Taiwanese mountain climbers find new use for Viagra
Viagra is known around the world as an erectile dysfunctional drug but it has now become an essential tool for climbers, reports our Chinese-language sister paper China Times.
Since becoming available in 1998, Viagra has been the prime treatment for erectile dysfunction, as well as for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, it has also been found to be effective in treating altitude sickness.
In the most recent case in Taiwan, a climber is in stable condition after being given the drug to treat symptoms of altitude sickness on May 1. Liu Yu-ying fell ill while on a climb with seven friends in Hualien county in eastern Taiwan.
Viagra can help expand peripheral blood vessels, increase the amount of oxygen to the lungs, and reduce the symptoms of breathlessness, explained Shih Cheng-chan, a pharmacist at the Taipei Veterans General Hospital.
Shih said Viagra has been proven to be effective in preventing altitude sickness, or acute mountain sickness (AMS), while the US disease regulator has already listed the drug as a suggested treatment for AMS. However, Shih emphasized that Viagra is still a prescription drug for which patients need to obtain approval from doctors.
Yeh Kuo-cheng, a climber with more than 20 years of experience, said that every climber fears AMS and he has heard about the effect of Viagra. Despite the ease of taking the drug, Yeh believes the best way to cope with AMS is that climbers should immediately descend to a lower altitude when the initial symptoms present.
Source: Want China Times
Published: 09 May 2014
Category: Features, Pharmaceuticals
