Viagra skin patch in development – And it works faster than tablets!

People usually wear plasters to stem blood flow, but imagine putting one on to actually get something into the bloodstream?

For that is the idea behind a new way to treat erectile dysfunction in men, with scientists at universities at Cairo and Saudi Arabia looking at getting viagra into the blood, acting in a similar way to a smoking patch.

Men suffering with impotence problems would theoretically be able to wear the viagra skin patch on their upper arm or the abdomen, and perhaps most importantly for men, will kick-in within just a matter of seconds or minutes. Viagra can take between 30 minutes to an hour to work.

This means it will get men in the mood for sex even quicker than the time it takes them to get into the bedroom and take their clothes off!

Moreover, after taking the tablet version of viagra, some men occasionally experience various non-life threatening side effects such as blurred vision, slight headache, indigestion and muscle pain. The new erectile dysfunction skin patch would mean an end to these unwanted effects.

The team involved in the research at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, along with scientists at Cairo University, utilised a new drug delivery method, known as transferome technology.
A tiny patch measured at just 1cm squared was created, comprised of minute particles of sildenafil citrate (the active ingredient in viagra) which is coated with thin layers of fat and chemicals that will enable the skin to absorb the drug.

The patch was then tested on rats in order to judge just how much – if any – of the medicine would manage to penetrate the skin. The patch used on the rats only contained 1 milligram of viagra, which means bigger patches would need to be fashioned to accommodate for doses of viagra prescribed to men, which can range from 25mg to 100mg.

In a report in the journal Drug Design, Development and Therapy, scientists said the results demonstrated that viagra particles successfully transmitted through both the outer and inner layers of the skin.
In a report on the findings they said: “This could be a promising delivery system for the drug.
“The skin is an alternative route to the oral one, prolonging the effect and reducing variability.”
Although the patch has only been tested on rats thus far, there are hopes for future clinical trials on humans.

Since viagra first became available in 1998, its popularity has skyrocketed and has boosted the love lives of millions of men across the globe. After viagra became a huge success, its chunk of the market was somewhat reduced following the 2003 FDA-approvals of both levitra (vardenafil) and cialis (tadalafil) for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

According to official health statistics, over 3.5m prescriptions were dispensed in England during 2015 alone for medicines to treat erectile dysfunction.

The manufacturers of viagra, Pfizer, were forced into lowering the hefty price of viagra after seeing its patent expire in 2013 and this led to many generic sildenafil products entering the market, drugs that contained exactly the same active ingredient of the branded viagra, but could be sold to patients for just a fraction of the price.

However, men might not want to completely ditch their oral medications just yet. The British Society of Sexual Medicine’s Dr Geoff Hackett warns that the patches will actually hit patients hard in the wallet compared to existing treatments.

“It might be a nice way of delivering the drug,” he said.

“But I can’t see how a patch likely to cost around £10 is going to replace a pill that’s a fraction of the price.”

Unlicensed male impotence medicines seized in the UK

Over the years, Medical Specialists® Pharmacy have reported countless instances of people being heavily prosecuted for their dealings with counterfeit drugs.

It is worth bearing in mind, counterfeiters are inevitably always tracked and traced by the relevant authorities and eventually punished with severe fines and long prison sentences.

Many countries’ governments are so fed up with the huge problem of dangerous fake medicines in circulation, that they are almost adopting a zero-tolerance policy and will not hesitate to imprison anyone for up to 10 years or more…Yet apparently this still doesn’t deter some people from trying to make money off the health of the unsuspecting public that buy these poorly-produced ‘medicines’.

One of the most commonly imitated type of drug is erectile dysfunction (ED) medications, i.e. Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, etc., prescribed to men suffering with impotence, and it has been reported that a large haul of ED drugs have been seized in the latest UK sting.

Almost £1 million worth of unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicines have been seized from a property in Datchet, Slough, resulting in the arrest of a 37-year-old male.

The as-yet unnamed 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an unauthorised medication, knowing or believing it would be supplied to another person, and has now been bailed until 10 February 2016.

MHRA Head of Operations, Danny Lee-Frost gave a warning for those thinking of trying to make money from counterfeit drugs, and explained the dangers present for those that take a counterfeited drug. He said:

“Selling unlicensed medicines is both illegal and poses a serious health hazard. Anyone thinking of committing this fraud should be under no illusions – we will come and find you.
“Criminals involved in the illegal supply of medical products aren’t interested in your health – they are only interested in your money.

“People should think very carefully before purchasing pills on the internet because you have no idea what you may be taking or where they come from. To protect your health, visit your GP, get a correct diagnosis and buy medicines from a legitimate high street or registered pharmacy which can trade online.

“Unlicensed medicines can be dangerous as they can contain impurities, wrong ingredients, and there is no way of knowing if they are manufactured to ensure acceptable standards of quality and safety.
“MHRA will continue to work with UK law enforcement agencies to crack down on those who put the public health at risk.”

Here at Medical Specialists® Pharmacy, we only supply genuine branded medication such as (Pfizer) Viagra, we only dispense medication after a patient has undergone a consultation with one of our fully registered GP’s, who will make sure the medication is both right and safe for you. In addition to that we are fully registered with the National Pharmacy Association and the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Medical Specialists® are fully aware that there are thousands of illegal websites plaguing the internet that offer ‘discounted’ and ‘genuine’ medicines. We speak to many patients who are clearly very reluctant to obtain medicines online. With this in mind, here are some important factors to be alert of when browsing through different websites:

. No requirement of a doctors’ consultation for prescription medication.

. Long delivery times, sometimes up to several weeks. This is due to the drug being imported from a foreign country before it gets to you.

. The price of the medication is a lot cheaper than what would be expected, sometimes by as much as 70%.

. The website does not list any contact details, e.g. a telephone and fax number, email address, company address or details of its pharmacists, doctors, etc.

. A registered Pharmacy such as Medical Specialists® Pharmacy will have the GPhC green cross logo together with its Pharmacy number. This number can be checked to see if it does actually exist.

. The company registration and VAT number should both be clearly stated on the website. Both of these are a legal requirement.

Erectile Dysfunction prescriptions soar 25% in a year

Just a week ago Medical Specialists® Pharmacy dramatically lowered the prices on ALL erectile dysfunction treatments, such as Viagra, generic sildenafil, Cialis, etc., and the response in the subsequent seven days has shocked even those at Medical Specialists®.

With this huge price crash, thousands of male patients from all over the UK suffering with impotence – and indeed other countries around the globe – have been using the online consultation service to submit orders for various erectile dysfunction treatments. To give an example of the price drop, 4 x Viagra 100mg tablets were previously priced at £55.95 (Inc. delivery to mainland UK), but are now priced at just £34.95.

Perhaps many have suffered in silence for too long and finally decided to seek help from Medical Specialists®, or were simply deterred by the cost of the medications, either way it seems our staggering cost reduction to patients has resulted in a soar in requests for erectile dysfunction treatments.

It is not just at Medical Specialists® though where requests for male impotence medications are coming in thick and fast, with new figures showing that prescriptions for erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra soaring by over 25% within a year in the UK, as costs reduced by 85.9% with the availability of generic versions from 2013.

According to statistics from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), last year there was found to be 1.7 million prescriptions dispensed for sildenafil (often sold as the branded Viagra), but is also obtainable under other trade names.  The HSCIC report analyses prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists, dispensing doctors and in GP practices.

