For almost 30 years, the “little blue pill” has helped men perform well in bed.
However, this drug is only authorized for men and, despite recent innovations, there is still no equivalent alternative on the market for women.
But, in a twist of fate, Viagra – known medically as sildenafil – has an interesting emerging use for a disease that affects more women than men.
Chronic or extreme cold in the extremities can be a sign of poor circulation, a phenomenon that affects many more women than men.
In more severe cases, this translates beyond discomfort to Raynaud’s syndrome, a generally harmless condition causing numbness, tingling, tingling, and even visible changes in skin color.
Here’s how the “little blue pill” can relieve cold pain.
An unexpected remedy
When the weather gets colder, the body tries to keep its core temperature high. It first constricts blood vessels near the skin, then in the extremities, to direct blood flow to vital organs like the heart and brain.
This is partly why frostbite first strikes your fingers and toes. They are furthest from the core of your body.
People with Raynaud’s disease have an extreme reaction to cold that blocks blood flow to their extremities. This vascular spasm turns the skin white from a lack of blood or blue, as oxygen levels decrease.
People with Raynaud’s syndrome are particularly sensitive to cold, but attacks can occur throughout the year.
“For example, when you get out of a heated swimming pool, enter an air-conditioned building, or enter the freezer section of the supermarket,” said rheumatologist Dr. Robert H. Shmerling at Harvard Health. “Even slight changes in air temperature can trigger an episode.”
This disproportionately affects women because they naturally have more fat than men, which further restricts blood flow. And because women are generally smaller, they lose heat more quickly.
Remember, for men, Viagra works by pumping blood to their penis, making erections easier. For those who suffer from the cold, the medicine works in the same way, simply by circulating blood to another part of the body.
A blogger with Sjögren’s disease has explained how Viagra has been a game-changer, helping to treat cold fingers caused by Raynaud’s disease, which is linked to her autoimmune disease.
Additionally, several Reddit users have credited Viagra with relieving their cold symptoms.
“I have been taking it for a few years and it has been very effective in reducing both the frequency and severity of attacks,” one wrote. “I still suffer, but now I tend to limit myself to particularly extreme situations.”
Not a first-line treatment
Cold fingers and Raynaud’s attacks usually resolve on their own.
“This is reversible when warming up,” Dr. Anca Askanase, a rheumatologist at Columbia University Medical Center, told the Post in a previous article.
To avoid an episode, minimize exposure to the cold. If your fingers become numb, run warm water over them, but don’t heat them too much, as this may cause burns. “When (an attack) is prolonged, it can cause sores and tissue loss and, rarely, gangrene of the fingers,” Askanase said.
Viagra is a tightly controlled drug, and the FDA has penalized illegal counterfeit gas stations for using sildenafil in products like “Boner Bears.” They warn that the drug should be used under a doctor’s supervision because it can interact with other medications and cause dangerously low hypotension.
But getting Viagra from a doctor can be tricky: Sildenafil is only approved by the FDA for the treatment of erectile dysfunction and constriction of blood vessels in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension).
All other uses, including for Raynaud’s syndrome and cold fingers and toes, would be “off-label” use, which doctors can legally prescribe at their medical discretion.
One study showed that sildenafil was very effective against Raynaud’s disease, reducing the frequency of attacks and shortening their duration.
Gn Health
