viagra and anafranil are both taken for some problems in sex, but different ones. both works by a different mechanism and taken in different doses. In this article, we will figure out if you can take viagra and anafranil together.

anafranil drug

Anafranil which is known by its generic name clomipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant drug that is used for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to relieve repetitive thoughts and behaviors and depression and other psychological disorders. It is also used to treat primary premature ejaculation in certain cases.

Anafranil is only used for people who have primary premature ejaculation. (who already has a problem) to increase the latency of masturbation for approximately 1 min to more than 3,5 min on average.

anafranil common side effects

feeling dizzy, drowsy, tired, or stressed.

tremors, jerking, or uncoordinated muscle movements.

mild common side effects:

excessive sweat production.

alteration in appetite or weight.

urination problems.

vision problems.

decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm.

Serious side effects include:

– felt panicked
– suffered from skin rashes,
– had severe headache,
– lost coordination,
– had skin rashes,
– faced vomiting or severe diarrhea,
– felt agitated or iiratable,
– had a seizure or fast heart rate.

anafranil effect on women

anafranil has no beneficial effect on women in sex, as a matter of fact, it is not recommended for women as it lower their sex drive due to its depressive nature and makes sexual intercourse less pleasurable.

viagra

Viagra or sildenafil is a very effective drug in the treatment of impotence in men having erection problems. It works as a vasodilator to relax certain blood vessels in the body and relieve tension.
It is also used by its brand name Revatio, to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension and improve exercise capacity in men and women. but its role in sexual behavior in women isn’t definite yet.

Possible side effects of Viagra include:

flushing (warmth, redness, or numbness).

headache or dizziness.

abnormal vision (blurred vision, changes in color vision).

runny or stuffy nose.

sleep problems (insomnia).

muscle or back pain.

abdominal pain.

These symptoms are usually not harmful and subside rapidly. but you should contact the emergency doctor if you had:

– heart pain
– suffered from prolonged erection (more than 4 hours) immediately.
– had shortness of breath.
– swelling in an ankle or one of your limbs.
– ringing in your ears.
– irregular heart rhythm.

viagra and sildenafil‘s duration of action

As we previously said, viagra and anafranil are both taken for sex, viagra is taken for erectile dysfunction, it is a short-acting drug, as it takes about 30 min to 1 hour to kick in and its effect lasts for about 4 hours in the body. while anafranil is a long-acting drug that lasts for 32 hours and is taken once daily usually at bedtime or shortly before sex for premature ejaculation.

mechanisms of viagra and anafranil

Viagra and anafranil have different mechanisms.
anafranil or clomipramine is a chloro imipramine derivative which is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCAs), prevents the reuptake of serotonin and nor-epinephrine uptake enhancing their levels in the nervous system.

while viagra is a phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor that results in releasing nitric oxide (NO) and increasing the levels of cGMP in the corpus cavernosum. This mechanism enhances the blood flow in certain tissues and increases the blood flow.

Eventually, can you take viagra and anafranil together?

in a study done on 20 people who take viagra and anafranil together based on information from the FDA. A lot of side effects have been reported, particularly among men at age of 30 to 50 years old. The most common side effect reported is the high level of triglycerides.

other important side effects include:

1- Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin-dependent)
2- Headache
3- Myocardial infarction
4- Weight increased
5- Blood cholesterol increased
6- Back pain
7- Cellulitis
8- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
9- peripheral oedema

also in more elderly patients, some other side effects were reported: Visual acuity reduction, Abdominal pain, Ejaculation disorder, Fatigue, Hereditary angioedema, Vision blurred, and Retinopathy.

other conditions were reported such as:

fibromyalgia
dropped blood testosterone level
insomnia
type 2 diabetes
Metastases to liver
Metastases to lymph nodes
Pancreatic carcinoma recurrent
WARNING

These results are on a few people, so they may not be conclusive and don’t apply for all patients. so, please consult your doctor before taking or stopping both medications.

precautions before using viagra and anafranil

before you consider the interaction between the two drugs, you should consider the interactions between them and other factors like:

other drugs
diseases
food
drinks

drug interaction:

don’t use anafranil or viagra with any other drug of the same class ( TCAs or vasodilators)
don’t take viagra with other medication for erectile dysfunction (ED) before consulting your own doctor about it.
don’t take anafranil with other drugs like taking MAO inhibitors (isocarboxazid, linezolid, metaxalone, methylene blue, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, rasagiline, safinamide, selegiline, tranylcypromine).
don’t take viagra with nitrates taken for heart diseases like nitroglycerin (Nitro-Dur, Nitromist, Nitrostat) isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil) isosorbide mononitrate.

diseases interact with viagra and anafranil

some diseases-reported interactions with anafranil include:

anticholinergic effects
cardiovascular disease
pheochromocytoma
acute myocardial infarction recovery
cardiovascular disease
depression
seizure disorders
adrenal tumors
hypomania/mania
bone marrow suppression
diabetes

disease-reported interactions with viagra include:

Cardiovascular disease
Renal dysfunction
Pulmonary disease
Priapism
Alcoholism
Hearing loss
Liver disease
Retinitis pigmentosa
Seizure disorders

food and drinks interactions

avoid the consumption of alcohol and tobacco with viagra and anafranil as it may cause serious side effects.
avoid taking grapefruit juice or fruit during the use of both drugs, as it increases the level of them in your body and delays their actions, besides causing serious adverse effects.
avoid having cranberry juice with anafranil for the same reason.
Taking viagra with a fatty meal may cause a delay in its effect.

Finally, you should inform your doctor about any allergies you may have experienced from both drugs anafranil and viagra, and immediately report any side effects when you feel them.

written by: D.Gahadah Algohary

References:

https://www.ehealthme.com/drug-interaction/anafranil/viagra/

https://www.drugs.com/food-interactions/clomipramine.html

https://www.drugs.com/viagra.html