In comparison, there were 1.4 million prescriptions of sildenafil dispensed during 2013, and just one million back in 2004. For purely sildenafil alone, it was found that prescriptions increased by 21% during the previous year.

However, drugs for other conditions have seen a large increase in prescriptions too, with HSCIC figures showing that antidepressants, which includes medications for depressive illness, generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic attacks, increased by 7.2%, with 57.1 million dispensed last year, compared to 53.3 million in 2013. That means the number of dispensed prescriptions for antidepressants has almost doubled from the 29 million dispensed in 2004.

Other HSCIC stats show that in excess of 1.06 billion drugs were prescribed across England in 2014, a rise of 3.3% on the number prescribed during 2013 and an incredible rise of 55.2% on 2004.
Another finding was that the overall net ingredient cost of prescriptions in 2014 stood at £8.85 billion, representing a 2.6% rise of 2013 and 9.6% increase over the previous 10 years.

For the eighth successive year, the most amount of money went on diabetes drugs, with a 7% increase – rising by £55.3 million from 2013 to 2014, to reach £849.1 million.

Popular cholesterol drug Atorvastatin, a treatment that helps to cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes, was discovered to have the biggest rise in the number of items dispensed, with a four million rise since 2013.

MHRA close down 1,600 illegal websites in medicines bust

For a number of years Medical Specialists® Pharmacy – a safe, legitimate, fully registered online pharmacy with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) – have waged a war against the growing trade of illegal websites selling potentially fatal drugs.

Usually, these websites have been meticulously crafted together by crooks looking to make a quick buck from the unknowing customers that come to them. Often the websites pretend to be that of a real pharmacy, but in reality, there are no doctors, pharmacists, or anyone with a health-related background involved in the illegal ‘pharmacy’, and the medicines and usually poorly made counterfeits too.

Unfortunately, these websites are springing up across all the major search engines, such as Google, and look to draw-in unsuspecting customers with suspiciously low prices and outrageously illegal offers on prescription drugs, such as “buy one get one free!”…This is particularly common amongst erectile dysfunction treatments such as Viagra and Cialis. However, imagine going to your own GP and he offers you 10 free Viagra tablets if you pay for 20 Cialis tablets to begin with, it is an absurd thought process, but it is the kind of thing that appears on illicit drug websites. There are also countless other easy ways to spot a fake online pharmacy.

The good news though is that medicines regulator The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have successfully clamped down on these illegal websites, according to a new study.

The On Tap Report, conducted by UK defence and security think tank the Royal United Services Institute, states that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of such websites shut down, soaring from 200 in 2010 to more than 1,800 by 2014.

The fact there are so many websites emerging has been pinpointed to the fairly ‘low-risk and high reward’ involved with such illicit activities. For example, there is only a two year maximum prison sentence carried for offences under the 1968 Medicines Act. Not only this, most medicines are easy to duplicate because of standardised tablet sizes, vials and packets, due to high levels of regulation.
The report explains how the trade of illegal drug websites has managed to thrive primarily due to the relatively unregulated environment that is the internet. Unsurprisingly, most illegal pharmaceuticals are obtained over the internet compared to within high street pharmacies. In addition, it is estimated that more than half of our spam emails contain links to illegal websites, usually selling counterfeit drugs.

MHRA enforcement group manager Alastair Jeffrey spoke about the work of the MHRA in fighting the illegal websites and the risk they pose to the public.

He commented: “We welcome this report and as the UK regulator of medicines and medical devices, we are focused on tackling the illegal medicines trade. The report identifies much of the good work currently being undertaken by us and other government agencies.

“Our priority is to protect public health and while the involvement of organised crime in the illegal trade of medicines is not new, our work continues to evolve to counter the growing influence of the internet and other factors. We’re exploring the report’s recommendations, a number of which are already being addressed by the provisions of the Falsified Medicines Directive which has been implemented in the UK and is coming into force in stages.

“We would reiterate our advice that people should be alert to the risks of buying medicines online from illegitimate sources – medicines supplied cannot be guaranteed to meet set standards of quality and safety – in short, you don’t know what you’re getting, where it came from or if it’s safe for you to take. If you have a specific health concern, our advice is to consult an appropriate healthcare professional, such as a doctor or pharmacist.”

ED drug Cialis to be used in Dementia trials

British pensioners will be given erectile dysfunction drug Cialis for the world’s first clinical trial of its kind to see if the drug can be used in the fight against dementia.

Tadalafil – Cialis’ active ingredient – belongs to the same class of medications (PDE5 inhibitors) as Pfizer’s Viagra, and works by dilating blood vessels in the penis so blood can flow there more easily.
Because of its benefits to blood flow, scientists were curious if tadalafil could help to avert the development of a common form of dementia (vascular dementia) by again increasing blood flow, but this time to the brain.

The Alzheimer’s Society and the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) in New York are jointly funding the £328,000 cross-Atlantic research partnership.

Scientists led by Dr Atticus Hainsworth at St George’s, University of London, will assess 50 people aged over 65 in the UK that have experienced mild symptoms of dementia – such as memory loss – or have shown signs of blood vessel damage, following a stroke.

Dr Hainsworth commented: “My colleagues and I are very enthusiastic about this trans-Atlantic initiative as there are too few drugs in the medicine cupboard for dementia. We want to know whether a well-known, well-tolerated drug can be used to combat dementia, which has been called the twenty first century plague. The drug Tadalafil is widely used to increase blood flow in penile tissue. Now we’re asking whether it can do the same for another vital organ – the brain.”

Vascular dementia is the second most common type of dementia and an estimated 110,000 cases of dementia in the UK are this form of the disease. It is usually caused due to damage of the small blood vessels of the brain, leading to less blood being transported to the brain tissue as the artery walls are too thick and stiff.

This type of damage is also referred to as ‘small vessel disease’ and is evident in around 50-70% of older people because the damage usually develops and worsens over many years.

However, the researchers involved in the new clinical trials are optimistic that tadalafil’s blood-flow boosting properties will hopefully be able to stop the damage that causes vascular dementia.

The researchers will monitor the participants’ blood flow to the brain prior to and following a dose of tadalafil, using a special type of MRI called arterial spin labelling.

This involves the use of radiowaves to magnetise water within the blood and then monitor it as it travels to the brain, which will help the researchers to see the amount of blood that is getting to different areas of brain tissue.

The low dose of tadalafil will occasionally be switched for a placebo so the scientists can contrast the blood flow with and without tadalafil.

Patients already with dementia will be unable to be involved in the trials as those pioneering the research say they want to see if tadalafil may be able to actually prevent the onset of the disease.

Dr Doug Brown, Director of Research and Development at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Drug development can take decades and sadly, the path towards developing dementia treatments over the past decade is littered with drugs that have failed in clinical trials. As we learn more about the causes of dementia and its links to other conditions, there is hope that treatments we routinely use for other diseases may also work for people with dementia.

“These incredibly exciting studies could see existing treatments turned into drugs for the most common forms of dementia in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost of developing new drugs from scratch. By next year 850,000 people in the UK will have dementia and we owe it to them to do everything we can to develop better treatments and ultimately find a cure. Research like this is a huge part of that goal.”

Baby All I Want for Christmas…is More of You!

Mel Gibson inadvertently developed the powers to understand ‘What women want’ in the 2000 film following an electric shock in the bath. However, for the rest of the male population, getting inside the complex thoughts of women to get a grasp on what they are thinking and indeed what they want, can be an impossible task that even Einstein himself wouldn’t be able to figure out.

With this in mind, and the fact that there is now only a month to go until Christmas day, Medical Specialists® Pharmacy thought we would try to find out some of the things women actually want, whether this be from their partner in the bedroom, or simply an aesthetic improvement to make them feel more desirable.

. 72% say they want longer foreplay

Men are sometimes described as being like ‘dogs on heat’ and it seems his red-bloodedness transpires into the bedroom, with nearly three-quarters of women complaining that the whole process of sex is over far too quickly and there isn’t enough foreplay. Women don’t’ want a ‘wham bam thank you maam’ type of quickie, so men if you want to make sex enjoyable for her then you better make it worthwhile for her. After all, the more enjoyable and pleasurable it is on the whole, the more likely she is to orgasm!

. 59% say they want their man to last longer in bed

It seems foreplay alone isn’t the only way men are coming up short in the bedroom. The actual sex itself seems to be over far too soon for more than half of the women Medical Specialists® questioned. Exactly what constitutes a ‘normal’ duration for sex can vary between couples, but the average time between penetration and ejaculation is generally believed to be around five-and-a-half minutes. Men that are ejaculating less than two minutes after penetration on a regular basis would probably be classed as suffering with premature ejaculation, and would be wise to consider premature ejaculation treatments such as Priligy and Stud 100 spray. Women, why not slip some Durex Performa condoms into his Christmas stocking this year, they have a special Benzocaine cream inside the teat end of the condom to help control climax and prolong sexual excitement for longer lasting lovemaking…so you will both benefit!

. 67% want their man to have stronger erections

Guys it might be time to consider the effects that alcohol, cigarettes and a poor diet are doing to your body, as two thirds of women are not satisfied with their partner’s erections, according to our survey. There are certain foods that may help with better erections, but a persistent trouble achieving and sustain an erection satisfactory for intercourse may be a sign of erectile dysfunction, treatable through medications such as Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, Spedra and finally Vitaros cream for those who do not want to, or are unable to take tablets.

. 88% highlight sense of humour as being important

Ask any woman what they look for in a man and “a good sense of humour” will be one of the first things to come out of their mouth, and indeed laughter is the key a successful relationship for nearly 9 in 10 women in our survey. Men that doesn’t mean you have to necessarily be the life of the party or have to be drunk, sarcastic or insulting. Remember that a little self-deprecating humour can actually seem endearing to a woman, as it can show the man has a vulnerable/sensitive side – but don’t overdo it, this can come across as a lack of confidence!

. 78% of women would like to lose weight

This may not be a surprising statistic considering that research earlier this year published in published in The Lancet medical journal found that young women in the UK can have the unwanted claim to be fatter than anywhere else in western Europe; 1 in 12 are clinically obese. By the year 2050, the prevalence of obesity is expected to spread to 60% of adult men and 50% of adult women. Christmas is a time many of us will really pile on the pounds so perhaps guys this is the time to treat her to a gym membership or inform her about Medical Specialists’® range of fantastic weight loss treatments – without being overly insulting of course!

. 84% of women would like to receive more compliments

As we have mentioned previously, humour is important in gaining her affections, however paying her compliments can be just as crucial in any relationship. If she looks beautiful fellas, then let her know! “You look gorgeous” or “that dress really suits you” might seem like nothing to you, but to woman it could be a huge confidence boost. If her earrings happen to look good with the top she is wearing, tell her! After all, many women put a great deal of effort into choosing outfits and they will appreciate the fact their efforts have not gone unnoticed. Compliments can extend beyond physical features however, if her culinary skills or professionalism at work are impressive, tell her so!

And finally…The survey found that 81% of the unmarried women in relationships want their man to put a ring on their finger! Unfortunately, Medical Specialists® can’t help with this one – the only rings we provide are Durex Play vibration rings…Guaranteed to give you both 20 minutes of quivering pleasure, but not that all important walk down the aisle!

Man jailed for 16 weeks for selling dangerous ‘herbal’ male impotence drug

On Friday a 58-year-old man was slapped with a 16 week prison sentence at Wood Green Crown Court for selling an unlicensed and dangerously potent erectile dysfunction (ED) drug which contained more than four times the recommended dose.

The man, from Barnet, became of interest to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as far back as 2009 following a caution for possession with intent to supply ‘Jia Yi Jian’.

Jia Yi Jian is a so-called ‘herbal’ male impotence medicine that was actually discovered to contain a shockingly high dose of tadalafil – the active ingredient in prescription-only ED drug Cialis – in addition to over four times the common dose of sibutramine, a slimming treatment that is no longer available.

Sibutramine was pulled from circulation back in 2010 due to widespread fears about health risks associated with the drug. However, mixed with tadalafil, there is the risk of serious health problems such as increased heart rate, heart attack and stroke.

Following that 2009 caution, the man was stopped in his tracks at Heathrow Airport in 2010 after inspectors discovered an incredible 51,600 tablets of ‘Herbal Viagra’ which he had been bringing into the country from China.

The herbal tablets were anything but that, and again comprised of prescription-only medicine tadalafil. A private prescription or a doctor’s consultation with a registered pharmacy such as Medical Specialists® Pharmacy is absolutely essential to ascertain a patient’s health and suitable for that, or indeed any medicine. Counterfeiters or those selling unlicensed drugs do not follow any procedure like this and are breaking the law and putting lives at risk.

Following an MHRA investigation, the man was given a 32-week suspended prison sentence. Then, after MHRA officers searched the man’s home, in excess of 5,000 tablets were unearthed disguised in boxes labelled as ‘Diet tea’. The haul included the aforementioned Jia Yi Jian.

The recent 16 week sentence was imposed after the man was found to have breached his suspended sentence, for which resulted in an 8 week sentence, which was added to another 8 weeks for selling unlicensed drugs without any authorisation. He was also hit in the pocket, incurring a £600 court change to be paid within 12 months.

MHRA Head of Enforcement, Alastair Jeffrey commented: “We will continue to seek out and prosecute the kind of criminals who recklessly endanger public health by selling illegal unlicensed medicines. Products such as these which are adulterated with high levels of pharmaceutical ingredients present a real health risk. It is vital that people who are suffering a medical condition don’t take shortcuts buying online, speak to your doctor to get the appropriate treatment.”

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the majority of counterfeit or unlicensed drugs would contain very little – if any – of the primary active ingredient, in this case tadalafil from ED medication cialis. However, this case goes to show that not only are some dubiously sold medicines containing the active ingredient, they may even contain potentially fatal high doses, and why patients should only go to a legitimate and fully-registered pharmacy.

If taken in excess, tadalafil overdose symptoms can include chest pain, irregular heartbeat, feeling lightheaded, fainting or nausea. In addition, patients suffering with male impotence should never combine Cialis with other ED medication like sildenafil (Viagra) or vardenafil (Levitra).

Viagra or Cialis could treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Erectile dysfunction (ED) medications for adult males such as Viagra and Cialis could be beneficial for boys suffering with the muscle disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), according to the findings of a new study.

