Originally published June 30 2005
Diabetic patient attributes sudden loss of sight to Viagra use
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A Korean man reported the loss of his eyesight to Pfizer, manufacturer of the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra, as a side effect of the drug, but authorities say it has not been confirmed whether his eye sight loss was due to Viagra or his diabetes.
He reported the side effect to the drug maker Pfizer Korea last month, according to the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA).
The man, who is unidentified, purchased Viagra at a pharmacy with a doctor's prescription in April.
Last month, he reported to the Viagra maker Pfizer Korea that he lost sight in his left eye after a blood vessel in his retina ruptured after taking the erectile dysfunction medicine.
``The 58-year-old man took Viagra several times.
When he lost his sight, he heard a news report that a similar case of vision loss had been reported to the FDA, and reported to the pharmaceutical firm that his case might be the same,'' an official of the KFDA said on condition of anonymity.
``It has not been confirmed whether his loss of eyesight was a side effect of Viagra or a complication of his diabetes.
The KFDA requested the Viagra maker to submit report on cases of side-effects every month, as the introduction of Viagra in 1999 became a big social issue and drew keen attention, the KFDA officials said.
But makers of other anti-impotence medicines, Cialis by Lilly ICOS LLC and Levitra by Bayer and GSK, which began to sell the drugs in 2003, are regulated only by general pharmaceutical laws and are not obliged to report side effects.
A total of 622 cases of side-effects caused by Viagra have been reported to the KFDA since the launch of its sale, accounting for 38.1 percent of the total side effect cases from all kinds of medicines.
Among the 351 cases from 2003 to this year, 150 reported a flushed face, 52 suffered headaches and 26 had urinary problems.
Twelve side effects related to the eyes, such as cataracts and glaucoma, have also been reported in 2003, up from 19 in 2004 and 18 as of June 10 this year.
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