Canada Issues Warning to Drug Users
Posted on: Thursday, 28 July 2005, 09:01 CDT
Canada issues warning to drug users
OTTAWA, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Users of drugs treating impotence and erectile dysfunction should seek immediate medical attention if they experience vision problems, Health Canada warned on Tuesday.
Men who take the drugs Viagra, Cialis or Levitra are at risk of a rare side-effect called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), caused by a sudden blockage of blood flow to the optic nerve, the federal health ministry said in a statement.
Symptoms of NAION include sudden and painless loss of vision in one or both eyes. Those who experience one episode are at greater risk of experiencing a second episode affecting the other eye. While in some cases the condition may improve over time, there is a possibility of irreversible damage.
Smokers, men over 50, and those suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or certain pre- existing eye problems, are more prone to suffering from the side- effect.
Health Canada is reviewing two Canadian reports of vision problems in patients using Viagra that may be consistent with the affliction, but it said it has not yet confirmed whether those problems are related to use of the medications.
"It is difficult to determine whether the use of Viagra, Cialis or Levitra is causing (the eye problems), as individuals who have erectile problems often have high blood pressure, diabetes or other conditions that put them at increased risk," Health Canada said in the statement.
Health Canada said it was monitoring the drugs and has requested additional safety information from all three manufacturers -- Pfizer (Viagra), Eli Lilly (Cialis), and Bayer AG/GlaxoSmithKline (Levitra).
"Changes to the product information for health-care professionals and patients are anticipated, and the information will be communicated to the public after all the safety data has been thoroughly assessed," said the statement.
In May, the US Food and Drug Administration said it had 38 reports of blindness caused by NAION among users of Viagra. It also reported that there were instances of the eye affliction among those taking Cialis and Levitra.
Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS
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