So, can a person with an AVM or a cavernous malformation take Viagra or would that cause problems?
Thanks!
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This is something you should ask your doctor. We do not have your full medical history.
Ok, but whats after succesfull occlusion (with onyx e.g.) - in a healthy patient, no other conditions like hypertonus etc. Does the avm come back more likely with using v. or not? Any guesses? Any ideas? Tx 
Wow, what a question!
What we know is that if you have an AVM, high blood pressure makes any symptoms worse. The other thing we know is that some AVMs do re-present. From what I’ve read here, extremity AVMs and facial AVMs seem to be the most difficult to shake off.
I’d agree with the answer given by Barbara 3 years ago.
Richard
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Thank you Richard. But I asked my doctor, he said he doesnt know if it would be a problem, he told me to be sure I should wait for 6 weeks after embolisation. I have a blood pressure about 120/70 and no medication at all. I wont drink energy drinks anymore, and I will change to coffee and cola light coffeinfree (to avoid triggers I wont miss), I continue going to the gym 4x weekly ( less weight at my exercises, therefore more cardio is the plan to avoid increasing cerebral pressure), and no alcohol no cigarettes as before. I get my embolisation on tuesday (onyx in general anaesthesia), my diagnostic angio was last thursday. I have two arterias who feed the avm - a.meningea media and a. occipitalis, and it was most probably caused by a non- recognized sinus sigmoideus thrombosis. There are no neurological symptoms, just the pulse synchronized tinnitus, and there is no change of flow yet, but the doctor said my cognard I - avm would be progredient as most avms and without an intervention I would get an upgrade the next 5 years ( upgrade in this content is what we dont want - from cognard I to III or IV with e g. 10% of bleeding risk a year).
I hope everything will be fine on tuesday; I will be taken on ICU for 1 day, and leave hospital on saturday. On monday I have to go to work again, as I work in my own medical office (gp, emergency and sports medicine) and cant afford closing too long.
I think it is important if the avm has been treated successfully or not. If NOT, you have to avoid any triggers/risk factors like alcohol cigarettes high blood pressure high cholesterol levels adipositas traumatas too heavy weights at the gym (!!!) and also viagra etc. If YES, thats what I also search answers for, because nobody can really tell me. Sildenafil and tadalafil (viagra, cialis) do have effects on blood flow but I dont know if its relevant for induction of recidives.
Volker,
I agree on all points. Your AVM sounds very similar to mine, though mine was climbing the Cognard scale: I had some extracranial vessels with reflux.
We will be thinking about you as you go through your embolization but I think it is quite low impact.
As you say, the main thing is to know the AVM has been completely closed.
Very best wishes,
Richard
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Maybe it would be better to talk to your doctor or a urologist about testing your testosterone and start giving yourself shots then risking it with Viagra.
They also have gels to apply but they dont work as well as the shots.
I know after all my brain stuff my husband was always worried he would cause something bad to happen and kinda a downer when you want to have sex to be thinking you might kill your partner - Then I felt the same as I could see his chest moving cause his heart was beating so much with the Viagra so he now does the shots.
Good luck on Tuesday
Hugs Angela
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Violet, As others have ,mentioned this is a questions for the doctors who know all the medical history, But in my experience from here and the thousands of posts, I would GUESS the answer to that question would be no and that is just a guess, As Viagra works by increasing blood flow, And I don’t think that blood flow is isolated to the sexual organs, Since it has an effect on both male and female persons. I do know that increased blood flow and higher blood pressure for a person with a ruptured or unruptured AVM is not good. But I go back to my original statement ask a doctor please, Do not be embarrassed or anything else, This is your health and should be treated seriously. Good luck and I hope you get all the help you need.
Martin.