The small study – published online May 7 in the journal Neurology – included 10 boys between the age of eight and 13 with the disease, and the researchers discovered that popular male impotence drugs Viagra and Cialis worked at boosting blood flow to the impaired and weakened muscles in the boys.

“Boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy have a blood flow abnormality – delivery of blood and oxygen to their muscles – that does not increase the way it should during mild exercise,” commented lead researcher Dr Ronald Victor, the associate director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles.

Not a commonly known ailment, DMD is a genetic condition that may be inherited which causes muscle weakness and begins during childhood. Signs of DMD are when the child has difficulty standing up, climbing or running. It primarily effects boys in their early childhood and unfortunately they can only expect to live into their 20s or 30s. Some girls may also carry the Duchenne gene.

Treatment with medication such as corticosteroids can slow down muscle degeneration and provide protection for heart and lung function, but they have no impact on the abnormal blood flow. In addition, there are more than a quarter of patients unable to tolerate steroids or their side effects.

For the study, scientists based at the Cedars-Sinai Institute looked at the impact ED medications had for the 10 boys with DMD and experiencing blood flow problems. All the boys were initially using steroids and they were subsequently compared against 10 healthy boys in the same age group.

Those with DMD were still able to walk, but some used a wheelchair or scooter too. Their blood pressure was taken during rest and whilst performing a handgrip exercise. Despite taking steroids, the boys with Duchenne were found to have abnormal blood flow.

Tests were conducted again after the boys were given a single dose of either sildenafil (commonly known as Viagra) or tadalafil (commonly known as Cialis). After a fortnight, those given sildenafil were switched to tadalafil, and vice versa, with tests carried out yet again.

Treatment with both drugs resulted in improved blood flow in the boys with Duchenne, even equalling that of the healthier boys.

In regards to side effects from taking what are obviously adult-only medications, Dr Victor says: “A few boys in our study had erections after taking these drugs. The erections were not painful and not dangerous and resolved spontaneously without treatment.”

It is not known if the anti-impotence drugs will slow progression of the disease and Dr Victor believes a much larger trial could help solve this mystery.

“The findings in this small study led to a large clinical trial, which is enrolling now in the U.S. and abroad, to see if 48 weeks of treatment with once-daily Cialis will slow the decline in walking ability in 7- to 14-year-old boys with Duchenne. The findings offer some hope, but we need to wait for the results of the large treatment trial to see if daily treatment with Cialis has a clinically meaningful benefit for boys with this form of muscular dystrophy.”

Medical Specialists™ now offer exciting ‘second generation’ impotence treatment Spedra

Since the release of Pfizer’s Viagra way back in 1998, men across the globe suffering from the common condition known as erectile dysfunction (ED) have been spoilt for choice with regards to treatment options.

Sildenafil citrate – marketed as Viagra – was subsequently joined by Levitra (vardenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil), followed by variations such as the Cialis Daily tablets and Levitra ODT (Orodispersible). And now the ED market finally welcomes an exciting new addition to its vast array of treatments, in the form of Spedra (avanafil).

Spedra is available today from Medical Specialiasts™ Pharmacy, priced from as little as £23.17 for 4 x 50mg tablets. No prescription? No worry…Our in-house Doctors will write a prescription for you, which is then dispensed by our in-house Pharmacists, and sent to you within 24 hours.

Menarini, a private company headquartered in Florence, are manufacturers of Spedra and are touting the new treatment as the very first ‘second-generation’ medication for ED. This is due to the fact patients within the clinical trials did not report back to have experienced some of the side effects associated with the other PDE-5 inhibitors, i.e. blurred vision or slight hearing loss.

Spedra has been shown to have an impressive success rate of 77% and is rapidly becoming well known for being the quickest acting male impotence treatment there is. Those being prescribed it for the first time may find they start on 100mg, but there are also 50mg and 200mg doses of the drug. The maximum recommended dosing frequency is once per day. Like the other ED treatments, Spedra’s full effect is felt with prior sexual stimulation (foreplay) – just like you would engage in any way if you were not taking a medication for ED.

Taken orally, Spedra belongs in the same family of medicines as Viagra, Levitra and Cialis. Just like the existing ED drugs, Spedra belongs to a class of medicines known as PDE-5 (Phosphodiesterase type 5) inhibitors and is suitable for men who have trouble getting or sustaining an erection for sexual intercourse.

Whereas the existing treatments can take anywhere between 25 minutes to an hour to take effect, clinical trials have demonstrated the impressive prowess of Spedra, which kicks-in with firm erections after just 15 minutes, according to many of the men participating in trials. The new treatment will shave vital minutes off compared to its counterparts, ideal for more ‘spur of the moment’ love making.

Spedra has been shown to remain effective for between four and five hours, a time duration similar to that of Viagra. It should be noted that this does not mean you will have an erection for between four and five hours, but that you will have ability to achieve improved erections that duration. Like other ED treatments, Spedra may take longer to become effective if taken following a large meal.

The shocking truth about counterfeit drugs is laid bare

After speaking with many of the thousands of patients who choose Medical Specialists as their pharmacy, we are only too aware of the concerns, worries and hesitations that some people have when it comes to dealing with online pharmacies. We are part of a minority in that we are a fully registered, genuine pharmacy that prescribe genuine branded medication – No cheap and potentially fatal knock-offs like many online ‘pharmacies’!

And now an investigation carried out by WKYC’s Channel 3 News in America has exposed more of the murky, dangerous world of counterfeit drugs after shocking estimates show that around $75 billion worth of counterfeit drugs could have been obtained last year unknowingly.

Some may remember the widely reported 2012 case of fake cancer drug Avastin being circulated in the supply chain. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had to alert medical practices in the U.S. that were suspected to have purchased and used the fakes. Avastin is an injectable medicine that is used to treat cancers of the brain, colon, kidney and lung. It is usually administered to patients in clinics, hospitals, and doctors’ offices. The fake Avastin worryingly did not contain the medicine’s active ingredient, bevacizumab, resulting in patients not receiving much needed treatment.

The new investigation comprised of the purchasing of medications online that the investigators thought looked credible enough. The websites were found by searching ‘online pharmacy’ into Google. Then, they decided to try and obtain two incredible popular medications – erectile dysfunction treatment Viagra, and the ‘bad’ cholesterol-lowering medication Lipitor.

The websites offered a variety of medications; some being brand-name prescription medications, whilst others were cheaper generic alternatives. Proudly displayed on the websites were images of the American and Canadian flags, and pictures of what appeared to be doctors and pharmacists…So far so good.
However, next is where suspicions started to arise. ‘Female Viagra’ and ‘Viagra super active’ were just two of drugs being offered on some of the websites. Viagra has not been given approval to be used by women. Also, although the UK patent on Viagra expired earlier this year, meaning certain pharmaceutical companies can produce medications containing Sildenafil (Viagra’s active ingredient), Americans will have to patiently bide their time until 2020 for a generic alternative to hit their shores.
Therefore, ‘Viagra super active’ should ring alarm bells immediately! It is either Pfizer-made Viagra, or none at all! In a move that should also set alarm bells off, two websites shockingly offered free samples of prescription-only medications with orders, such as another erectile dysfunction treatment, Cialis. Obviously there are questions within a doctor’s consultation that need to be asked to patients before any prescription item is approved and dispensed to the patient.

