Viagra, Levitra, Cialis, and Revatio May Cause Sudden Hearing Loss

According to a press release today from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration , makers of the ED, or erectile dysfunction, medications are being required to make some label changes to include a more prominent warning of the possible risk of hearing loss and what the consumer should do if they should experience a sudden problem with their hearing.

Some examples of ED medications in this drug class are Viagra (sildenafil), Levitra (vardenadil), Cialis (tadalafil). Patients using any of these drugs should stop taking the medication immediately and seek prompt medical help if they experience a sudden hearing loss.

Another medication within the same drug class of a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, is called Revatio (sildenafil). The FDA is also requiring them to change their labeling to include a warning about hearing loss. This drug is used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This is a serious medical condition in which the heart muscle is weakend by high blood pressure in arteries of the lungs. This could possibly lead to heart failure and death.

A small number of patients using Revatio had reported that they had some hearing loss along with dizziness and ringing of the ears. Patients using Revatio should continue using the drug, but contact their physician for further evaluations. Because Revatio is a treatment drug for a potentially life threatening condition, the FDA recommends that they continue taking Revatio and contact their physician should they experience any hearing problems.