I am 38, white, very healthy and fit, 5'11" and 165 pounds, thin and muscular. I have never had any cardiovascular
or respiratory issues of any kind. Up until a few months ago I
typically exercised 2-3 times each week, with a 7 to 8 minute/mile run
each workout in addition to
moderate weight-lifting. I have always prided myself on having an
extremely healthy heart/lung functioning, and enjoyed being one of the
rare individuals for whom intensive cardio exercise comes easily and actually feels good as I'm doing it, as if my body needs it and thrives from it.
I got a prescription for viagra (100 mg) about 4 months ago. I have
never had any major ED problems, but I have always had issues with
delayed ejaculation and, because it sometimes takes me so long to
ejaculate, I am not always able to consistently maintain a full
erection. It was a minor issue and, with my general practitioner's
advice and support, I thought I would simply experiment with viagra to
see whether it helped.
The first time I took viagra I took one 100mg pill. It did work
extremely well as far as producing a lasting erection, but after I had
sex I had one of the most excruciating headaches of my life that lasted
for many hours. The next few times I took viagra I took only 50mg each
time (each instance spread out by at least a few days if not a week or
more), and each time it worked very well and still produced a headache
and flushing but the headache was more moderate and was tolerable. I
also experimented a few times with taking only 25mg which produced
flushing but minimal headaches, but of course had less of an impact on
my erections.
After taking viagra a total of maybe 6 or 7 times over the course of
2-3 months, two things started to happen. First, the viagra stopped
producing strong, reliable erections, even at 50mg, it seemed not to
really do anything, and the very last time I took it, about 2-3 weeks
ago, I actually had more trouble than usual maintaining a full erection.
Second and much more importantly, I started noticing a dramatically
decreased ability to engage in cardio exercise. Instead of easily and
pleasurably being able to run a 7-8 minute/mile on the treadmill, after 2
minutes at my normal pace (about 7.5 mph) my heart felt like it was
going to explode and I was gasping for air and I had to stop. I could
feel my pulse very intensely in my chest and neck and ears in a way I
had never experienced before. After a few minutes of resting or walking
I could start up again and sustain my running pace for another minute
or so but then the same thing would happen. In addition to the heart
and breathing problems, my lower legs felt a little numb and tingly and
heavy, also a feeling I had never felt before.
Around that time I also started noticing the same kind of heart-related symptoms
(feeling my heart beating intensely and feeling like it was going to
explode) at even minor physical exertion, such as climbing a flight of
stairs or carrying one of my children for a few minutes or running to
catch a bus.
Naturally I stopped taking the viagra (I took it a total of
approximately 8 or 9 times), and it has now been about 2-3 weeks since I
last took any viagra. However, I am still experiencing all of the above
cardio symptoms when I try to run, and upon even minor physical exertion. If anything the symptoms
seem to be getting slightly worse rather than better. I have engaged
in sexual activity twice since stopping the viagra and both times were
mostly the same as things had been before I started taking viagra,
except for perhaps a touch more difficulty than usual at maintaining a
full erection.
It is terribly frustrating and disturbing to have these symptoms
when I attempt to exercise and even when I undertake moderate physical
exertion, and it is such a dramatic change from the way my body has
behaved my entire life that I am scared that some kind of permanent
damage has been done to my cardio system as a result of taking viagra.
Harmonica17 3 weeks ago
