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More uses for Viagra? (changed title name)


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#1 doug123

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Posted 24 June 2006 - 05:29 AM


Source

http://www.latimes.c...-home-headlines

From the Los Angeles Times
Viagra Found to Help High-Altitude Athletes
By Alan Zarembo
Times Staff Writer

June 23, 2006

Scientists have found a performance-enhancing drug that could be exploited by endurance athletes at high altitudes and soldiers in the mountains of Afghanistan: Viagra.

One group of research subjects — riding stationary bicycles and breathing through masks to simulate the low-oxygen conditions found at 12,700 feet — improved its times for six kilometers by an average of 39% after taking the erectile dysfunction drug, researchers at Stanford University and the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System reported Thursday.

Military researchers are considering a study to see whether Viagra could help soldiers function better at high altitudes.


"It provides a pretty clear advantage to some people," said Anne Friedlander, senior author of the study, which appears in the current issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology.

Originally conceived as a potential treatment for high blood pressure, Viagra, whose chemical name is sildenafil, causes blood vessels in the penis and lungs to relax. It won federal approval in 1998 as the first erectile dysfunction pill, becoming an instant blockbuster for drug maker Pfizer Inc.

Last year, the company won approval for Viagra, under the new name Revatio, to treat pulmonary hypertension, or high fluid pressure in the lungs.

Altitude researchers saw the potential of the drug because pulmonary hypertension is an effect of exercise in oxygen-poor environments. As blood vessels constrict in the lungs, the heart has to work harder to pump blood through the body.

Early studies showed some promise. In 2004, a study of mountaineers at Mt. Everest Base Camp, elevation 17,600 feet, showed that Viagra increased the heart's maximum workload.

The latest study, conducted in the controlled environment of a laboratory, measured the performance of 10 trained cyclists.

Over a period of weeks, each cyclist was tested three times on a stationary bike at a simulated altitude of 12,700 feet. The test involved a six-kilometer ride against the clock. Each subject was tested with a placebo, a 50-milligram dose of Viagra and a 100-milligram dose.

Four of the subjects — which research dubbed the drug responders — had significant improvements in their times with the 50-milligram dose. Their average time was 10 minutes, 48 seconds, compared to 15 minutes when they took a placebo.

The larger dose of Viagra did not increase the benefit.

The researchers found that the other six riders saw no benefit from the drug.

All the cyclists completed a similar set of tests at sea level. There, Viagra did not lead to any improvement.

The researchers are uncertain why only four of the riders responded to Viagra, but they noticed that they were the ones whose times suffered most at high altitude when they took only a placebo. Viagra merely allowed them to make up the performance they lost.

Friedlander said the side effects of Viagra at high altitude still need more study. None of the cyclists reported an erection during the trials, she said.

Scientists do not understand why some people are more susceptible to the effects of altitude.

Any decision to ban Viagra from competition might consider whether this susceptibility could be considered a handicap.

"We want a level playing field," said Dr. Gary Wadler, a New York University internist who serves on the World Anti-Doping Agency committee that maintains the list of restricted substances. "If somebody has an illness or disability, you can use a [drug] to level the field."

Wadler added that because the performance-enhancing effect of Viagra is not seen at sea level — and has never been tested at the moderate altitudes — sports regulators have never seriously considered banning the drug.

Scientists said more studies were needed to find the elevation where the benefit disappeared.

Pfizer currently has no plans to pursue Viagra as a high-altitude drug, said Francisco Gebauer, a company spokesman.

Military researchers, though, might begin testing Viagra's effects on about a dozen soldiers at a military laboratory on Colorado's Pikes Peak, elevation 14,110, later this summer, said Charles Fulco, a research physiologist and high-altitude expert at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine in Natick, Mass.

"If we send a group of guys into the mountains of Afghanistan, they need to be able to deal with the altitude," Fulco said.

Edited by adam_kamil, 22 May 2007 - 08:23 PM.


#2 Ghostrider

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Posted 24 June 2006 - 06:13 AM

No way, the effects of that drug, although perhaps favorable in some circumstances will not be productive in any competitive environment that I can think of.

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#3 PeriPhysis

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Posted 24 June 2006 - 08:07 AM

Interesting study but I don't see what is it relation with piracetam besides the improvement in oxygen.

#4 jackinbox

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Posted 24 June 2006 - 03:17 PM

No way, the effects of that drug, although perhaps favorable in some circumstances will not be productive in any competitive environment that I can think of.


