Firstmed Blog

Jerry Hall , the super model, actress, and former wife of Mick Jagger , was recently appointed as the “Global Ambassador for [Levitra’s] Erectile Dysfunction Campaign.” Bayer HealthCare, producers of the third place brand in a category dominated by Viagra and Lilly ICOS’s Cialis, is hoping that the global icon will inject much needed sex appeal to their marketing strategy. Hall has declared: “I’m working with Bayer HealthCare to encourage men to confront erectile dysfunction and take action. It might be a conversation with your doctor or maybe with your partner, but it’s never too late to get the most from your love life. A healthy love life is not and should not be the preserve of those in their 20s and 30s. It’s important at all ages”.

In the past, Levitra used male images and spokepeople in its ads — e.g., football coach Mike Ditka to launch the “Levitra Challenge” during Super Bowl XXXVIII. However, it seems that the ads with men telling men to see their docs to ask about ED are duds. Cialis may have gained market share in part due to its ads that portrayed couples on the verge of coupling as it were.

One might point out that Pfizer enjoyed great success by casting humorless elder statesman Bob Dole as spokesperson for Viagra. But at the time erectile dysfunction was a very little discussed condition and Pfizer cunningly gave us permission to mock the failed presidential hopeful about his sex life while we simultaneously and silently thanked Jesus for the discovery of the little blue pill. As soon as everyone on the planet knew about Viagra, the inherent snicker factor of its product was diluted and Pfizer brazenly shifted its marketing strategy. Their advertising isn’t even remotely directed at men with erectile dysfunction anymore. It’s full of vibrant sports heroes (NASCAR drivers declaring, “Gentlemen, start your engines!”), attractive professional types strutting through offices and most recently, ads featuring guys with the blue V from Viagra’s brand logo rising behind their heads like a pair of Devil horns. The slogan? “Get back to mischief?” Pfizer is now selling sexual performance. The not-so-very subtle new message is obvious: every guy can have a mischievous, raging, new and improved penis.

If the marketing maxim ‘sex sells’ still holds true then Jerry Hall is the perfect ambassador for Levitra’s campaign. She is a global sex symbol who embodies an open, confident and bold approach to sex and relationships. According to the Texan -”My mother said it was simple to keep a man, you must be a maid in the living room, a cook in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom. I said I’d hire the other two and take care of the bedroom bit.”

Throughout history strong associations have been suggested between our sense of smell and our sexual appetites. The nose and genitals have something in common: they both contain erectile tissue, which swells as it engorges with blood before and during sex. There can be no confusion about why the penis needs to become erect, but for the vagina and the nose, it seems to be a case of increasing sensation. A nose pumped up with blood is much more sensitive to smells.

Smell is a very important part of sex . Most animals secrete subtle aromatic chemicals called pheromones, which act as chemical messengers. Some pheromones send messages of sexual availability. So does losing your sense of smell also mean losing much of their libido? Not in the case of men taking Viagra it would seem.

Since a German researchers report in The Journal of Urology last week, there has been countless news reports suggesting that higher doses of Viagra (sildenafil) may impair the ability to smell. A team led by Dr V Gudziol at the University of Dresden Medical School studied 20 healthy, young male volunteers who received Viagra, at a 50- or 100-mg dose, or inactive “placebo” and then were exposed to an odor-dispensing device. The researchers tested the subjects` odor detection threshold, odor discrimination and odor identification ability. They found that the 100-mg dose caused a drop in smelling or “olfactory” ability, specifically odor discrimination and odor threshold, compared with placebo. The 50-mg dose, by contrast, had no effect on olfactory function.

”In our subjects, the most likely reason for impaired…olfactory function was nasal congestion” brought on by Viagra, the authors write. They note that, while it was not evaluated in this study, previous reports have linked Viagra with a drop in nasal airflow. The studies didn’t mention whether or not this change in smelling ability affected the men’s ability to maintain an eretion. My guess is no.

Pip is the penis of Philip,46, who lives in Essex with his wife, Elaine, and their children Justine, Jamie and Jasmine.

