Doctors amputate man’s penis after he took Viagra while dozens of men suffer persistent erections, watchdogs say
- Some 279 side effects were reported by men in the UK over the last two years
- Men suffered with blurred vision, a blocked nose, or a banana-shaped phallus
- There have been 28 recorded deaths from taking the drug, a watchdog says
Viagra use left one man without a penis after he reacted so badly to the drug his appendage had to be amputated, a watchdog has revealed.
There were 279 side-effects of sildenafil, the umbrella term for Viagra, reported by men in the UK over the last two years – including blurred vision, a blocked nose and a banana-shaped phallus.
Dozens of men were left with persistent and painful erections, known as priapism, and there have been 28 recorded deaths from taking the drug, The Sun reports.
A total of ten men said the pill triggered heart problems and two claimed it had caused a blocked nose, according to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
There were 279 side-effects of sildenafil, the generic version of Viagra, reported by men in the UK over the last two years – including blurred vision, a blocked nose and a banana-shaped phallus (file image)
Another ten men say their vision was blurry after taking Viagra – a pill that helps men get an erection by increasing blood flow to the penis.
It comes just months after a nationwide survey found more than one in ten men in Britain have taken a drug to help their performance in the bedroom.
The survey found 15 per cent of men in England had taken Viagra or other erectile dysfunction medication, compared with just 11 per cent of Scots.
Only 36 per cent of Scottish men taking the medication told their partner, with 49 per cent of English males confessing.
Viagra can help a person with a penis get an erection for up to ten hours by increasing the blood’s ability to circulate around the body – including in to the phallus
Men aged 55 and over were most likely to have taken Viagra or similar drugs, compared with only five per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds and ten per cent of men aged 25 to 34.
Dr Daniel Atkinson, of online pharmacy Treated.com, which commissioned the poll, said at the time that erectile dysfunction could be higher in urban centres, where stress levels may be higher.
He said: ‘The percentage of men in Scotland who said they had used treatment is lower. We can’t know for certain why this is, but one observation could be that Scotland has much more rural, sparsely populated land.’
Men aged 55 and over were most likely to have taken Viagra or similar drugs, compared with only five per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds and ten per cent of men aged 25 to 34 (file image)
Some 3.5million prescriptions for Viagra are handed out annually with even more sold to men for £4 over the counter.
In 2013 a Colombian farmer’s attempt to impress his new girlfriend ended when he overdosed on Viagra and had to have his penis removed.
Gentil Ramírez Polanía suffered an erection for a week before seeking medical help.
The erection caused his penis to be inflamed, fractured and gangrene had started to form. This meant it had to be removed to prevent the decomposition spreading.
Gangrene, the decomposition of body tissue, started because the blood had been in the penis for too long – causing oxygen deprivation.
As well as helping a man in the bedroom, the drug can also be used for the treatment of blood pressure as it relaxes blood vessels.
An MHRA spokesman said: ‘Viagra is considered an effective treatment for of erectile dysfunction and to improve exercise capacity in serious life-limiting lung conditions called pulmonary arterial hypertension.’