After ordering Viagra and Lipitor from three websites, it was a few later before anything arrived. Packages then turned up from exotic locations like China, India and Pakistan, not America or Canada. Customs forms on the packages certainly raised eyebrows. One said the package contained ‘plastic beads’, another listed ‘cards’ and a third said ‘harmless medicine’.

The drugs seemed to be genuine upon a quick glance. However, one not-so-minor problem… received was a generic Lipitor – not what the investigators had paid for. In another order, only half of the Viagra tablets had arrived that had been ordered and paid for.

Next, the issue was; were the pills actually real? Samples of the drugs were then sent off to Pfizer’s lab in Groton, Conn., for testing.

Brian Donnelly is director of investigations for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. He is a qualified pharmacist, with 22 years of FBI work under his belt. Donnelly explained some shocking things about how the tablets were most likely produced.

“The active ingredient in the chemical could be in one part of China. The person who makes the tablets could be in another part of China, and then the person who packages it could be a third person,” Donnelly says.

Donnelly explains only one thing (besides big profit) is of importance to the counterfeiter. “It’s not whether the medication works or not. It’s whether or not it looks like the product. They may use floor wax on it to give it a shine. They may use automobile paint to give it colour. They’ve used ink cartridges for colour. We’ve seen boric acid used as a dilutent to give the tablet its size and shape. One of the favourite things for making the tablets is sheet-rock.”

Donnelly’s team works together with local law enforcement to stop dozens of counterfeit operations each year they bust the dirty labs which are the polar opposite of the hygiene, sterile environments where the genuine article is produced.

“You have no idea how that drug’s been manufactured. You have no idea how it’s been stored,” Donnelly says.

In many cases, it is near impossible to distinguish a fake medication from its real counterpart, so agents use a device known as a TruScan. The device blasts a laser which analyses the drug’s chemical composition to determine authenticity.

“As you can see, it failed. So this is counterfeit. It’s counterfeit,” Donnelly says after scanning one of the Viagra pills.

However, not only was the pill fake, it gets worse. In one batch of counterfeits, the anti-inflammatory medication diclofenac was discovered to be mixed in, for seemingly no reason whatsoever.

“When you get something that’s contaminated with another drug, you have the potential for getting someone sick,” Donnelly warns.

Promescent spray for premature ejaculation set to become a huge hit

A new over-the-counter spray for men suffering with premature ejaculation (PE) could be set to take the world by storm after becoming available in the North American market.

Promescent is the name for the spray which is being referred to as an ‘anti-Viagra’ and as a miracle cure for PE; a condition that can cause deep emotional distress for the male, yet is often ignored in comparison to erectile dysfunction whereby there are a vast array of treatment options such as Viagra, Cialis, Cialis Daily, Levitra, and more.

Absorption Pharmaceuticals are the brains behind the revolutionary topical PE spray, applied to the under-shaft of the penis just 10 minutes prior to sex and will also not transfer to the sexual partner’s vagina if it is washed off, according to Absorption, who give detail on their website what makes Promescent stand out from the crowd.

They say: “Promescent’s absorption technology, in conjunction with the metered-dose spray bottle, enables men to deliver a specific and reproducible amount of lidocaine through the stratum corneum of the penile skin to the dermis and control ejaculation latency. Promescent allows men to easily manage penile sensitivity in order to maintain optimum sexual satisfaction…”

As mentioned above, Promescent contains lidocaine; a topical anaesthesia and this is the same active ingredient as another hugely popular PE spray that is already available in the UK – Stud 100.

Depending on the dose and penis sensitivity, Promescent can last from anywhere ranging from 30 minutes to 1 hour. This should undoubtedly leave both man and woman very satisfied indeed.

The International Society for Sexual Medicine state that PE happens when a man reaches his peak and releases semen soon after penetration. This could be within a minute, but for some men it could be as soon as 15 seconds. For those with a skewed idea of what constitutes ‘premature’ due to a misleading concept of sex from the pornographic industry, it is worth bearing in mind that the average ejaculation time is between an estimated 4 to 8 minutes.

Dr. Ron Gilbert, leader of the research team that developed the spray, commented in an interview that the amount of spray used is quite variable. “One of the nice things about the medication is the dosage can be changed easily,” he said.

“With Promescent the FDA has approved 3 to 10 sprays so you’re able to very, very subtly change the effect, because if four sprays isn’t perfect you can go up to five or six. We hear from patients where this product has brought them from a situation where the bedroom is a place where there’s all this anxiety and disappointment – to where they feel really empowered.”

Jeff Abraham, CEO of Absorption Pharmaceuticals, speaking to CNBC, said: “How can these billion dollar companies in the ED space not come up with a product?”

Mr Abraham recently rejected a $30 million offer for his company on the belief that the market for premature ejaculation treatments could eclipse that of the one for erectile dysfunction treatments – meaning Absorption will be worth a whole lot more than $30 million!

If you are one of the many millions of men around the world who are having premature ejaculation problems, Medical Specialists Pharmacy are able to prescribe Priligy to suitable patients following an online consultation with one of our doctors. Priligy is an oral tablet taken prior to the sexual activity and acts quickly within 60 minutes, only taken when you need it. In addition, we offer Stud 100 spray, obtainable from our chemist shop. Stud 100 delays ejaculation by reducing the sensitivity of the penis, significantly prolonging intercourse and providing greater satisfaction for both partners.

Counterfeit condoms seized in Russia, policeman rejects bribe

On Tuesday members of a southern Russian police force confirmed they had apprehended a male in connection with the sale of counterfeit condoms and the subsequent attempt – and failure – to bribe a police official.

Rostov Region police released a statement saying: “The police learned that the man was selling a well-known brand of condoms wholesale online. Finding that the salesman was not connected to the production company, police officers carried out a test purchase by ordering 15,000 items.”

The suspect apprehended in police custody had initially personally delivered the counterfeit condoms on a truck from the Ukraine, and was arrested as he attempted to load the condoms onto another vehicle.

The statement also revealed that on the very same day the man was detained, he had tried to bribe a policeman with 40,000 rubles ($1,237) for ‘looking the other way’ and not seizing the counterfeit condoms. Unfortunately for the counterfeiter, the policeman did the correct thing and followed protocol, reporting the attempted bribe to his superiors.

With the prevention of the fake condoms making their way to the unsuspecting public, the cargo was seized and police are expected to begin a criminal case on attempted bribery charges.

However, what is unclear from the statement released by the police, is the actual danger that counterfeit condoms can pose. None of the counterfeit condoms are properly sterilised and their quality is almost always so substandard that they can easily rupture during use and thus cannot protect against sexually transmitted infections or even act as a viable contraception method.

Governmental agency has seen an alarming rise in the circulation of counterfeit condoms and have even enlisted the help of specially trained sniffer dogs who have assisted in a series of raids as the MHRA look to crackdown on the production and sale of the poor quality condoms. The practice is said to cost the UK up to around £400 million in lost tax, additional healthcare and welfare.

Your sexual health should never be compromised and all contraception such as condoms should only be obtained from a trusted and reputable source such as Medical Specialists Pharmacy.

