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GCA and Viagra

Posted , 4 users are following.

Lee-Colorado
Lee-Colorado

Since dropping below 5mg I am having ED problems. I read the prescription details on Viagra and it mentions vision loss. Since I have GCA this is a cause for concern. Does anyone out here have experience with this?

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • tina-uk_cwall
    tina-uk_cwall Lee-Colorado

    Posted

    Hello lee, I assume ED stands for erectile dysfunction because of the mention of viagra? I personally have not had any experience of this nor do I have GCA, but ED can be caused by many reasons and it could simply be a coincidence that it has occurred whilst at such a low dose of preds. 

    I don't want to worry you but one reason is diabetes, type 1 and 2 so maybe you should visit your primary dr for a blood test? Also speak to your dr about the question of vision loss with viagra. All the best, tina

  • EileenH
    EileenH Lee-Colorado

    Posted

    I believe cardiovascular disease is one cause of ED - and vasculitis is one cause of that. Something to take to your doctor and not really something for a forum.
    • EileenH
      EileenH

      Posted

      I should have added - particularly a forum where something like 85% plus of the members are female! Not because we are sensitive flowers who can't cope with discussing sexual problems but because we don't have the relevant experience. Certainly one of the side effects of pred is loss of libido but that doesn't seem to be your problem.
  • Lee-Colorado
    Lee-Colorado

    Posted

    Indeed, 75% of the people who suffer with our autoimmune problem are female. Another problem with dropping below 4mg is that my BP/HR has gone from 116/73 -70 to 131/69-63. My A1C and CRP were recently measured at 5.8 and 1.9 respectively. 

    Vasculitis is an inflammation of the blood vessels which I believe is also a problem caused by PMR/GCA. Since I have been using EXCEL to plot BP/HR for over a year I have noticed that when ever I taper pred my vitals jump for a few days.

    Eileen, I will discuss this with my physician but I have a question for you. I am thinking of going back up to 5mgs. Do you see any problems?

                           

    • EileenH
      EileenH Lee-Colorado

      Posted

      It isn't my place to say yeah or nay, I'm not a medical advisor, but 5mg is a very low dose by most people's standards. I have recentlu tried a reduction from 4mg to 3mg which stuck at 3.5 (alternate days 4 and 3) and discussion with my GP was actually on the basis of returning to 5mg for a year before trying another reduction - because I do feel far better at 5mg than at 4mg. I feel OK at 4mg, just maybe less energy. She didn't regard it as a problem. What I will probably try first is 2 days 5mg and one of 2mg, repeated, i.e. the same 12mg over 3 days. The initial trial seems OK but it is early days.
    • Lee-Colorado
      Lee-Colorado EileenH

      Posted

      Thank You. I changed my nickname from Cc24356 to the current one to this one which denotes my gender. I hate pred and the documentation I have read indicates that anything 7 and below is mild. I just tried the EOD of 3 then 2.5, what a disaster! As soon as I stabilize at 3, if I can, I will try to reduce in quarter increments which worked well going from 5-3.

       

    • EileenH
      EileenH Lee-Colorado

      Posted

      You always have to remember though that you are not relentlessly reducing to zero - however much you hate pred and its effects it is the only way of managing PMR/GCA symptoms. Either you accept the amount of pred you need or you accept that you don't take pred at all and put up with the symptoms. Taking not enough pred, even if it is a lower dose, is pointless. The only reason for taking it is to get the benefit of enhancced QOL.No better QOL, no point taking pred. On the other hand - have you had a synacthen test done to see if your adrenal glands are actually going to be in aposiiton to do their job when you reduce the pred even further. If they aren't going to be working 100% then that will contribute to the problems getting off pred. It is one thing that really needs to be eliminated at this stage.

      What I don't think is clear from my previous post is that the suggestion of 5mg actually originated from the GP more than me. She is pretty unconcerned.

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