Posted on 01/10/2004 9:54:16 PM PST by freedom44
Hundreds of patients asking Dr. Scott Parry for Viagra at his Virginia-Highland clinic are young, healthy and virile.
They don't suffer from diabetes, hypertension or any other medical cause of impotence.
Instead, some complain about performance anxiety. Others say their marriage is in need of a spark. Partygoers are looking for something to offset the effects of alcohol.
They are part of a new wave of men in their 20s, 30s and 40s who look nothing like Viagra's first spokesman five years ago -- former presidential candidate Bob Dole, who famously used the term, erectile dysfunction or ED. Instead they mirror the drug manufacturer's new spokesman homerun slugger Rafael Palmeiro who has reportedly said he has tried Viagra but didn't need it. Or Jeff Dauler, a 30-year-old healthy and married producer of Atlanta's "Bert Show" on Q-100 who tried the pill on a lark.
"Mr. Blue" -- a slang term for the drug -- has exploded into a multi-billion-dollar industry, with nine Viagra tablets dispensed every second around the globe.
But men with ED aren't the only ones fueling the business. Curious men and others looking for that edge in the bedroom can buy the pills from a doctor, off the Internet or around Atlanta night clubs in tiny ziploc bags.
"Some young men will come in for a cold or pain in the leg and say, 'by the way, I was wondering about this Viagra and my wife and I have been having some problems' or 'I could use something to build my confidence,'" said Dr. Shangbo Guan, an internal medicine doctor in Sandy Springs, who is seeing an uptick in the number of younger men asking for the drug.
Unfortunately, experts say some of these guys suffer from unrealistic expectations for performance or are masking more deep-rooted problems, such as relationship conflict, poor self-image or drug addiction.
"There seems to be growing interest in having a 24/7 erection and perform sexually without looking at the context or meaning," said Dr. Gail Wyatt, a sex therapist, professor of psychiatry at UCLA and author of the book, "No More Clueless Sex."
Other times, it's even more superficial: men simply want to be impressed with how they function.
"Everybody has insecurity, and here's this one thing they take and they can feel they have this power and they look good," said Atlanta sex therapist Virginia Erhardt.
Viagra and other drug companies selling impotence drugs vehemently deny targeting healthy men and say their drugs are designed only for men with impotence woes.
With as many as 30 million men suffering from at least partial ED [according to the National Institutes of Health] there's no need to go outside that pool of potential customers, drug manufactures say. They believe only one in ten men with ED seek treatment.
While the incidence of ED increases with age, it's unclear how many men under 40 really have ED. Estimates range from 5 to 39 percent of 40-year-old men suffer from ED, according to government and private sector sources.
Men 40 and younger account for at least 8 percent of the prescriptions for Viagra, according to Pfizer. No age breakdown was available for Levitra or Cialis, a newcomer in the industry already dubbed "the Weekender," because it can stay in the bloodstream for 36 hours. Unregulated Internet sales also go untracked.
But all three companies claim young, healthy users represent a small slice of the business, even "peripheral," according to Pfizer spokesman Daniel Watts.
Doctors and those in the party circuit argue that they're seeing anecdotal evidence to the contrary. While most who use the drug, need it -- there's clearly interest among growing numbers to see if they can find thrill in a pill.
Dr. Guan said only 10 percent of men asking for ED medication appear not to need it, but the buzz about the pills are getting around, and he's seeing it in his office.
But there's a reason impotence drugs are designed only for men with ED. While considered relatively safe, the trio of impotence drugs can lead to serious complications when taken with nitrates, often used to control chest pain, and other medications. Possible side effects include flushing, muscle aches and even bluish vision. Urologists warn some men who don't need the medication, might develop a psychological dependency.
And the longterm effects are still unknown.
It also seems completely unnecessary. The drug works by increasing blood flow to the penis, allowing for an erection if stimulated. It is not a hormone or an aphrodisiac.
"You should never take any medication that's not necessary," said Dr. Deena Davis, a urologist at St. Joseph's Hospital. "Men think they will have this great erection, but you are fine without it, there is no reason to take it. . .I think some men look at it like a miracle pill and then there's word of mouth about this buddy who lasted 20 days."
With impotence pills easily available through the Internet, Parry, a primary physician, typically grants requests for impotence drugs so he can educate his patients about the risk and supervise them. He is also afraid some men may not use a condom if denied a prescription for Viagra.
"In an era of safe sex, the condom takes away some of the sensation, and if you want to encourage safe sex, Viagra can help that," he said.
Some doctors also worry the new Cialis is particuarly attractive to young party revelers since it stays in the bloodstream for so long.
"You take it at lunch on Friday and you are good all weekend," said Dr. Bruce Stein, an Atlanta urologist.
A Cialis spokeswoman, however, said the drug is designed to let couples "take advantage of the romantic moment as it happens and have less time pressure."
Some physicians also say mixing impotence drugs with mind-altering drugs, such as ectasy or crystal methamphetamines, is on the rise -- and a potentially deadly combination. Dr. Wyatt said Viagra has become a staple in popular rave parties in the gay community known as circuit parties.
"If you are in party mode and if everything is sped up, you may not take time to talk about [sexually transmitted diseases]," Dr. Wyatt said.
In fact, a study of 844 men at San Francisco's STD clinic found that Viagra users had an average of 5.4 sexual partners in the last two months compared with 3.5 partners among non-Viagra users in a study published in the July 2002 issue of "AIDS: The Official Journal of the International AIDS Society."
The study also found over half of the men using Viagra obtained the drug through a friend, not a doctor.
Pfizer's spokesman, Watts, said Viagra is not to blame.
"This is not about Viagra. It is about individuals taking responsibility for their actions -- practicing safe sex and taking appropriate actions," Watts said.
Many experts blame highly sexualized images portrayed in tv shows like "Sex and the City," and in magazines and pornography for giving young men the impression that women desire marathon sex.
"Sex is everywhere," Davis said. "Men see sex and sexual performance as part of the definition of what a great catch of a guy is. . .I think this is fed to them by the outside world for the most part. Not their partners."
Relationship gurus believe many psychological roots to impotence require counseling instead of medication, or at least a different mindsight. They recommend drug-free solutions: tenderness, love and communication.
"Women don't want a minute and a half, but they sure don't want four hours. Most women would like four hours of love-making that includes hugging and kissing and cuddling but four hours of intercourse? Give me a break," Erhardt said.
Dr. Wyatt said many men are developing a warped -- and casual -- view of sex.
"Viagra is not the way to a good sex life," she said. "The way to a good sex life is to make a friend of the person you're with...and look at sex as an added ingredient."
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Party-pooper
A person who tries to spoil the fun of others
Bttt. The drug works by increasing blood flow to the penis, allowing for an erection if stimulated. It is not a hormone or an aphrodisiac.
Uhhh..that's called a wife and small kids. If you're not there yet, be patient, you'll find the right girl and "de-viagra" is on it's way!
SFS
Right. We've all seen that Lavitra commercial with the middle-aged guy who looks like Kirk Douglas trying to throw the football through the tire, before being joined by a sexy woman who looks like his daughter. "Hey, Dad, whatcha doin? ..."
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