Pharmacist Jacob Fuchs explains priapism, a rare emergency where Viagra causes an erection lasting four hours or more. Trapped, oxygen-deprived blood can permanently damage penile tissue without immediate treatment: doctors numb the area, use a needle to drain blood, and inject phenylephrine to restore normal flow. Risk increases with certain blood disorders and other medications.
Imagine taking Viagra because you want a better night in bed, and 4 hours later, a urologist is walking towards your penis with a needle. You've probably heard the warning before: if you have an erection lasting more than 4 hours, seek immediate medical attention. That's not a pharmaceutical lawyer being dramatic. It's called priapism. And no, it does not mean Viagra worked really, really well. Sildenafil blocks an enzyme called PDE5 that helps a chemical called cGMP stick around longer, which relaxes blood vessels and increases blood flow in your penis. Normally, mission Accomplished. But sometimes blood does not leave like it's supposed to. And once an erection lasts around 4 hours, this stops being a funny story and starts becoming a medical emergency, because that trapped blood can lose oxygen, and prolonged priapism can actually damage the tissue. So what do doctors do? Well, they numb the area and stick a big-ass needle into your penis to drain the trapped blood and inject a medication called phenylephrine directly into it. Suddenly the headache and stuffy nose side effect sounds pretty damn good. Now, before every guy watching this throws his Viagra into the ocean, priapism from sildenafil is rare. Certain blood disorders, medications, and recreational drugs can increase this risk. But if an erection lasts 4 hours, do not wait until 5 to see how the story ends. You'll have a necrotic penis that falls off. Go to the emergency room. I'm a pharmacist and I read the side effects so you don't have to ruin your search history. I'm Jacob. This is The Pharma Problem.
