Drug interactions are cases in which two or more drugs are used at the same time and produce an effect that is either harmful for the body as a result of combining these two drugs or that affects the way in which one or both of the drugs work. It is one of the most important things to keep in mind when you are taking any medications, as pretty much every medication out there is known to interact with some other drug. Because of this, it is important
to know which medications can be combined with which and what you need to avoid in order to avoid interactions. In this article, we are going to talk about the drugs and other substances that are known to interact with Viagra.
The most notorious is the interaction between Viagra and medications containing nitrates. There are a number of these medications and they are mostly used for certain heart problems. These drugs include nitroglycerin (Nitro-Bid, Nitro-Dur, Nitrolingual and Nitrostat), isosorbide mononitrate (Imdur, Monoket, ISMO), isosorbide dinitrate (Sorbitrate, Isordil and Dilatrate-SR), while there are also recreational drugs like amyl nitrite or nitrate that will also cause similar interactions. The interactions between Viagra and any of the aforementioned drugs is known to cause such a drop in blood pressure that the person may find itself in a life-threatening situation.
There are also chances of an overdose if Viagra is taken in combination with any other PDE5 inhibitor, including Revatio, Cialis, Adcirca and Levitra. An overdose on Viagra often includes symptoms such as nausea, lightheadedness, irregular heartbeat, fainting and chest pain. It is important to seek emergency medical services if an overdose on Viagra is suspected.
There are other medications that might interact with Viagra and this is a short list that is in no way a complete one. For a complete one, you will need to talk to a pharmacist or your physician. The drugs that might interact with Viagra include: certain AIDS/HIV medications like atazanavir, Nelfinavir and ritonavir, certain antifungal medications like ketoconazole and itraconazole, certain heart and blood pressure medications like doxazosin, quinidine and verapamil, antibiotics like erythromycin and clarithromycin, antidepressants like nefazodone, imatinib, rifampin, bosentan, isoniazid, conivaptan and cimetidine. Alcohol should also be avoided when using Viagra as it can lead to a drop in blood pressure as well.
The best way to ensure that you can combine a medication with Viagra is to talk to your doctor or check with a pharmacist. This way you are making sure that you will not experience any interactions