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Case series: Sildenafil can cause permanent vision loss

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Patients taking sildenafil for erectile dysfunction can experience permanent vision loss within 24 hours of use, a small case series indicates.

Howard Pomeranz, MD, and colleagues at the University of Minnesota described a series of seven men between the ages of 50 and 69 years old who developed nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy within 36 hours after taking Viagra (sildenafil citrate, Pfizer). Within 24 hours after taking the drug, six of the patients experienced vision loss. Final visual acuity ranged from 20/20 to light perception. The effects were bilateral in one man.

All patients had existing hypertension, diabetes, elevated cholesterol or hyperlipidemia. All of the patients also had a low cup-to-disc ratio, according to a press release from the University.

The authors noted that seven similar cases had been previously reported.

The study was published in the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology.