What? I Can't Hear You! Viagra Makes You Deaf?

For the second time in the past year, a study has been released indicating that the little blue impotence pill can not only make one hard, but hard of hearing. To be specific, the trio of popular meds for erectile dysfunction - Viagra, Cialis and Levitra - were linked to 47 suspected cases of sensorineural hearing loss – a rapid loss of hearing in one or both ears that can become permanent, according to a study inThe Laryngoscope.

The UK researchers reviewed info from published literature and regulatory reports around the globe for incidents that may have been triggered by the pills. They found that hearing loss occurred within 24 hours of ingestion in nearly 67 percent of the cases, with Pfizer's Viagra accounting for more than half of the total. The average age of those affected was 57; men outnumbered women 7 to 1.

"There is increasing evidence that PDE-5 inhibitors may induce sensorineural hearing loss via plausible physiological mechanisms," the researchers concluded. "There needs to be more awareness of this disabling side effect among healthcare professionals responsible for prescribing this drug." And the lead researcher, Afroze Shah Khan of Charing Cross Hospital tells The Daily Mail that "Medical practitioners involved in the prescription of these drugs need to be vigilant about this potential side-effect."

Hearing loss associated with these pills has been identified previously. Four years ago, the FDA announced labeling changes for PDE-5i meds so the risk of hearing problems was more prominently displayed. And last year, a study suggested the potential for long-term hearing loss after using Viagra, specifically (read here). But the UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, tells the paper that complaints of hearing loss linked to Viagra are "extremely rare."

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