Viagra gives me sore head

Nov 9 2008 Dr Gareth Smith

Q I WAS prescribed Viagra and it is working well but it also gives me a terrible headache and everything turns a funny colour. Is this normal? I don't want to stop taking them.

A A COMMON side-effect of Viagra is a headache about 30-40 minutes after taking it. I tell patients to take a couple of Ibuprofen at the same time to counteract this.

As for the funny colour, another recognised side-effect is a "blue tinge" to vision but it's nothing to worry about.

Q MY new job is in a care home for the elderly. After a medical, they told me I had MRSA and needed treatment.

How can this be as I feel fine?

A AROUND a third of us carry the bug staphylococcus on our skin. It is usually harmless but if it gets into our system through cuts or breaks on the skin it can cause infection such as boils or impetigo.

MRSA is a strain of staphylococcus that is resistant to most of the antibiotics used to treat a normal infection.

If you are working with the elderly it is important you are not carrying this strain of the bug as it can cause them severe infections, particularly those with catheters or those with a compromised immune system.

Q I COUGH up horrible little smelly "stones" from time to time. What are they and how can I stop this happening?

A THEY are called tonsiliths and are a collection of plaque and bacteria that form in the small grooves or crypts of the tonsils.

They are harmless but smell bad and can cause bad breath.

They tend to get worse when you have allergies such as hay fever or a runny nose in winter.

There is no real cure for them other than gargling every day with a strong mouthwash such as Corsodyl. When you get older they become smaller as the tonsils shrink with age.

Q I ASKED my GP if my wee boy could receive separate vaccinations rather than the combined MMRjab. But he said this was not available on the NHS and could be dangerous. Is this correct? I am worried about the risk of autism linked to the MMR.

A THERE is no evidence to link the use of the MMR vaccination with autism.

The risks of not having your son vaccinated are huge compared to those of getting him immunised.

Separate vaccinations are not available because they are not licensed for use in the UK and there is a risk your child can pick up an infection between the vaccinations.

The safest and most effective method of vaccination is the MMR, so make an appointment with your GP as soon as possible.