At half-five, bang Philip’s awake. The first thing he does is a workout of push-ups, squats and situps, which takes about about a half an hour. I find the rush of endorphines gets me going. If Philip has a meeting, it’s nearly always an early start, so I’m usually under the shower and out of the house before Elaine is up. If there’s no meeting, Elaine and I sometimes enjoy some early morning one on one time. Philip and Elaine have been married for 23 years so me and Elaines time together had varied in quality over the years. I still remember how excited I was when they first met.

Philip’s not big on breakfasts. Before he used to just have coffee and cigarettes. Nowadays he makes a lot of effort to eat healthly to counterbalance the stress of his often hectic lifestyle. At the start of this year, he needed to lose two stone following a mild heart scare so he has to watch it on the calorie front – no more of those pints and pies he was so fond of. The young Philip was actually a very fit, athletic man, which was better for me and Elaine. In recent years he developed an unsightly spare tyre around his abdomenon which much to my dismay made me look smaller. This made me less confident and unable to perform to the best of my abilities. I found I lost my ridgity quite quickly and lost all interest in being alone with Elaine. My dispair soon impacted on Philip and Elaine’s marriage. The more withdrawn I became, the less they communicated. Those days are behind all of us now.Philip’s new diet and lifestyle and the occasional dose of the ‘magic blue pill’ has rejuvenated my lust for life and for Philip’s wife.

Most of the rest of day, I daydream and slumber quietly. Sometimes Philip plays squash after work. This makes me slightly anxious due to a sports blow I took several years back that still makes me flinch. But thankfully he has the sense to protect me now.

In the evenings Philip often just wants to put his feet up in front of the telly. But sometimes I drive him to romance Elaine. He might make a romantic dinner. If Philip makes an effort with Elaine, I reap the benfits later on. She may frequently complain about me missing toilet bowel but deep down I know she loves me.

Night time is the most active part of the day for me as each night, I automatically run a self-diagnostic systems check. Philip is generally unaware that this is happening I need to flush myself with fresh blood and oxygen to stay in optimum working condition so I don’t get much sleep. I experience about 5 erections a night each lasting approximately 30 minutes and are often in evidence on waking.

There has been a lot of press recently about whether or not Viagra should be available over the counter.

Pfizer confirmed that it routinely evaluates Viagra for a number of options including new indications and selling it without a prescription. Viagra’s sales have declined since 2004 because of competition from similar drugs Cialis made by Eli Lilly & Co. and Bayer AG and Schering-Plough Corp.’s Levitra. Viagra’s patent is set to expire in 2012 which will result in a flood of generics. Becoming the first over the counter treatment for erectile dysfunction would resestablish Pfizers dominance in the field.

However, analysts said it doesn’t make sense for Pfizer to purse that strategy because the chances of regulators approving the drug as an over-the-counter medicine are practically nil. Regulators would have to determine that patients could self-diagnose the condition and that the product was safe for use without a doctor’s supervision. A major reason for the unlikehood that it would be approved is that men who take drugs that contain nitrates, such as nitroglycerin for chest pain, should not take Viagra because serious complications can occur. A warning notice about that is included on Viagra’s label, but doctors also tell patients about the risks.Viagra also has other risks such as sudden vision loss and the potential of causing a painful prolonged erection , a condition known as Priaprism.

Over the counter Viagra also might mean other linked diseases would be missed with no health check ups. Often, men with erectile dysfunction have underlying health problems such as diabetes, which can be spotted by their GP at the time they come for an anti-impotence prescription.
There would be benefits too, such as combating the problem of Viagra sold illegally on the internet from unknown sources, which may be fake and if taken with some medicines could be fatal. Perhaps it would be safe to buy over-the-counter provided the pharmacist did the necessary checks to ensure the medication was suitable for the patient.
It might also be a more attractive option to men as going to see the GP about sexual problems can be embarrassing.

Over the past 50 years, sperm counts around the world have fallen from an average of 113 million sperm per ml to between 66 and 76 million. Scientists have suggested that male infertility is the leading cause of infertile couples. . There has been much speculation over the years on the extent to which diet can effect man‘s little swimmers. Questions abound such as, Can diet improve the quality and quantity of sperm?

