Is It Safe to Combine Viagra and Weed?

There are no known interactions between Viagra (sildenafil) and cannabis, although some studies suggest an increased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) if combined. Anecdotal reports also suggest that marijuana use may help enhance sexual appetite by reducing anxiety and increasing arousal, but mixed and inconclusive results exist in this area.

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What Is Viagra?

Viagra is the brand name for the drug sildenafil. Other trade names include Aronix, Liberize, Nipatra, Revatio, and Grandipam. Sildenafil is taken by mouth or injection into a vein, with the typical onset time between 20 minutes and two hours. Viagra should not be taken by people on nitrates such as nitroglycerin (glycerin trinitrate), as this may result in a severe drop in blood pressure.

Uses and How It Works

Viagra is most commonly prescribed for sexual dysfunction (in particular erectile dysfunction) in men and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Other medical uses include Raynaud’s phenomenon and high-altitude pulmonary edema. Sildenafil acts by blocking phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5), an enzyme that promotes the breakdown of cGMP, which regulates blood flow and dilates blood vessels in the lungs. When it comes to sexual dysfunction, sexual arousal is required for sildenafil to work.

Potential Benefits and Risks of Mixing Cannabis and Viagra

There are no interactions listed between cannabis and Viagra, positive, negative, or otherwise. However, more studies need to take place to know whether or not there is a drug-drug interaction between cannabis and sildenafil.

Potential Benefits

• Some side effects of sildenafil include loss of appetite, headaches, nausea, and vomiting, which cannabis can help mitigate.
• Cannabinoids and terpenes like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), pinene, and eucalyptol have bronchodilatory effects that could help ease breathing and improve blood flow.
• Cannabinoids and terpenes like cannabidiol (CBD), limonene, and linalool may help reduce anxiety and improve mood, which in turn can help improve sexual function.

Potential Risks

• In the short term, cannabinoids like THC can increase heart rate, especially if inhaled. Sildenafil also increases heart rate, potentially increasing the chances of a heart attack.
• In some instances, sildenafil can cause drowsiness, dry mouth, and dry eyes. Adding cannabis can increase the likelihood of these side effects.
• Some studies have noted a relationship between cannabis use and erectile dysfunction. Cannabis could therefore reduce the efficacy of sildenafil.

The Bottom Line

There is one case of a negative interaction between cannabis and sildenafil, where a combination of smoked marijuana and sildenafil caused a heart attack. Still, this case has not been repeated on any significant scale. Some studies have also noted a link between cannabis use and erectile dysfunction. Still, results are mixed, so there is no saying for sure whether or not cannabis will reduce the efficacy of sildenafil.

Sildenafil and cannabis work in different ways, and it is not out of the realm of possibility that cannabis may help reduce anxiety and improve sexual effect, function, and desire. Overall, we know very little about how the two drugs interact.

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