to know about taking Viagra without ED:
-
You shouldn’t take Viagra for fun. Brand-name ED drugs like Cialis (tadalafil), Levitra(vardenafil), Stendra and others that are FDA-approved to treat ED are also not safe to use without medical advice.
-
If a healthcare provider hasn’t prescribed these medications to you for any reason, don’t use them. There is no safe way to use these medications if you don’t need to.
-
If you want to deal with your ED, work with a healthcare professional to get the right support and ED treatment(s).
This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
Image Credit: PeopleImages/istockphoto.
More from MediaFeed
Finishing Early? This Is What Guys Need to Know
Image Credit: Deposit Photos.