Coincidentally, it is actually still Sexual Health Week (running up to the 22^nd) and to support the week and raise awareness, Medical Specialists have been giving away 1,000s of free condoms this week with all sexual health products. Whether this be Viagra, Cialis, Azithromycin, or a Clamelle chlamydia test kit, you will receive free Skins condoms!

In addition, during Sexual Health Week we are running a fantastic promotion on Durex Performa condoms,  slashing the price of a pack of individually wrapped 72 Durex Performa condoms by half…yes half! These can be yours today for the rock bottom price of just £30!

Coleshill in Warwickshire is dubbed the Viagra capital of England

According to the tourism website Within Warwickshire, the market town of Coleshill in North Warwickshire ‘boasts a number of quirky curiosities’ and interesting attractions, such as one of the finest and biggest church steeples across the county. This is the Church of St Peter and St Paul, which has an incredible 52-metre steeple dating back to the 13th century.

Unfortunately, the church steeple may take on a new, if slightly humorous, significance after Coleshill has been given the moniker of the ‘Viagra capital of England’, having the highest number of NHS prescriptions per 1,000 men in the country for the erectile dysfunction medication.

New NHS figures show that the residents of Coleshill, which according to a 2001 census has a population of just 6,343, are the biggest Viagra consumers in the country. The stats show that 55 in every 1,000 men in Coleshill are being prescribed Viagra by their GP, in addition to other popular anti-impotence medications such as Cialis and Levitra.

The sleepy market town was way ahead of its closest contender for the title of ‘Viagra capital’ – Wychavon, across the border in Worcestershire, where there are 43 prescriptions issued for every 1,000 men.

The rest of the top 5 comprised of Dartford in Kent, in third place (42 per 1,000 men), followed by Hastings in East Sussex (41 per 1,000 men) and East Lindsey in Lincolnshire (40 per 1,000 men).

So why has Coleshill managed to claim the title it has? A local landlord believes the number of pubs in the town may be a contributing factor. Simon Kennedy, 38, spoke to the Sunday Times and said: “It’s a strange one. It is an old coaching town and there are a lot of pubs. I don’t know if that might be a factor. Perhaps they need some assistance after visiting all the pubs? There are only a couple of chemists in the town so they must be well stocked up on Viagra.”

Some residents are happily quick to speak about their use of Viagra. Al Gorman, a male stripper, admits to using Viagra, and raved about the wonders of the little blue pill: “It boosts my private life and my work life."

The divorced father of three says: “I use Viagra all the time. I want to perform well and don’t want to let anyone down. I’m not surprised we have more users than anywhere else in the country, because we’re more fun.”

Martin Raybone, a 63-year-old insurance assessor, added: We’re a fun bunch in Coleshill and it seems most of us enjoy happy, healthy sex lives. We have nothing to complain about here – there’s no aggro, no litter and we’re no Victor Meldrew brigade. People have well-paid jobs and decent pensions, and we like to go out or stay in and have a good time.”

Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale, the lowest number of people receiving prescriptions for erectile dysfunction medication were in areas such as London, Cambridge and Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Although, it could be that those living in cities are more like to acquire such medications through private means such as Medical Specialists Pharmacy, in order to avoid a possible excruciatingly embarrassing face-to-face visit with a GP and the efficiency and speed of obtaining Viagra, Cialis, etc. through the internet and then delivered to their chosen destination the very next day.

Online Pharmacy to give away 1,000s of condoms for Sexual Health Week

 Sexual Health Week 2013 will take place this year from 16 to 22 September and is one of many national campaigns which Medical Specialists Pharmacy are proud supporters of.  Therefore we have teamed up with Skins Condoms to give out free condoms to any patient who obtains sexual health products during that particular week, such as Viagra, a Clamelle chlamydia test kit, Durex play vibration rings, etc. You are guaranteed to get more bang for your buck during Sexual Health Week with Medical Specialists Pharmacy.


The words ‘sexual health’ will always be synonymous with condoms, but choosing the right condom can be tricky. One massively popular type is the ‘long love condoms’, as nicknamed by the German scientists who devised them. They are an excellent method of ensuring sexual health AND prolonging yours and your partner’s sexual excitement – quite handy when bearing in mind that Medical Specialists Pharmacy research has found that 20% of women rate their most recent sexual partner has having a poor to very poor performance, and almost a third (32%) want their man to last longer in bed.

One particular ‘long love’ condom is the Durex Performa, which has a special non-spermicidal Benzocaine lubricant cream inside the teat end of the condom to help control climax for longer lasting lovemaking and better sex. This is of course a fantastic bonus on top of its other main functions of preventing an unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection! Of course, we do realise there are some people who are somewhat careless, and this is why Medical Specialists Pharmacy can supply the Levonelle 1500 morning after pill in addition to a range of treatments for sexually transmitted infections such as herpes and chlamydia.

However, with regards to condoms, an important factor to take into account is that there are often reports of counterfeit condoms in circulation around the country by their millions. A cheap and poorly-made counterfeit condom is unlikely to provide any of its main functions, let alone the added bonus you can get from condoms such as the Durex Performa.

Therefore, condoms and other contraception methods should only be obtained from a reputable source such as Medical Specialists Pharmacy, and during Sexual Health Week we will be offering a fantastic bargain on the previously mentioned Durex Performa condoms,  slashing the price of a pack of individually wrapped 72 Durex Performa condoms by half…yes half! For the unbelievably low price of just £30.00 this bundle can be yours.

For those unaware, Sexual Health Week has been pioneered by the Family Planning Association (FPA) in partnership with Brook, with the theme remaining as last year’s XES We can’t go backwards campaign.

The aims of the national campaign are to protect and promote sexual health and contraception services by fighting government budget cuts, policy changes, and more specifically; the lack of easy access to contraception due to closures of sexual health centres or alterations to their opening hours.
Both FPA and Brook have stated they receive a large number of calls from worried and unhappy members of the public, being denied basic access to the advice, products and services that they require.

However, calls they probably won’t receive are the types of calls Medical Specialists receive on a daily basis – distressed men who are having problems in the bedroom. Whether this is in the form of erectile dysfunction and/or premature ejaculation, each problem can place a great deal of stress onto relationships and cause a huge loss of self-esteem for the male.

The fact we receive so many calls is a positive thing as it means that the majority of men are no longer suffering in silence, but some still are. Erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation are viewed as genuine medical conditions and as such, require treatment. This may come in the form of lifestyle changes such as giving up smoking or managing stress, but in most cases erectile dysfunction usually requires treatment through a type of medication known as a Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor, such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. On the other hand, premature ejaculation can be treated with a medication known as Priligy in addition to those wonderful long love condoms which can also help you last longer in the bedroom!

Israeli soldiers are to be provided with Viagra

Israeli armed forces are used to highly demanding orders and expectations from the Israel defence ministry. However, the soldiers’ performance in other areas will soon be boosted after the defence ministry ordered supplies of the erectile dysfunction medication Viagra for its troops.

According to Haaretz newspaper in Israel, “1,200 tablets of 100 mg sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra,” has been requested and will be provided as a treatment for soldiers with sexual performance problems. The sildenafil tablets have been asked for specifically for soldiers, and not for any other personnel such as defence ministry employees.

However, this request for sildenafil citrate may surprise many as the Israeli Army have not always been so generous to active duty soldiers who are seeking help in that department. Haaretz mentions that in 2005 the Israeli Army forbid those in its Air Force from taking Viagra prior to any flights in case any blurred vision was experienced.

