Using Viagra together with Corticosteroids

Many men wonder whether it is possible to counteract some of adverse effects caused by corticosteroids with Viagra and similar drugs. This topic is not as easy as it seems and require some digging. First and foremost, we must establish that there are no known interactions between the vast majority of corticosteroids and Viagra and its generics. However, this does not mean that you can use both drugs in combination uncontrollably. You need to understand how these drugs work and what their purposes are in order to get desired results.

The topic in question is whether you can treat specific adverse effects of corticosteroids like loss of sexual libido and ability with regular intakes of generic Viagra. This is a question that can be answered with both “yes” and “no”.

Corticosteroids and their usage

Corticosteroids are widely used in modern medicine to treat a truly rich range of diseases affecting skin, blood production, metabolism, etc. Corticosteroids are involved in a such a broad array of physiological processes in our bodies that it is hard to find an area of medicine where these drugs are inapplicable. Corticosteroids to some degree participate in biochemical processes behind stress response, immune system response, metabolism of nutrients, electrolyte levels, and many others.

While there are severe adverse effects that may threaten your life, issues with changing behavior, mood swings, and steroid-infused changes in aggressiveness are much more common. At the same time, corticosteroids are known for causing sudden decrease in libido or negatively affecting erection. While erectile dysfunction itself is a rare side effect of such drugs, it is possible that corticosteroids change the way erectile function works.

Modern medicine relies on synthetic corticosteroids to treat a very wide assortment of diseases including a variety of skin diseases and cancer.

A systemic use of corticosteroids is justified in a multitude of medicine branches:

• Dermatology;
• Endocrinology;
• Gastroenterology;
• Hematology;
• Immunology;
• Ophthalmology.

Corticosteroids are commonly used to treat a variety of allergic reactions and help with a myriad of other conditions that do not belong to any of aforementioned branches of medicine. It is possible to treat sclerosis, cerebral edema, tendinosis, chronic hepatitis, nephrotic diseases, and complications with organ transplantations.

As seen from all of the above, the range of possible applications for corticosteroids is incredibly wide. This means that in many cases it is impossible to avoid them in order to develop the most effective treatment plan for a specific disease. Every man should be aware of the issues that can be induced by corticosteroids in the long run and know how to counteract them. Let’s talk in details about sexual libido.

What is Viagra?

In order to understand whether you need to use Viagra to counteract adverse effects of corticosteroids, you need to discern how PDE5 inhibitors work. The group of PDE5 inhibitors is known to science for several decades. Viagra or Sildenafil was first discovered in 1980s and has been in trials since 1991. Note that the drug initially was purposed to treat angina and hypertension. Clinical trials found out that one of the “adverse effects” of Viagra is that it helped with erection.

Viagra is the soundest of pharmacological answers when it comes to treating ED. If you need a drug that you can use when needed, generic Viagra is a sufficient solution in the vast majority of scenarios. With the success rate being close to 85% and less than 5% of patients not responding to the treatment, the drug is unbelievably efficient. However, this does not mean that the drug is the panacea for all diseases related to sexual life.

Viagra works on the physiological level and relaxes smooth muscles helping penile cavernous tissues to soak in blood easier. This mechanism of action helps to solve problems that have a strictly physiological root, but a variety of psychological issues cannot be helped with Viagra. This drug will not magically improve your libido and make you crave for sexual activities. It will undeniably help if you have the desire but experience problems with achieving erection.

Viagra is not designed to improve your sexual desire or to treat erectile dysfunction that has a psychological cause.

Sexual dysfunctions caused by corticosteroids

Nearly all corticosteroids have the same list of adverse effects. While some steroids may have a higher chance to induce behavioral change, others may have a higher chance to affect your body on the physiological level. Regardless of such specificities, corticosteroids have a chance to reduce the sexual libido and ability significantly. These adverse effects are quite notable and many men notice then immediately upon starting the course of corticosteroids.

In the vast majority of scenarios, the main manifestation of such side effects has a strictly psychological nature. Men experience less interest in sexual activities, they struggle to achieve erection due to not feeling aroused, and their mood is just not for sex. In such cases, using Viagra will not be efficient. As mentioned above, Viagra is effective when the problem has a distinct physiological nature. When you do not want to have sex, erection will be impossible to achieve even with the help of one of the best drugs in the business.

However, psychological and behavioral changes are not the only ones that affect sexual life.

On the physiological front we have two additional issues that we must be aware of.

1. Possible problems with hypertension. High blood pressure is the enemy of erection number one. Hypertension means that blood vessels are narrower than usual and that the blood flow is severely hardened. This means that achieving erection becomes a much harder task than usually. Corticosteroids are capable of increasing the blood pressure and leading to hypertension.
2. Physiological erectile dysfunction. In rare cases, corticosteroids may cause actual physiological erectile dysfunction. In such scenarios, using Viagra is more than beneficial. However, you will need to consult with your doctor to determine whether you have a genuine problem with erection or a simple reduction of sexual libido.

Both aforementioned issues can be treated with generic Viagra. You need to understand that hypertension is a serious problem. If it persists, we recommend you to immediately seek for medical attention. Viagra is a drug developed to treat hypertension and angina in the first place and can be used to treat both ED and hypertension. However, for recreational regular systemic use we would recommend generic Cialis which is better for systemic use.

Viagra is still a when-needed drug and should not be used regularly. In order to avoid dependence on the drug and ensure that you won’t experience adverse effects of Sildenafil, we highly recommend you to use Viagra only when you actually need it.

Uses

As mentioned previously, corticosteroids and Viagra do not have any notable interactions and can be used together.

Despite this fact, we would recommend you to follow several simple rules to determine whether you should combine these drugs together.

• Identify the problem. Consult with a doctor to determine the nature of your sexual disability. If you have a change of mood and decreased libido, Viagra will not help you. If you have problems with achieving erection while having no problems with libido, you will be more than satisfied with a pill of generic Viagra taken an hour before engaging in sexual activities.
• Make sure that you can use Viagra. Sildenafil has a long list of possible limitations which means that not everyone can use the drug freely. If you have a history of problems with heart, blood vessel system, kidney or liver, you may not be able to use Viagra or Cialis, or any other type of PDE5 inhibitor.
• Use drugs as they are supposed to be used. Viagra is a drug that should be used only when needed about 1-2 hours before the intercourse. If you need a systemic solution, you should opt to using Cialis which is designed to be taken on the daily basis.

Conclusion

Viagra and corticosteroids do not interact negatively. However, using Viagra is not the universal answer to sexual dysfunctions that may be caused by corticosteroids. If you have physiological problems with erection, by all means use Viagra together with corticosteroids. If you doubt about the nature of sexual problems at hand, consult with your doctor and find an appropriate treatment plan for your specific condition.