Morning guys,
I found those links. It is quite interesting. What we already know, is that Sildenafil/viagra (or Cialis, Speedra, Levitra) is not good if you have an untreated AVM or aneurysma because of several reasons. But the question, if you can take it after a successfull treatment (e.g. with 100 % succes after embolisation or surgery), is still kinda open. What I read in those articles does not sound good - “redistributing cerebral blood flow” is something that sounds like creating or at least risking an avm as a reaction on sildenafil. But they mention it only besides, they don´t discuss or even proof it because the article is about something else. For me it is difficult to read between the lines, as english is not my motherlanguage. My doctors here don´t know very much about it - they say be careful, it may do something, but they are not sure. Perhaps someone here can help interpreting it or reading between the lines or knows additional facts about it, or knows a specialized md who knows more about that.
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Hi if you have had successsfull treatment of your AVM and all is confirmed as gone then you should treat your life like any other “regular” person out there and if you wish advice then it should come from your doctor, but if your healed of you AVM then taking any kind of medication you read the leaflet regarding the safety info etc and make a decision based on that or your local doctors advice, Lets face it guys, After you AVM is gone you have to move on and sure you may not feel like you did before !, but if everything went well on your treatment then you can enjoy life to the fullest , parachute !, Bunji jump, Viagra, alcohol etc … enjoy life because we know more than most that life is precious. Hope this finds you all well. Take care 
Martin
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Hi Martin, you got the right spirit Sounds good, but I will at least wait for my controll-cMRI+MR-Angio in November untill I do everything you recommended :-)))
But anyway - it is worth spending some time to decide if you take Nebido-shots every three month (if a low testosteron level is shown in the lab results) or take Sildenafil, considering the avm-history.
And therefore I would like tohave some background info (which my doctors couldn`t give me so far, because avm is such a rare thing).
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…no other under-cover-MDs here…Neurologist/Neurosurgeon…
We do have some limited medical professionals, But they usually are here just to see what we do etc, And do not add any input. Our stance is always to recommend you speak to your doctors (Any medical professional will be glad of this stance) , And sure I agree on your before statement that better wait till the scans 
, Good luck and hope it goes well.
Take care, Martin.
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It is a doctor question. Viagra is actually a medication called sildena, which is used to treat pulmonary hypertension. It could actually be a good med for some AVM patients…
FWIW gentlemen sildena sells for less than $20.00 for 30 25mg tabs. As opposed to nearly that much for 1 50 - 100mg Viagra tablet. Lots of insurances won’t pay so. Something to keep in mind.
I was actually prescribed sildena (daily) after my stroke last Jan. Sometimes side effects from meds are a good thing.
TJ
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Hallo, of course I asked my doctor, but he does not know. Myself also an md, I did not find anything. But - it is a very general question, perhaps can someone get some info 
.
The question is:
a) Is it ok to take sildenafil for a person with an avm in general?
b) Is it ok to take sildenafil for a person after successful treatment via embolisation in general?
I guess a) would be a no, and with b) I am not sure, as embolising with a glue like onyx is a method where the vessels could open again or collaterales could grow. It is well known, that sildenafil, tadalafil etc. have effects on blood flow in the whole body, also the head/cerebrum. But it is also in use for treatment of pulmonal hypertension. So everything could be possible. Any thoughts to this general question? Txxxxxxx
Just reading through these comments I think any increase in blood pressure due to sexually related activity could cause an AVM to bleed and precuation must be taken, however each case is different and a medical professional would be the only person who could give you a definate answer… God bless!
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I needed this. Thank you.
Great that I found this, this is the most info I could find on the subject & didn’t even think twice about it - I’m into week 4 post my Onyx Embolization - I’m not gonna lie or hide it, as soon as I came out of the hospital and was able to “perform” I popped a Viagra. . . At my 210 Lb+ size I use 25mg when I do + 5mg cialis daily for BP. . . . I guess I will be the guinea pig in this - I seriously didn’t think about it at all till today, for some reason. . . Fortunately/maybe unfortunately, sexual activity is that important to me
But, to add to this - what about even natural vasodialators, like what I’m using now to reduce BP - A whole lot of celery