The sildenafil tablets are amongst a long list of 105 items being sought by defence chiefs who are usually more occupied with procuring the most up-to-date military hardware. Other items which feature on the list include tyres, devices to warm the wounded and sweet chilli sauce.

The defence ministry decided not to provide a comment on the tender, citing privacy concerns. There should be no embarrassment though, Viagra’s popularity as a treatment for erectile dysfunction has skyrocketed around the globe since its launch 15 years ago and indeed, the United States Department of Defense (DOD) have spent a huge amount of money on helping soldiers overcome the same problem.

An investigation by Texas newspaper The Austin American-Statesmen, actually found the DOD spent over $380 million on erectile-dysfunction drugs during 2002 to 2012.

Previously, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are also believed to have sought another erectile dysfunction drug – ‘the weekend pill’ Cialis – for helping to keep pilots more alert and awake when during flights at high altitudes.

This followed a study of 51 Israeli mountaineers who attempted to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, said that they had reduced altitude sickness when they took Cialis. Interestingly, the majority of those who were taking Cialis also managed to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro.

It is not just Cialis that has demonstrated other uses though, and the potential of Viagra seems to know no limits as the ‘little blue pill’ shows proficiency in many other areas than male impotence.  For example, studies have suggested Viagra could help to boost baby growth in the womb, fight obesity and even help plants to grow.

Kamagra and fake impotence drug sales land two men with prison sentences

“Yes I have had Viagra, I’ve used Kamagra”. This is the alarming and common statement Medical Specialists Pharmacy regularly hears from a large number of our patients.

However, Kamagra is not Viagra. Although both contain the active ingredient sildenafil citrate, Kamagra is not licensed for prescription, sale or distribution anywhere in the UK. Any websites claiming to offer such products named Kamagra or something similar should be avoided at all costs and are usually affiliated with large-scale criminal activity.

The fact Kamagra is unlicensed means it is usually manufactured in a variety of places around the world – often India – and you simply do not fully know what you are getting. The tablets may be manufactured in unhygienic premises and the ingredients inside them are anyone’s guess!

This brings us to The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) speaking last week regarding the haul of more than £600,000 worth of counterfeit and unlicensed erectile dysfunction medication seized back in late 2011 to early 2012.

The two men involved in the illegal activities were handed suspended prison sentences and must also carry out community work, after being found guilty of importing and selling the potentially dangerous substandard medicines.

Loughborough man Ryoma Ninomiya of Forest Road, was sentenced to 8 months in prison, suspended for two years. In addition, he has been ordered to do 140 hours of unpaid community service.

Alif Shahadaht Ahmed, of Moor Lane, also in Loughborough, was punished heavier than Nimomiya. Shahadaht was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years and also must do 200 hours of community service.

The MHRA investigation into the pair’s illicit dealings was initiated back in September 2011 after the UK Border Force had intercepted a large quantity of Kamagra tablets.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) started its investigation in September 2011 following a seizure of Kamagra tablets by UK Border Force.  Nimomiya and Shahadaht were using false names to import the drugs.

Between September 2011 and January 2012, 13,000 tablets in total were seized, including additional seizures of Kamagra tablets in addition to fake versions of two licensed erectile dysfunction treatments; Cialis and Levitra. The shipments were due to make their way to numerous addresses around Leicestershire.

Nimo Ahmed, MHRA’s Acting Head of Enforcement said: “This case shows that people risk damaging their health if they buy medicines from unauthorised sources. People should speak to their GP or pharmacist who can give them good clinical advice about what medicines are best for them. The MHRA is committed to pursuing those involved in the illicit supply of medicines and taking action to ensure the public is protected. These individuals were involved in a concerted conspiracy to supply counterfeit and unlicensed medicine and showed a blatant disregard for public health.”

Debunking some of the common myths about erectile dysfunction

Here at Medical Specialists Pharmacy we deal with thousands of patients every year, many of whom are men of varying ages seeking help with their erectile dysfunction (ED).

Therefore, we hear many assumptions, myths and misconceptions about the subject, and why men suspect they have developed impotence. We have even experienced a certain degree of shame and embarrassment from some men who seek our help, which should not be the case at all as erectile dysfunction is a fairly common health problem.

Since Pfizer’s Viagra burst onto the market in 1998, it has been followed by Eli Lilly’s Cialis and Bayer’s Levitra, all of which offer men a relatively safe and effective treatment to combat erectile dysfunction. As their popularity has skyrocketed in the subsequent 15 years since Viagra emerged, the unrealistic expectations and myths have also increased, which further add to an uncertainty about erectile dysfunction.

Here we breakdown the most common myths and dispel each of them:

MYTH: Erectile dysfunction only occurs in older men.

FACT: Although it is something that happens to approximately 4 in 10 men over the age of 40, erectile dysfunction can actually affect men of all ages and as Medical Specialists reported earlier this week, it is now becoming more prominent in younger men.

MYTH: Erectile dysfunction is just ‘part and parcel’ of getting older.

FACT: The condition may be more common in older men and more stimulation may be required compared to in years gone by, but there is no reason for men to simply accept their sex lives are over once they reach a certain age. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and through the help of oral medications like Viagra, men can still enjoy sex well into their senior years.

MYTH: Erectile dysfunction is not medically serious and is simply an upsetting annoyance.

FACT: The inability to achieve and sustain an erection, although annoying and sometimes distressing for those who want to enjoy sex, may actually be the early signs of an underlying health condition such as diabetes or heart problems such as high blood pressure and atherosclerosis – where the arteries become hardened. Atherosclerosis can result in a potentially fatal heart attack. Erectile dysfunction may mean atherosclerosis is already present in the heart or brain. Typically, many men with erection problems also have one or more risk factors for atherosclerosis, including:

. High cholesterol levels.
. High blood pressure.
. Diabetes.
. Smoking.
. Obesity.

MYTH: Erectile dysfunction means you are not attracted to your partner.

FACT: There could be a multitude of reasons for the inability to achieve and maintain an erection for sex. Not being attracted to the other person could be one, but it is a lot more likely to be another reason, including:

. Lifestyle choices such as smoking and alcohol consumption.
. A hormonal imbalance.
. Neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
. Emotional problems such as stress, anxiety and depression.
. Medications to treat the emotional problems listed above, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been known to cause sexual side effects. Severity can depend on the particular drug and dose, but may ease over time as the person’s body adjusts to the drug.
. The after-effects of surgery for prostate and bladder problems.
. Diabetes – An estimated 35 to 50% of men with diabetes also have erection problems.

MYTH: Those with other medical conditions besides erectile dysfunction cannot take any ED medication.

FACT: Generally, erectile dysfunction medications do not interfere with other medical conditions or medications.  However, men suffering with heart related conditions or taking nitrate drugs should only take ED medications under undergoing a physical examination and seeing their GP first.

More younger men are now suffering from erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as male impotence, is a very common condition affecting almost half of men between 40 to 70 years of age on at least one occasion.

The inability to achieve and maintain an erection satisfactory for sexual intercourse is often mistakenly assumed to be an ‘older’ man’s condition and something that surely could not affect a male under the age of 40…wrong!