A BBC programme exploring ’The Truth about Food’ recently addressed these questions, undertaking an ambitious experiment to determine whether changing diet could improve the numbers and quality of a man’s sperm. Six sub-fertile men whose sperm counts were between 5-20million were put on a high nutrient smoothie diet to see if they could improve their levels of motility, morphology, sperm count and DNA fragmentation with the aim of reaching the 100% target. Mid-way through the study, one couple had conceived and by the end there was a consistent improvement in the quality of all of the men’s sperm, especially in the sperm DNA levels.

They also explored whether or not a man’s diet can have a radical effect on the taste of his sperm. They took three adventurous couples and turned them in to guinea pigs. For three days prior to the experiment the men were to abstain from alcohol and to eat a bland diet containing no spicy or strong tasting food such as garlic or asparagus. Each of the men then followed a specific diet as closely as possible for three days. One took on ‘Hot and Spicy’, one ‘Fabulously Fishy’ and the third ‘Fantastically Fruity and Fresh’. On the morning of the third day they asked the men for a sample of their semen and then asked their partners what flavours they could detect, through smell and through taste. Two of the three partners accurately identified which diet the men had been on.

So there you have it - Food has a huge effect on sperm down to its very taste. Good dietary intake of antioxidants and micronutrients is critically important for normal semen quality and reproductive function. Healthy men with a higher antioxidant intake from both diet and supplements are likely to have more sperm and their sperm will be more motile.

A gimmick timed for Valentine’s Day, or a dangerous medical precedent?

Britain’s biggest pharmacy chain, Boots, will start selling Viagra over the counter at some stores on Feb. 14 — a day also designated in Britain as National Impotence Day.

Doctors are warning of the hazards of making the erectile dysfunction drug freely available to men — especially those with medical conditions such as diabetes or heart problems.

”This sets a very bad precedent and should not be condoned,” said Dr. Andrew McCullough, a sexual health expert at New York University Medical Center. ”This system is basically prescribing medication without doctors.”

Under the scheme, men age 30 to 65 who want the impotence-fighting drug will have a one-hour consultation with a pharmacist, who will take their medical history and check blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels.

If no medical red flags are raised, the men can buy four Viagra pills for $97. For a refill, they will have to see a private doctor.

”We’re increasing access to Viagra for men who may be too embarrassed to talk about it with their general physician,” Boots spokeswoman Clare Stafford said Monday.

But doctors fear the practice could lead to major health problems being overlooked — and set a bad precedent for other countries. In many cases, sexual dysfunction is an indicator of an underlying disease, such as heart failure or diabetes.Viagra — readily available on the Internet without prescription — was developed by Pfizer Inc. in 1996. It is one of the world’s top-selling drugs but is classified as a prescription drug worldwide. Though it is safe and effective, possible rare side effects include vision impairment, heart problems and stroke.

Patrons at a London bar were largely sympathetic to the idea of making the drug available without prescription.

”It’s fair play,” said Jason Whelan, 30, who was having a beer with friends. He was quick to say he didn’t need the drug — yet.

”Come later in life, there’s nothing wrong with it,” he said.

Doctors believe the system might lead patients to believe that a quick pharmaceutical fix is just as effective as seeing a physician. ”There is more to solving sex problems than giving men Viagra,” said Dr. David Ralph, a consultant urologist at University College London.

Ralph said the plan would undermine the potential for physicians to make a comprehensive diagnosis, which might even pick up health problems of the men’s sexual partners. ”If men can just get Viagra at the pharmacy, we are losing the chance to do proper health screening,” he said.

In recent years, Boots has introduced similar initiatives with other drugs, such as those for weight loss, hair retention and the morning-after pill.

According to the regulations of the European Medicines Agency, which supervises drug use in Europe, Viagra should be available to men only under medical guidance. ”Our stance is clear: Viagra is a prescription drug,” said Monika Bernstetter, an agency press officer. ”But it’s up to member states how they implement prescriptions.”

Boots’ pilot program at three Manchester-based branches is expected to last six months. The pharmacy will then consider expanding it to other stores.

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

NEWCASTLE, England, Feb. 16 (UPI) – A Newcastle, England, mother said she’s got Viagra to thank for her baby’s life after the impotence drug opened up blood vessels in the infant’s lungs.

“He really is a miracle baby. They tried Viagra as a last resort. But it worked,” Jade Goodfellow told the Mirror. “We even started to plan his funeral but everyone prayed so much for him and he pulled through.”

