My boyfriend has been on an anti-depressant for many years. I have noticed that he has no sexual desire and he has difficulty maintaining an erection. Is there a remedy for this?

Unfortunately, the majority of medications used to treat depression, schizophrenia and anxiety cause a decrease in libido. Moreover, most men lose their ability to have a prolonged erection. 

There are several ways to get around this problem. One may be to lower the dose of his antidepressant but this usually does not work well because the mental symptoms immediately come back. Your doctor may want to switch him to another antidepressant with lower risk of sexual side effects. 

Wellbutrin appears to be a good alternative in some people. The other more practical solution is to use medications like Viagra. There are several impotence medications that can potentiate an erection besides Viagra and they all work similarly. 

There are also cheap generic versions of Viagra but most of these never work. Moreover, on the internet many generic Viagra pills are fake so be careful where you buy your pills from. Finally Viagra and other similar pills are also expensive and can cost  anywhere from $2-$4 per tablet. If you are going to buy such pills from cyberspace pharmacies, avoid all international dealers because they are all scams.

My doctor prescribed Viagra for my ED. I took it for the first time tonight and now, rather than doing what it’s supposed to do, I’m looking pale and I’m getting red splotches. Is this normal? Should I take another one? What’s going on here? (Male, 66)

Viagra is generally a very safe drug and has been used by millions of individuals in the past decade. The majority of men use Viagra to enhance their sexual life. However, there is no drug that is completely free of side effects. The most common side effects of Viagra include a headache, nasal stuffiness, stomach upset and facial flushing. 

These mild side effects are well tolerated and usually disappear with time. Other very rare side effects of Viagra include changes in vision and a painful prolonged erection, known as priapism. Like all medications, Viagra can also cause an allergic reaction.

This allergic reaction may present with a skin rash (red splotches), itching, general fatigue, difficulty breathing or facial swelling. Symptoms that you describe are more likely due to an allergic reaction. In such cases, the drug must be discontinued and one must seek immediate medical assistance. It is important not to take any more Viagra or any other type of impotence pill until you have been seen by your doctor. Allergic reactions to Viagra may be attributed to the active chemical ingredient, sildenafil citrate, or other substances that have been used to make the pill.

How long can one take Viagra?

The two drugs for erectile dysfunction are Viagra and cialis. Recently there was an announcement that perhaps when these drugs were taken for a long time, it could lead to vision loss. However, now there is good news. If you got the money to buy Viagra or cialis, you can safely continue to use these two drugs without having to worry about your vision.

There was recent concern that use of drugs like Viagra could lead to impairment of vision or decreased vision at night. Some individuals also complained of blue vision. A recent study revealed that both drugs are safe and do not cause a higher vision loss compared to people who do not take Viagra. A well-controlled study did follow 244 men who took cialis or Viagra daily for 6 months (lucky guys had free Viagra because of the study). The study carefully analyzed vision and found no difference between those who took the drugs and those who took a sugar pill.

So for the time being 5 mg of cialis or 50 mg Viagra appear to be safe for men who can afford to take these pills everyday for 6 months. There are no data on women on take Viagra but if men have no problems, then I guess women should also be fine.