As recently as 2011, scientists suspected that the popular erectile dysfunction drug Viagra might actually reduce the risk of melanoma. However, a recent study suggests the opposite may in fact be the case.

The study was published online in JAMA Internal Medicine. Starting in 2000, researchers gathered data from a cohort of almost 26,000 participants in the Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study at the Harvard School of Public Health. They kept track of subjects’ use of Viagra and their general sexual health as well as other possible confounding variables such as hair and eye color, history of moles, history of sun exposure, and genetic predisposition for skin cancer.

The study found that recent Viagra users were 84 percent more likely to develop melanoma. Subjects who had used Viagra at all, though not necessarily recently, also showed an increased risk of developing melanoma. The study did not find an increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma or basal cell carcinoma associated with Viagra use. It also did not find any link between melanoma and erectile dysfunction itself.

Viagra is made by Pfizer Inc. and was first approved by the FDA in March 1998 as a treatment for erectile dysfunction. It works by relaxing smooth muscle and increasing blood flow. The same ingredient, sildenafil, is also sold under the brand name Revatio as a treatment for pulmonary hypertension. After Viagra’s years on the market, most Viagra side effects are fairly well known. However, the association with melanoma is a relatively new finding.

Although melanoma is not a particularly common type of skin cancer, it’s responsible for the largest number of skin cancer deaths. Melanoma can quickly grow into the skin and spread to other parts of the body – so the earlier it is diagnosed, the better.

Smaller melanomas discovered and removed early have an almost 100 percent cure rate. But if it is not discovered right away, melanoma gets a chance to metastasize to the lymphatic system and blood vessels, at which point the survival rate drops quickly. Patients in whom melanoma has metastasized to distant parts of the body have a five-year survival rate of only about 10 percent.

A few Viagra users who later developed melanoma have begun to seek compensation through a Viagra melanoma lawsuit. Typically, they allege that Pfizer failed to warn them and their physicians about the danger of Viagra melanoma. They also say that had they been given a proper warning, they never would have taken Viagra in the first place. If successful, these plaintiffs may be entitled to payment for their medical bills, physical injury, pain and suffering, and possibly punitive damages.

Other Viagra Side Effects

Viagra can bring other side effects that range from minor nuisances to chronic medical conditions. It’s not uncommon for Viagra users to report upper respiratory symptoms such as pharyngitis and rhinitis. Some patients have reported cardiovascular symptoms including heart palpitations, increased heart rate, and elevated blood pressure. Some of these symptoms have led to actual heart conditions such as arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, and heart attacks.

Other users have reported changes in vision to include distortions of color, blurry vision, aversion to bright light, and some have reported hemorrhage of the retina and disorders of the conjunctiva. Other Viagra side effects can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, gastroesophageal reflux disease, muscle aches and pains as well as headaches, dizziness and tremors.