Lewis Goodfellow was born in August, 16 weeks premature, and one of his lungs collapsed the next day, the Mirror reported. He had heart surgery a few weeks later to repair a duct, but his lungs were not getting enough oxygen into his bloodstream, the newspaper said. Doctors gave him some Viagra, which was originally developed to treat angina, and he immediately started to improve, the Mirror said.

Neonatologist Alan Fenton told the Mirror it’s unusual to use Viagra on premature babies.

“It is a fairly new form of treatment. It has been used successfully in full-term babies, but it is unclear whether it works as well in very premature babies.”

Source: Science Daily

Bangkok, Feb 14: A third of Thai teenage girls think Valentine’s Day is an excellent time to lose their virginity, and police in Bangkok are out to stop them.

Police in the capital, famous around the world for its fleshpots, will enforce a 10 pm curfew on February 14 after a poll of teenagers was published last week.

Love-struck teenagers would be sent home or taken to a police station to wait for their parents to fetch them on Wednesday night, Bangkok Deputy Police Chief Kamol Kaewsuwan said.

“Love is nice and beautiful, but it does not necessarily involve sexual engagement. Teenagers would do better focusing on school,” Kamol said of the curfew.

Police would also be on the look out for public displays of affection by under-18 youths hanging out in shopping malls, cinemas and other entertainment venues on Valentine’s Day.

“Hugging and kissing in public places are indecent,” said Police Colonel Chokechai Deeprasertvith, who heads a special unit to fight crimes against children, youths and women.

The Assumption University poll of 1,578 teenagers published last week found one third of teenage girls were willing to have sex on Valentine’s Day if their boyfriends asked.

Another survey of 1,222 youths by the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce found 11 percent planned to lose their virginity on Wednesday night. Nearly 51 percent said they would not have sex.

It’s not the first time predominantly Buddhist Thailand has tried a social order crusade popular with the middle class, many of whom are uncomfortable with public sexuality and support moves to rein in anything-goes Bangkok.

A short-lived 2004 morality campaign under former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra cut the operating hours of go-go bars, nightclubs and massage parlours despite warnings it would hit the country’s lucrative tourist trade.

Recently, university student and budding movie starlet Chotiros Suriyawong was rebuked for wearing a revealing sexy black dress to Thailand’s version of the Oscars.

“Society feels this is a disgrace and her actions have affected the reputation of this university,” Suraphol Nitikraipot, rector of the prestigious Thammasat University, was quoted as saying by the Nation newspaper on Tuesday.

Source: Mangalorean

SOME DOCTORS FEAR EASY ACCESS COULD OVERLOOK DRUG RISKS

LONDON - A gimmick timed for Valentine’s Day, or a dangerous medical precedent?

Britain’s biggest pharmacy chain, Boots, will start selling Viagra over the counter at some stores Feb. 14 — a day also designated in Britain as National Impotence Day.

Doctors are warning of the hazards of making the erectile dysfunction drug freely available to men — especially those with medical conditions such as diabetes or heart problems.

“This sets a very bad precedent and should not be condoned,” said Dr. Andrew McCullough, a sexual health expert at New York University Medical Center. “This system is basically prescribing medication without doctors.”

Under the scheme, men age 30 to 65 who want the impotence-fighting drug will have a one-hour consultation with a pharmacist, who will take their medical history and check blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels.

If no medical red flags are raised, the men can buy four Viagra pills for $97. For a refill, they will have to see a private doctor.

“We’re increasing access to Viagra for men who may be too embarrassed to talk about it with their general physician,” Boots spokeswoman Clare Stafford said Monday.

But doctors fear the practice could lead to major health problems being overlooked — and set a bad precedent for other countries. In many cases, sexual dysfunction is an indicator of an underlying disease, such as heart failure or diabetes.

The plan would undermine the potential for physicians to make a comprehensive diagnosis, which might even pick up health problems of the men’s sexual partners, said Dr. David Ralph, a consultant urologist at University College London.

