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July 13, 2011 at 2:14 pm #73829Viagra / sildenafil as possible treatment for fatigue
Hi,
I was wondering if anybody has tried Viagra / sildenafil for fatigue.
I found this article on the main MD campaign website:Besically research is at an early stage but it is saying that muscle tiredness after mild exercise in some people with muscle disease can at least in part be caused by a lack of nNOS, a chemical in muscle which increases blood flow. Also it is saying that taking Viagra or a similar drug which is still to be developed may increase blood flow which could reduce muscle fatigue.
As you can see it’s a long way from being a recommended treatment and it could be that it may never be a recomended treatment so I don’t want to get my hopes up too much but thought it worth a shot.
Also has anybody taken it for erectile dysfunction and noticed any coincidental beneficial or negative affects on their pain or fatigue levels?
I was thinking that it would be worth seeing if I could get some Viagra from my GP and see if it had any short term beneficial affect on either my muscle pain, or fatigue which are both severe.
Thanks for looking,
MichaelJuly 31, 2011 at 7:55 pm #81057Re: Viagra / sildenafil as possible treatment for fatigueThat’s a really interesting piece of information. I’ve brought the issue of fatigue upto my doctors on numerous occassions to be fogged off by the usual “it’s probably caused by your breathing” blahh blah, when in all actuality it takes alot more work for someone with MD to do something physical than the average person. I have therefore asked about drugs that could help but was told there wasn’t many on the market. I’m wondering how true that is.
August 1, 2011 at 9:02 am #81058Re: Viagra / sildenafil as possible treatment for fatigueThere are several clinical trials going on at the moment with viagra/sildenafil, it will be very interesting to see the results! The theory behind it sounds good, so fingers crossed for a positive result. Then doctors can recommend it with confidence.
August 1, 2011 at 1:39 pm #81059Re: Viagra / sildenafil as possible treatment for fatigueHi ambitiousturtle24,
I also struggle with very bad fatigue. I always have and it’s got worse as I’ve got older. Interesting that trials are being done on viagra/sildenafil. Lets hope it will be helpful.
In multiple sclerosis fatigue is often a common problem and apparently modafinil/provigil and amantadine hcl/symmetrel are drugs which some people find useful. I’ve never tried them but have considered it. I think that it’s likely that the side effects would just make things worse generally.
The only way to find out if these things are helpful is to try them but I don’t want to make things worse so haven’t been very brave. I would be interested if you do try them to see what sort of a reaction you get. If anybody else has tried them I’d be interested to hear how they got on.
All the best,
MichaelAugust 1, 2011 at 2:17 pm #81060Re: Viagra / sildenafil as possible treatment for fatigueFYI these are two of the trials that are going on:
http://www.muscular-dystrophy.org/research/clinical_trials/241/becker%252Bmuscular%252Bdystrophy
http://www.muscular-dystrophy.org/research/clinical_trials/247/duchenne%252Bmuscular%252Bdystrophy
May 30, 2015 at 12:03 pm #81062Re: Viagra / sildenafil as possible treatment for fatigueI have been taking Sildenafil for the purpose of treating fatigue and bad circulation for MD.
I showed the studies to my GP, he said I needed a letter from my specialist saying it was safe and would be effective.
I got the letter, and now I am taking it on a trial basis while I try work out the dosage.
As far as I can tell the dosage is about 10-15mg, which is hard to get from a tiny 50mg pill.The effects have been dramatic, I will feel more flexible and be in less pain and have more energy for about half a week after a dose. I have never taken any supplement that has felt this beneficial and I have taken everything.
Edit: I have LGMD2a, which does not effect the heart, so they are probably happier giving it to me than to other types.
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