From March of 1998 to November of 1998 the FDA investigated more than 200 cases that either involved death or serious illness in people that were taking Viagra.  More than 70 cases were eliminated because of a lack of information, and the FDA put all of their concentration on 130 deaths that happened to men that were prescribed Viagra.  The following are the causes of the 130 deaths:

• 2 deaths from homicide
• 3 strokes
• 77 cardiovascular causes (41 mydocardial infraction; 27 cardiac arrest; 6 cardiac symptoms; 3 coronary artery diseases)
• 48 unknown causes

With over 6 million prescriptions of Viagra prescribed in the same time frame the FDA acknowledged the fact that the number of deaths was a minimal percentage.  As a result though, the FDA felt that it would be necessary to better reinforce the label information and the warnings put on Viagra.  Pfizer immediately reacted and reinforced the products label and warnings to better fit the FDA’s recommendations. The new labels better inform both doctors and patients about the benefits and risks of Viagra, the consideration of giving Viagra to someone who may have certain heart problems, and it better showed how to effectively use Viagra.

The FDA treated Viagra as they did any drug and continued to oversee the products safety.  They continually review the reports of deaths and illness that take place with individuals that are prescribed and take Viagra.

Who Should NOT Take Viagra

According to the FDA the following patients should not take Viagra:

• Men who take nitrates, as the mixture of nitrates and Viagra can lower blood pressure.
• Women and children should not take Viagra.

Other FDA Warnings

Due to no studies being conducted on patients who have the following medical conditions, the FDA also issued these additional warnings:

• Heart attack, stroke, irregular heart rhythm
• Low and High blood pressure
• Heart failure
• Chest Pains
• Certain eye disorders

Due to the fact that Viagra can lower blood pressure, your doctor will examine you to determine if lower blood pressure mixed with sex can have a negative effect on your health.

In some cases Viagra can cause a serious condition of having an erection for a long period of time.  This is a condition called priapism, and can be very serious.  If your erection lasts longer than four hours consult a doctor immediately and if sex is inadvisable for you Viagra may not be suitable for you to use.