I can think of one, at least. [lol]

#5 nihilist

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Posted 25 June 2006 - 10:50 PM

No way, the effects of that drug, although perhaps favorable in some circumstances will not be productive in any competitive environment that I can think of.


at the doses used to help along erection, thats prolly true.

at 10mg, i disagree.

#6 tracer

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Posted 26 July 2006 - 09:22 AM

Bollocks. Pun intended.

Viagra works like N02 - it's a vasodilator. It will therefore increase blood supply to tissues, including brain and muscle.

Also, as a cheaper alternative, you could try Arginine Ethyl Ester or any of the N02 "enhancers" they sell as sports supplements these days.

However, N02 elevation decreases peak contractile force and recruitment (you may lose strength)

#7 nihilist

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Posted 26 July 2006 - 05:54 PM

AEE takes time to show effect, although it does work inside a month. i read that on another board. V would be immediate, and at 10-20mg or so wouldnt cause you to walk around with wood.

viagra is a pde5 inhibitor, which is how it has that special effect everyone knows about.

as a side note, EPO works for oxygenation as well. but id imagine alot of ImmInst are scared of needles, if it holds to the general population. you also have to have a way to test your hemocrit so it doesnt get to high, which means you have to tap a vein weekly.

#8 doug123

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Posted 26 July 2006 - 06:00 PM

Bollocks.  Pun intended.

Viagra works like N02 - it's a vasodilator.  It will therefore increase blood supply to tissues, including brain and muscle.

Also, as a cheaper alternative, you could try Arginine Ethyl Ester or any of the N02 "enhancers" they sell as sports supplements these days.

However, N02 elevation decreases peak contractile force and recruitment (you may lose strength)


Is there any evidence to support these claims? Arginine Ethyl Ester yields nothing shocking at Pubmed.

#9 doug123

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Posted 17 February 2007 - 10:12 PM

It seems Viagra's clinical usefulness may be increasing:

BBC News: Source

Viagra used to save baby's life

Posted Image

Viagra has been used by doctors on Tyneside as a last resort to save the life of a premature baby.

Lewis Goodfellow was born at 24 weeks weighing just 1lb 8oz. One of his lungs had failed and not enough oxygen was able to get into his bloodstream.

Doctors at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary then tried Sildenafil, also known under the trade name of Viagra, and Lewis is now home with his parents.

The drug opened up tiny blood vessels in the baby's lungs.

Parents Jade Goodfellow and John Barclay, from Walker, Newcastle believe the drug - more usually associated with anti-impotence - saved his life.

At one point they were so concerned he would not survive that they began planning a funeral.

What Sildenafil does is open up the blood vessels so they can capture the oxygen and take it around the body
Alan Fenton


Ms Goodfellow said: "Doctors said he couldn't be given any more oxygen.

"They were just clutching at straws basically. They explained it was experimental and may not have any effect at all."

Alan Fenton, consultant neonatologist at the hospital, said: "The problem we see in premature babies with breathing difficulties is although we can blow oxygen into their lungs to help them, there isn't enough blood supply to various areas of the lungs to take the oxygen around the rest of the body.

"What Sildenafil does is open up the blood vessels so they can capture the oxygen and take it around the body."

Lewis was born in August 2006 and was finally allowed home in January, to the delight of his parents.

His mother said: "I don't think you could put into words how we feel.

"The doctors are worth their weight in gold. We admire each and every one of them for what they have done."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.u...yne/6366693.stm

Published: 2007/02/16 10:41:20 GMT

© BBC MMVII
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#10 pinkyandbrain

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Posted 18 February 2007 - 12:29 AM

Interesting study but I don't see what is it relation  with piracetam besides the improvement in oxygen.


I'd agree with this. I actually took a class taught by the head researcher, Friedlander, when I was at Stanford, and a number of my friends did research with her. She teaches classes on Exercise Physiology and her research is focused on exercise performance esp. at high altitudes...extrapolating nootopic / cognitive enhancement effects from any of her studies seemed pretty far-fetched. I get what you're saying about vasodilation / increased oxygen, but I'd argue that if you're looking for a nootropic / cognitive enhancement effects you'd be far better served looking at a substance that works more specifically on the brain...