“If men can just get Viagra at the pharmacy, we are losing the chance to do proper health screening,” he said.
Source: Mercury News

Who said romance is dead? The anti-impotence drug Viagra goes on sale on the high street for the first time on Wednesday 14. The date happens to be Valentine’s Day, for those who hadn’t already noticed the glut of hearts, cupids and flowers filling shop windows. Wednesday is also National Impotence Day

Men with erection problems will be able to buy the infamous blue pill without having to get a doctor’s prescription first.Those aged 30 to 65 can have a short consultation with a pharmacist and then buy pack of four tablets for £50 at branches of Boots participating in a pilot scheme.

To ensure safety, customers must give medical histories and have their blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels tested. Boots healthcare director Alex Gourlay said of the pilot scheme at three Manchester stores: “This is an innovation in access to treatment of erectile dysfunction. We hope we help more men seek help for a common condition.”

Not everybody will see it in such rosy terms. On the gay club scene, Viagra is simply ‘part of the package’. For those who want to run with the big boys, steroids are de rigeur, and to keep up with the 48-hour disco circuit, chemical cocktails form the backbone of many a gay boy’s weekend.

Of course, in case you didn’t know, if you’re wired on coke, gurning on E, or cracked out on crystal meth, the chances of getting a healthy boner are quite remote.

Unless you’re completely comfortable being seen as a greedy bottom who can’t get it up, Viagra is the solution to a very gay and hedonistic problem. The pills can be bought on the black market, from most recreational drug dealers for about £5. It’s as easy to buy Viagra on the Net as it is to buy books from Amazon.

In the US, the trend for using Viagra at sex-parties, saunas and as an aid to meth-fuelled internet sex has become so widespread that it’s reached mainstream news.

Last month one of the nation’s largest HIV/AIDS healthcare providers filed a suit against Pfizer, which manufactures Viagra. They accused the company of encouraging the recreational use of the drug and in doing so contributing to sexually transmitted diseases including HIV.

Healthcare Foundation’s lawsuit alleges that Pfizer engaged in “unlawful, unfair and fraudulent business practices” in violation of California Business and Professions Code.

The lawsuit wants the court to force the company to begin a public education program primarily aimed at ‘men who have sex with men’ “about the increased risks of transmission of sexually transmitted diseases associated with using Pfizer’s Viagra.”

Their argument is quite simple- if you’re going to have sex for longer, with more partners, you’re more likely to be exposed to STDs…and more likely to spread them if you’re already infected.

The lawsuit has the backing of Dr. Jeffrey D. Klausner, the Director, STD Prevention at the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

“Several of our studies and those I reviewed for my research showed strong independent associations between the use of Viagra and increased sexual risk behavior, including an increased risk for diseases like syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and HIV infection,” said Klausner when the lawsuit was announced.

“The promotion of Viagra for what some have called ‘recreational use’ must be stopped. Why the FDA has not acted on this is unclear to me,” Klausner said.

Pfizer has denied any wrongdoing and has said it will fight the lawsuit in court. The matter is further complicated by the fact that men living with HIV often report erectile dysfunction.

A study by St Mary’s Hospital in west London found that 26% of their gay male patients with HIV (regardless of whether or not they were on HAART) reported low libido and the same percentage reported problems achieving an erection.

When it came to individuals taking antiretrovirals, the proportion with erectile dysfunction (ED) increased to 48%, although the proportion of men experiencing loss of libido did not increase.

In a control group of HIV-negative men, the percentages were 2% and 10% respectively for loss of libido and ED.

Dr. Pepe Catalan, consultant psychiatrist at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, confirms that “sexual dysfunction is very common in people with HIV, even in patients not on antiretrovirals.” He says, “I see two or three patients a week here for it.

Matthew Hodson from GMFA (Gay Men Fighting AIDS) told GAY.com: “It’s neither wholly good or wholly bad. Gay men obviously take Viagra with recreational drugs which have a disinhibiting effect and therefore there’s increased potential foir transmission of HIV and other infections.

“That said, some men have difficulty maintaining a hard-on when using condoms. Viagra can actually encourage safe-sex in those circumstances. GMFA absolutely believe that all gay men have the right to a full and fulfilling sex life.

“Another important thing to say is that Viagra and poppers (amyl nitrate) can kill you. I doubt Boots will be telling you that when you buy it over the counter….but there again, I doubt you’re black-market drug dealer would mention that either.”