This would all seem to make sense as ED drugs increase Nitric Oxide levels in the blood and increase blood flow throughout the body/open the arteries. A lot of men with diabetes already have to take ED drugs for "quality of life" anyhow. They have Ed because of the diabetes. So, for them, it may be a win-win. Side effects from ED drugs are minor (if any) when taken in low doses.Most iof the awful side effects you hear about are from people taking very high doses and have weak hearts. They are also finding these ED drugs help with Prostate Enlargement issues in men. This is why a lot of insurance companies are still covering what was once believed to be a recreational drug.

Would be interesting if it became something women could look into as well.

A non-diabetic IPN Beatle with an erection! ;)

Well, if you try it, let us know how it goes. (Specifically, if it helps with PN symptoms - I don't really care about the other "side effects">)

Deal! :winky:

This drug enables erections ... Used properly in the correct
Dosage range, it does not cause erections per se.
Taking too high a dose can cause erections that do not
Go back down called priapism, which can damage the
penis.

lol.....I love it---sometimes we just have to have a little humor on here :)

I can't laugh about Viagra... like other people do... I had to DEAL with it everyday and patient questions... when that happens you get used to it in a different way.

But it is very important, Beatle, since you are SELF MEDICATING...with samples not prescribed to you by your doctor, to understand that you are in dangerous territory.
Your PN could be affecting your blood pressure and heart and you are not aware of that, so if you add in the Viagra, and don't understand the dosing etc.. you could get into trouble. Men have died on Viagra...and it is no small# either.

This article is rather old now, but illustrates that death is not so rare with this drug:

http://www.psa-rising.com/medicalpik...aths031500.htm

There were fewer deaths from other drugs taken off the market, in the past. Seldane and Propulsid are examples.

So I am sorry if my humor is lacking on this topic. :o

Horny Goat Weed
 

At the high cost of Viagra it's not funny to me either. Have you ever heard of Horny Goat Weed? I would be scared to try it, but I have quit Nicotine trying to increase circulation and I still miss it every day,hour,minute. I will Google but would appreciate your opinion. If Viagra increases motor and sensory velocities in mice would we not have heard some guy shouting the good news from the rooftops somewhere on this forum if it helped Neuropathy in humans? Thanks Ken in Texas.

The original article is about improving circulation in diabetic mice....not all types of PN are the same.

It will take a long time for rodent data to reach human trials. With a drug already approved once by the FDA it can make it more of a fast track...but still human studies will have to be done.

Given that Viagra--
 

--affects the nitric oxide pathways as part of the process of increasing circulatory ease, it makes sense that it might help certain types of ischemic neuropathy; that is, damage to nerves caused by damage to circulation which "starves" the nerves of nutrients and oxygen and does not allow efficient takeaway of metabolic waste products.

But, of course, by that reasoning (as we've talked about before here) ANYTHING that promotes better circulation, from exercise to essential fatty acids to cayenne peppers, might be useful in those situations.

And, of course, not all neuropathies are primarily ischemic in mechanism. Promoting good circulation is probably not a bad idea even for those, but it may not have the effect it would in ischemic-based neuropathies.