Viagra for MS-did anyone else see this?

[bhrungo]

Here is the link that was all over the MS news today....and regular headline news.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/viagra-reve...070041387.html

[Redwings]

Interesting, but so far just another mouse-model study of EAE that merits a curbing of enthusiasm. It also doesn't help that the article cited (and the variations of it that have been mass released) isn't well written and somewhat overstates what the actual abstract of the journal article says. I had to laugh when I read that the sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra) reduced symptoms of MS in animal models, considering that mice can't speak and couldn't possibly have told the researchers what their symptoms were...

[rdmc]

I read it last week and wasn't too impressed. Seems to me if the results carried over to humans, men with MS, who already have to take Viagra (and since ED is a common problem and I'm sure there's a pretty good number who do) would have reported a connection with reduction of symptoms once they were on the Viagra. I didn't look too closely at dose info (if it was in the article)...but once again, another mouse study which doesn't hold much weight with me.

[hunterd]

i saw this and passed it on to my ms mailing list. i don`t put much faith in "possible cures". after being diabetic 40 years, i`ve seen them come and go, but i`m still hoping!

dave

[Windwalker]

I had always noticed an improvement in symptoms after taking an ED pill. So much so I even mentioned it to my PCP.

My PCP has a ton of experience with MS, both professionally and personally, he just kind of gave a weird look.

Clearly, something in those pills has a positive effect on certain MS symptoms.

[elephant911]

I had always noticed an improvement in symptoms after taking an ED pill. So much so I even mentioned it to my PCP.

My PCP has a ton of experience with MS, both professionally and personally, he just kind of gave a weird look.

Clearly, something in those pills has a positive effect on certain MS symptoms.

Or perhaps what you're using those pills for has positive associations.

[bethann246]

Viagra

I received a call last evening from a fellow MSer who was very excited about this latest news. I WANT TO TAKE IT YESTERDAY IF THERE IS ANY CHANCE IT CAN HELP. Forget it was mice, if those brave little critters can walk better, hooray! I will ask my doctor for a script.

[nixiepixie]

I just heard on the radio a week or so ago they are thinking there's a link between Viagra and hearing loss. I think I'll take my chances with the MS.

[Redwings]

I just heard on the radio a week or so ago they are thinking there's a link between Viagra and hearing loss. I think I'll take my chances with the MS.

The reports of sudden vision loss (believed to be caused by a stroke to the optic nerve) started coming in not long after Viagra first hit the marketplace. The reports of hearing loss started coming in a while later.

As for how much Viagra helps with the symptoms of MS, men with MS have been using Viagra for many years now. There are plenty of men who could be used as a database for a study, whether clinical or retroactive by survey. Conspicuous in its absence is any such study involving these men.

So that leads me to three possible conclusions: 1) Viagra doesn't help human men as much as it appears to help mice, so no one's talking about it, 2) Viagra helps but for some reason these men who have had noticeable improvement in their symptoms aren't talking about it (why not?), and/or 3) the men are talking about it (to whom?) but for some reason word isn't getting out and/or researchers are asleep at the wheel on this one.

So if Viagra is so helpful with MS symptoms in humans who have used it, where's the evidence?