Viagra saved my life

IT is best known for helping millions of men boost their sex lives.

But for a city father-of-three, the impotence drug Viagra is fulfilling a life-saving purpose.

Grant Crow, from Corstorphine, is thought to be the first person in Europe to take a daily dose of Viagra as part of a revolutionary treatment for a rare medical condition.

And, while not totally without its drawbacks, the treatment has had some pleasant side effects.

Mr Crow, 52, suffers from pulmonary hypertension (PH), a rare lung disorder in which the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery - which carries blood from the heart to the lungs - rises far above normal levels.

The former restaurant manager and semi-professional ice hockey player noticed he was getting very breathless climbing stairs and coughing blood occasionally.

After years of tests, he was diagnosed with the life-threatening condition in February 2002.

Mr Crow immediately volunteered to be part of any clinical trials or experiments on offer at Glasgow’s Western Infirmary, and was put on Viagra later that year.

Mr Crow said today: "I’m lucky. I pop three pills a day and have a reasonable quality of life.

"I wouldn’t be here without this treatment. Untreated, they give you two to three years to live."

Mr Crow, who played ice hockey regularly during the 28 years he lived in Canada, is no longer able to be so physically active.

Even washing the car is now an effort and he has to pay someone to cut the grass.

The studies into Viagra as a treatment for PH are not yet conclusive and Mr Crow has been a guinea pig for the trial, taking three 80mg tablets a day for the last three years.

It has not yet been proved if it is better to give a large or a small dose.

Side-effects can include headaches, light-headedness and flushing.

As for the more pleasant side effects, Mr Crow admitted: "Initially it was rather embarrassing, but it has certainly put a smile on my wife’s face."

Mr Crow, who is the Scottish trustee of PHA-UK and mans the association’s helpline, said he had taken a lot of calls for information, particularly from patients inquiring about his Viagra trial.

Jim Mearns, a clinical nurse at the only specialist PH centre in Scotland, the GWI Scottish Pulmonary Vascular Unit, explained how the drug worked.

He said: "Viagra improves blood supply to the lungs and relieves symptoms such as extreme fatigue and breathlessness at rest or when in movement.

"At the moment, it can only be prescribed by a consultant, but studies show it works really well and I expect it to get a licence soon."

Mr Mearns said PH was incurable and the average life expectancy without treatment was 2.8 years. He said the Viagra treatment was not a cure, but was intended to relieve symptoms and extend life expectancy.

Raising awareness of a rare disorder

PULMONARY hypertension (PH) is a rare lung disorder in which the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery rises far above normal levels. At the same time, the walls of the network of blood vessels (pulmonary arteries) become thicker.

• People with PH experience a range of symptoms, the most common of which are breathlessness, dizziness, fainting, chest pain, palpitations and increased lethargy. These symptoms are described as "non-specific" which means it is quite difficult to diagnose.

• Anyone can get PH, but it is more common in women in their 30s and 40s.

• It may develop after pregnancy, hypothyroidism, pulmonary embolism, autoimmune disorders, or HIV infection or result from the use of drugs such as appetite suppressants, oral contraceptives and cocaine.

• There are eight specialist PH centres in the UK. The only such centre in Scotland is at the Western Infirmary in Glasgow.

• The Pulmonary Hypertension Association UK has designated April 4-10 as PH Awareness Week.

• The group provides support and information for those affected by the condition.

• Iain Armstong, PHA-UK chairman, said the week was intended to focus attention on the rare condition. "The individual will not uncommonly have been treated for asthma or emphysema or another chronic lung condition before arriving at the specialist unit. We hope to increase patient awareness and medical suspicion of PH."

• For more information about pulmonary hypertension, freephone 0800 3898 156 or log on to www.pha-uk.com