The other use for Viagra

[DisgruntledVirus]

Medics thought Natalie Archibald was suffering from over-excitement when she collapsed after opening her presents on Christmas Day two years ago.

But she was later found to be suffering from the lung condition primary pulmonary hypertension and was referred to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

Doctors prescribed Viagra, better known as a treatment for male impotence, and the drug has since transformed her life.

Her mother Janis, from Musselburgh, near Edinburgh, said that she was surprised to learn the nature of the treatment that saved her daughter's life.

She added: "I've never seen her so happy. She can run, jump, skip, all the things her friends do. We have a wheelchair for her if she gets exhausted, but we've never had to use it, and I hope she grows out of it before we need to."

Mrs Archibald, 48, gave up her job as a legal secretary to look after Natalie after she began collapsing or turning blue on a regular basis following the first incident in 2006.

She said: "It was so frustrating because I knew there was something wrong with my wee girl but no-one could find out what it was.

"It got to the stage where we had almost given up trying to find out, until a doctor new to us went back into her records and carried out some more tests and diagnosed her.

"Within two weeks we were down to Great Ormond Street and the drugs had started, but it was a long fight to get there."

Natalie, a rare childhood sufferer of the condition, no longer experiences fainting episodes but the condition remains potentially fatal.

It is a progressive disorder that causes abnormally high blood pressure that affects arteries in the lungs. The Viagra works by opening the arteries and improving the blood flow.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new...t-alive-by-Viagra.html

And here you thought the only use for 7 year olds was to dare friends to take some at school.

 

[jupiter57]

I've known that for a long time now!
I suffer from COPD, pop me 1/2 of a 10 mg. Viagra and no more shortness of breath!
(Comes in REAL handy at times )

 

[sdifox]

More in line with its intended purpose.

 

[geno]

If the kid in the OP were a boy, he might not want to get up from that wheelchair for a bit after popping that pill, if you know what I mean.

 

[Mark R]

Not heard of its use in children, but it's been used for pulmonary hypertension in adults for several years.

I seem to recall that the dose is 3 tablets per day. Don't recall anyone complaining about the side effects, not even the men.

 

[ni4ni]

It was originally created for that. Then someone learned of one of the side effects, and bam!!! GOLDMINE!!!

 

[apac]

Originally posted by: jupiter57
I've known that for a long time now!
I suffer from COPD, pop me 1/2 of a 10 mg. Viagra and no more shortness of breath!
(Comes in REAL handy at times )

So what you're saying is it allows you to run, so long as you don't mind the woody?

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Sildenafil (compound UK-92,480) was synthesized by a group of pharmaceutical chemists working at Pfizer's Sandwich, Kent research facility in England. It was initially studied for use in hypertension (high blood pressure) and angina pectoris (a symptom of ischaemic heart disease). The first clinical trials were conducted in Morriston Hospital in Swansea. Phase I clinical trials under the direction of Ian Osterloh suggested that the drug had little effect on angina, but that it could induce marked penile erections. Pfizer therefore decided to market it for erectile dysfunction, rather than for angina. The drug was patented in 1996, approved for use in erectile dysfunction by the Food and Drug Administration on March 27, 1998, becoming the first oral treatment approved to treat erectile dysfunction in the United States, and offered for sale in the United States later that year. It soon became a great success: annual sales of Viagra in the period 1999?2001 exceeded $1 billion.
-Wikipedia

So no, it's not a new use for Viagra, it's actually the original intention of Viagra (but there's scads more money to be made from old men who want their dicks to work again).

 

[Acanthus]

Actually, the erectile dysfunction treatment is the 2ndary one.

This was Viagras intended use while it was being developed.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

My bad, edited title to be accurate. Didn't do my research apparently

 

[nonameo]

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
My bad, edited title to be accurate. Didn't do my research apparently

viagra. It just... SOUNDS dirty!

 

[dman]

I also read about it being used (in trials now) for gastroparesis as well. As others said, it's current popularity was because of a side-effect, so, it should have other uses as well.