Could Viagra Put the Brakes on Jet Lag?
TUESDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) — Worried about jet lag? Researchers think they might have just the ticket to perk you up: Viagra. While it’s too early to know if it will work in humans, Argentinean researchers are reporting that the drug sildenafil — better known by the brand name Viagra — appears to reduce symptoms of jet lag in hamsters. Viagra does come with potential side effects, and some men might not appreciate experiencing a temporary respite from erectile dysfunction at 30,000 feet. Still, a sleep specialist called the research promising. “We do need more effective therapies for jet lag and for sleep difficulties that occur as a consequence of shift work,” said Dr. Robert Vorona, an associate professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School who’s familiar with the study findings. In the study, researchers administered small doses of sildenafil to hamsters before adjusting the cycles of light and dark they lived in. This reset their body clocks as if they’d taken a six-hour pl
