A Brazilian man suffered a never-before-seen reaction to an erection drug sold on Britain’s high streets.
The 40-year-old developed pustules — small bumps on the skin containing fluid or pus — covering his chest, face and thighs after taking tadalafil, sold as Cialis in the UK.
Doctors say medics should be aware of the ‘potential adverse reaction, considering the growing use of tadalafil’.
The unidentified man, who now lives in Portugal, denied taking any drugs when he originally visited his doctor complaining of the rash.
Five days later, when his condition worsened, he confessed to taking tadalafil.
The 40-year-old developed pustules — small bumps on the skin containing fluid or pus — covering his chest, face and thighs after taking tadalafil, sold as Cialis in the UK. Pictured, pustules on his thigh
Doctors say medics should be aware of the ‘potential adverse reaction, considering the growing use of tadalafil’. The unidentified man, who now lives in Portugal, denied taking any drugs when he originally visited his doctor complaining of the rash. Pictured, pustules on his chest
Under UK regulations, Cialis can be sold over-the-counter but only in pharmacies for as little as £22, so that men are questioned about their health before they are sold the pills. This also means men cannot buy the drugs at corner shops, supermarkets or petrol stations — as is possible with aspirin and other drugs
He told medics his symptoms began a few days after taking the drug to treat his ED.
The man stopped taking tadalafil and steroids eventually helped clear his skin.
Manufacturers of the drug claim Cialis, sold for as little as £5 per pill, is superior to Viagra, made with sildenafil, because it works quicker, in just 30 minutes.
Its effects can also last for up to 36 hours — six times longer than the little blue pill.
Under UK regulations, Cialis can be sold over-the-counter but only in pharmacies, so men are questioned about their health before they are handed the pills.
This means men cannot buy the drugs at corner shops, supermarkets or petrol stations — as is possible with aspirin and other drugs.
Sales are limited to a box of 10mg pills — known as the ‘standard dose’.
The team who treated the man at Hospital de Santa Maria in Lisbon did not disclose his dosage.
After taking a skin biopsy — where a small sample of skin is removed to be examined under a microscope — doctors diagnosed him with acute generalised exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP).
Typically, AGEP starts on the face or in the armpits and groin before spreading.
Research suggests more than nine in 10 cases are provoked by medications, often antibiotics like penicillin.
Writing in the journal Urology Case Reports, medics said it was vital health professionals recognised AGEP as a potential side effect of tadalafil, ‘especially given the escalating demand for erectile dysfunction medications’.
Further research is also needed to understand why the drug triggers AGEP, they added.
Drugs like Viagra and Cialis are used to manage erectile dysfunction in at least two thirds of cases, according to the NHS.
Erectile dysfunction is more common in the over-40s but affects men of all ages.
It impacts around 4.3million men in the UK and 30million in the US.
But experts say up to 70 per cent men are too embarrassed to seek advice over the problem, stopping them from seeking help.
More seriously, many men turn to the internet to buy supplies of the drug, often buying illegal or counterfeit versions from overseas, putting them at risk of taking dangerous fakes.