#11 Guest_da_sense_*

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Posted 19 February 2007 - 09:45 PM

I sometimes takes viagra for sleep. Your heard it good - for sleep :)
Since I have lower BP naturally, some extra vasodilation from Viagra puts me to great and deep sleep :)

#12 robbie7

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Posted 20 February 2007 - 12:29 AM

I sometimes takes viagra for sleep. Your heard it good - for sleep :)
Since I have lower BP naturally, some extra vasodilation from Viagra puts me to great and deep sleep :)


I thought if you have a lower BP it should be easier to fall asleep? Higher BP is associated with anxiety and makes it harder to fall asleep.

Viagra for sleep? What about some good old-fashioned sex as a sleep-aid? Works for me... although they've been saying for years don't exercise before bed :)

#13 pharmstudent25

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Posted 20 February 2007 - 06:54 AM

I read some of the previous material about piracetam and its effects on cognition and beneficial concentration abilities. It allegedly helps information to cross the corpus callosum and increases blood flow and oxygen consumption. I was thinking about ordering some and trying it out to help me study for classes. I talked to one of the Pharm D's that is a teacher here and he seemed to think that it got taken off the market in the USA for some bizarre side effects like seizures or bone marrow depression. Is there any truth to that statement? I thought I read something about taking it to help epileptic and myoclonic seizures. Any help would be appreciated.

#14 pharmstudent25

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Posted 20 February 2007 - 07:07 AM

In addition to my previous statement, I read somewhere that Piracetam was never marketed in the USA to begin with, nor any other nootropic. Everything I have read about this drug screams at me to try it since I really haven't come across any negative side effects that are noteworthy. Even with the comments suggesting its uselessness or ineffectiveness when compared to amphetamines and others, I can still get a 30 day supply of Piracetam for $9.99 in powder form. I think I might just go ahead and try it. Tell me what you all think.

#15 Karomesis

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Posted 20 February 2007 - 07:21 AM

Tell me what you all think.


I think it's great. keep a daily log of cognition and mood to see how it affects you. I did and saw a decent change after about 4 days.

#16 Guest_da_sense_*

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Posted 21 February 2007 - 10:45 PM

I sometimes takes viagra for sleep. Your heard it good - for sleep :)
Since I have lower BP naturally, some extra vasodilation from Viagra puts me to great and deep sleep :)


I thought if you have a lower BP it should be easier to fall asleep? Higher BP is associated with anxiety and makes it harder to fall asleep.

Viagra for sleep? What about some good old-fashioned sex as a sleep-aid? Works for me... although they've been saying for years don't exercise before bed :)


Well usually I don't have problems sleeping, but sometimes (due to caffeine, being under stress) I have problems, but actually i use sleep aids few times a month only.

Sex is a great sleep aid, but unless you're married or living with your gf it's hard to have it before bed every night :)

#17 doug123

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Posted 22 May 2007 - 08:22 PM

It seems viagra may have more than one or two uses:

News Source: Nature.com

Posted Image

Published online: 21 May 2007; | doi:10.1038/news070521-1
Viagra cures hamster jetlag
Little blue pill might help people shift their body clock forwards.
Heidi Ledford

It's a safe bet that most people who take sildenafil — better known under its commercial name, Viagra — aren't looking for a good night's rest. But it turns out that the 'little blue pill' commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction is also good for relieving some forms of jetlag. Well, at least in hamsters.

Diego Golombek and his colleagues at the National University of Quilmes in Buenos Aires, Argentina, injected hamsters with sildenafil and then pushed the animals' light/dark schedule ahead by six hours, roughly the equivalent of putting them on a plane from New York to Paris. Hamsters who'd had a dose of sildenafil adjusted their busy wheel-running schedules to the new light regime 50% faster, the team reports in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (1).


Although the results seem to provide relief to jetsetting hamsters, whether sildenafil will have the same effect in humans remains to be seen. If the drug does work in humans, it could be easier to use than melatonin, a hormone used to overcome jetlag that requires several doses to have a significant effect. Golombek's hamsters only needed a single dose of sildenafil to accelerate their adjustment to new time zones. But the drug was administered by injection and it isn't yet known whether taking one of those little blue pills will have the same effect.

And what about the other effects of sildenafil? In hamsters as in humans, sildenafil is, to use the parlance of the field, 'erectogenic'. But Golombek says the hamsters were able to adjust 33% faster to the six-hour time change at what is thought to be suberectogenic doses of the drug. Still, he admits, "We don't know if this will be true in humans."

No drug treatment to reset body clocks works well unless coupled with active exposure to the new light regime. "You still want to get out in the light in the morning and get active," says Martha Gillette, a neurobiologist at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. "That's still the first stimulus for phase resetting."

