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I'm 60 years old and getting married soon. I would like to try some Viagra. How would I go about getting some? I have perfect health, but just want to make sure I have adequate performance on my wedding night.
A: Viagra is a prescription drug, so you'll need to talk with your doctor, who should have you in for a check-up before writing a prescription. I empathize with your desire to perform well on your wedding night, but it doesn't sound like you're a candidate for Viagra.
Don't get me wrong. I think an active, fulfilling sex life is an important component of good health and well-being. But Viagra is not an aphrodisiac or sexual enhancement mechanism. It is intended as a medication to treat impotence, by helping impotent men maintain an erection.
At this time, any other use beyond treatment of impotence is inappropriate. If you are impotent, or have periodic erectile dysfunction, then a thorough physical exam is warranted to determine the cause, before you start using Viagra. Many of the men now taking this drug may have underlying conditions causing their impotence, and I'm concerned that perhaps these conditions are being ignored.
A few dozen men have died after using Via! gra. But the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says the drug is quite safe when it's used according to directions. Many of those who died had risk factors for heart disease and perhaps shouldn't have been taking it.
Viagra can also cause potentially troublesome interactions with other medications. Now, I think Viagra's a good drug when used as intended -- for impotent men, without heart disease, who are cleared by their doctors.
Date Published: 1998
Date Reviewed: 1998
- Nancy Snyderman, M.D., F.A.C.S
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