In fact, Medical Specialists Pharmacy deals with thousands of patients every year who are requesting ED treatments such as Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra. The stigma attached to this genuine health problem seems to be finally subsiding as men banish their worries and embrace these highly effective treatments.

And now, a new study published in the The Journal of Sexual Medicine has revealed that approximately a quarter of men under the age of 40 are seeking treatment to combat erectile dysfunction, and almost half (48%) of these men were actually suffering with severe ED.

“Erectile function, in general, is a marker for overall cardiovascular function — this is the first research showing evidence of severe erectile dysfunction in a population of men 40 years of age or younger’ Irwin Goldstein, editor-in-chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, commented in a statement.

Goldstein continued: “Clinically, when younger patients have presented with erectile dysfunction, we have in the past had a bias that their ED was primarily psychologic-based and vascular testing was not needed. We now need to consider regularly assessing the integrity of arterial inflow in young patients — identifying arterial pathology in such patients may be very relevant to their overall long-term health.”

Prevalence of ED would seem to increase in correlation with age; however studies of younger men have painted a confusing picture of the true extent of the problem, with prevalence rates varying from between 2 and 40%.

Therefore, Paolo Capogrosso, MD, of the University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, in Milan, Italy, and a team of researchers assessed the clinical and sociological factors of 439 men who had attended one particular academic outpatient clinic requesting first-time medical assistance for impotence problems between January 2010 and June 2012.

From the 439 men, it was found that 114 (26%) were aged 40 or under. Younger patients were determined to have a lower average body mass index, a higher average level of testosterone in their blood, in addition to a lower rate of any other medical issues. However, they generally smoked more cigarettes and took more illicit drugs compared to older patients; both have been known to contribute to impotence problems in men.

Another common problem for men – premature ejaculation – was found to be more prominent in younger men, whilst Peyronie’s disease (where scar tissue causes a bending/deformity of the penis) was more common in the older patients.

More studies may have to be conducted that cover a much large, varied demographic, but the findings of this study could suggest that the condition may be affecting a lot more younger men than health experts predict.

It could be that some men may not wish to share their problems with anybody else, especially their own GP, and this may explain why at Medical Specialists we are seeing a rapidly increasing number of men turning to us for help in treating something that can be deeply distressing and can have a major impact on a man’s self-esteem and relationship with his partner.

For information on how to obtain the previously mentioned treatments for erectile dysfunction; Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, in addition to premature ejaculation treatments such as Priligy and Stud 100 spray, visit the Men’s Health area of the Medical Specialists Pharmacy website.

‘Viagra for women’ may be available in 2016

In just three years’ time, it could be that men are not the only sex who get a helping hand in the bedroom, as Dutch scientists are developing two new drugs to cure the loss of a woman’s desire, one of which is a testosterone-based therapy to heighten pleasure.

The revolutionary new drugs Lybrido and Lybridos, or ‘Female Viagra’ as they are being nicknamed, are being developed by Dutch and US firm Emotional Brain, who claim either could be on bedside cabinets across the world by 2016, being used to boost a woman’s sexual desire and increase feelings of satisfaction in the bedroom.

Currently, men hugely benefit through medicines such as Viagra, Cialis or Levitra for impotence, in addition to Priligy and Stud 100 spray for premature ejaculation. Women’s bedroom issues are often overlooked and ignored, but not for much longer!

The creators Emotional Brain were founded in 2001 primarily to pioneer innovative health care. A lot of their work is targeted at researching women’s sexual health. The twelve years following, many experts have tried to find causes for Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD) and targeted therapy to treat the problem.

Unfortunately, previous treatments have been found relatively ineffective as female libido is commonly linked to psychological issues and not merely physical factors.

Emotional Brain believes they may have created something to beat the problem through two-in-one pills that will target both the body and brain.

The pills will be sized smaller than a typical aspirin and Lybrido will be comprised of a Viagra-like drug coated in a testosterone and will have a minty taste. Both components may be weak to combat low libido separately, but the testosterone-coating that melts in the mouth followed by a delayed-release of the Viagra-type substance.

Lyrbridos however will have its Viagra-like molecule replaced buspirone; an anti-anxiety medication that increases levels of the hormone serotonin. Unlike Viagra, Lybridos targets brain areas associated with sexual desire, encouraging the brain to realign with intimacy.

U.S. trials have finished involving more than 200 women have recently been completed, and Emotional Brain founder Adriaan Tuiten states the results from both drugs are ‘very, very promising’.
Dr Tuiten was prompted to research into female emotions after having his heart broken by an ex-girlfriend whilst he was in his 20s. It is his belief that the treatments will be a massive hit especially amongst women who have been married for many years and for whom sex may have lost the appeal and become stale over time.

Dr Tuiten says up to 43% of women experience a low sex drive at some point in their lives and has alleviated fears that the new drugs wills turn women into sex-crazed nymphomaniacs, stating that the treatments will work at simply increasing low-libido to more ‘normal’ levels.

Statins may help to combat Erectile Dysfunction

Cholesterol-busting statins such as Crestor (Rosuvastatin) and Lipitor (Atorvastatin) are currently prescribed to nearly a tenth (7 million) of the population in the United Kingdom with high cholesterol; however could they also be used as a treatment for the millions of men around the world who suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED)?

Statins are inexpensive with the pills costing around the equivalent of just 40p per day. For high cholesterol they work by increasing good/protective cholesterol (HDL) and lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides. The higher your cholesterol level, the bigger the risk you have of suffering from a stroke or heart disease and thus increasing the overall risk of having a heart attack due to your arteries being clogged up with the fat-like substance cholesterol.

ED, also known as male impotence, is a common condition that affects  about four in ten men over the age of 40 and around one in ten men across the UK suffer with the problem at some point in their life. Revolutionary medications to treat ED such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra have dramatically managed to help the situation for millions of men in the previous decade. Unfortunately there are some men who take them and see little or no improvement. Erection problems can severely impact a man’s self-esteem and even can cause stress that damages his health and relationship with his partner.

Past research has highlighted the possibility of erectile dysfunction being a precursor for heart disease. Therefore, researchers at Tanta University in Egypt decided to conduct a study into statins and ED. They recruited 60 men suffering with erectile problems – all of whom had not responded to Viagra.

The men were separated into three groups, being given 80mg of atorvastatin (Lipitor) each day or a vitamin E supplement or a placebo. Vitamin E was chosen as it is widely believed to also help men in the bedroom by aiding blood flow to the groin.

Any possible improvements in the men’s ability to achieve and maintain an erection were monitored after six weeks.

The study’s findings are explained in the International Journal of Impotence Research, and show those men who experienced the most improvement with their erectile problems were those taking a statin every day. The men were analysed by doctors using a 25-point scale known as the International Index of Erectile Dysfunction. The statin atorvastatin helped to achieve an average increase of score by 53% on the index.

The researchers believe the atorvastatin helps to increase the generation of nitric oxide. This causes blood vessel walls to relax and results in much better blood flow which in the pelvic region, would lead to improved erections.

Dr David Edwards, a GP who runs a male sexual health clinic at the White House Surgery in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, said the findings were ‘interesting’, commenting: “A lot of men stop taking them because the data sheet lists erectile dysfunction as one of the potential side-effects. But there is increasing evidence that a high dose of statins can improve vascular blood flow, which might help some men.”