Pushed forwards

Sildenafil probably targets both erectile dysfunction and jetlag by boosting levels of a signalling compound known as cGMP. cGMP signals blood-vessel dilation as well as modulation of the body's internal clock in response to changes in light/dark cycles. Sildenafil acts by inhibiting an enzyme that breaks down cGMP, and Golombek found that hamsters treated with the drug accumulated twice as much cGMP in the region of the brain responsible for controlling the body's internal clock.

Previous research has shown that cGMP is involved in setting the internal clock forward, as would be necessary when flying from west to east, but not in moving the clock back. That is supported by this study: hamsters that received the drug showed no improved adaptation when light/dark cycles were delayed by six hours.

Still, many people say it's that west-to-east trip that's particularly tough, says Golombek. "The human internal clock has a period which is slightly longer than 24 hours. When you fly eastward, you're making your day less than 24 hours, which is more difficult for the clock. If you fly westward, you've got a longer day and it's relatively easier for the clock to cope with that."

Out of synch

Jetlag is more than a nuisance; chronic jetlag has been linked to increases in heart disease, obesity, diabetes and even accelerated tumour growth. "When you disrupt the internal clock, you disrupt the synchrony among every process in your body," says Lance Kriegsfeld, a neurobiologist at the University of California, Berkeley. "When you're jetlagged, all your different rhythms catch up at a different rate to the new time zone," says Kriegsfeld. "They're out of synch relative to one another."

Kriegsfeld compares the result to a game of volleyball in which one player sets the ball, but no one is there to hit it.

At this point, it isn't clear whether sildenafil can successfully restore synchrony among all body processes, says Kriegsfeld. The fact that the hamsters have adjusted their running schedule suggests that the brain's central timekeeper has reset itself to the new regime. "But does everything else catch up?" Kriegsfeld asks. "Or are you pushing some things further out of phase with other processes?"

Visit our newsblog to read and post comments about this story.

References

(1) Agostino P. V., Plano S. A. & Golombek D. A. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, doi:10.1073/pnas.0703388104 (2007).


Take care.

#18 medievil

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Posted 23 May 2007 - 01:47 PM

very interesting, gonna try this some time when going for a run:p

#19 edward

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Posted 23 May 2007 - 02:54 PM

I agree, very interesting. It makes perfect sense though, the PDE5 NO connection seems positive. Viagra, Cialis and that whole family of drugs all seem to give me headaches though, perhaps due to their vasodilation and NO enhancement in the brain.

here is a link to a study on Viagra as a smart drug

http://www.nootropic...afil/index.html

#20 The R-man

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Posted 09 December 2008 - 05:16 PM

This is a great thread to, old, but I have to comment on it as well. I have known this for years, ever since I got erectile dysfunction my doctor gave me some samples of Viagra and it turned my sex life around for my wife and I but no just that, every time I flew for business I use to get altitude sickness, well the night before I had to take a flight to Florida I took Viagra to give my wife a go for the night and the next day I was fine on the plane. Anyway docs should reconsider prescribing this med for altitude sickness as well, you can get allot of good info online. I even read about watermelons having similar effects to viagra so I will be stocking up on those as well :-D

Edited by Brainbox, 09 December 2008 - 07:31 PM.


#21 cyborgdreamer

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Posted 09 December 2008 - 11:16 PM

I wonder if any of the cyclists they studied were women.

#22 BillyJeans

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Posted 26 March 2017 - 09:58 AM

If you're worried about Viagra's side effects, maybe you can check out generic versions of it in the market. They are also approved by FDA so the credibility is there. You can read some reviews https://pillrankings...w-ed-medication online re these generic drugs. They are much cheaper and said to have lesser and mild side effects compared to the branded ones. 

 


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#23 gamesguru

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Posted 27 March 2017 - 11:50 AM

Crushed up and snorted, you can bypass the first-round metabolism and it works cerebrally as a nootropic[citation needed].  Cialis is also a nootropic (a more potent one), even when taken orally[1].  I don't think generic versions are any safer, maybe you could post on your friend's facebook wall and get some more opinions?  Be sure to be extra enthused by and well-read up on the cognitive gains, however, or he'll suspect you're up to something else..  (And as for how realistic it is to use these things as nootropics day in and day out, effectiveness will be hampered by the side effects seen with regular use and I'm altogether unconvinced of its long-term safety but to each his own)






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