Viagra May Also Help With Jet Lag
 

Viagra May Also Help With Jet Lag
By Will Dunham
Reuters
WASHINGTON (May 21) - The male impotence drug Viagra may be useful for treating jet lag as well, according to Argentine researchers who gave it to hamsters made to feel like rodent globe-trotters.

The researchers manipulated the schedule of turning lights on and off to induce jet lag in the laboratory animals, they reported on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Adult male hamsters given Viagra, also called sildenafil, recovered from jet lag up to 50 percent faster than hamsters that were not given it, the researchers said.

The scientists stopped giving the hamsters the highest dose they had been using in the experiment due to a certain side effect.

"However, we used the intermediate dose for the rest of the experiments because at that dose animals did not manifest the effects of sildenafil-induced penile erections," they wrote.

Flying across multiple time zones can confuse one's sleep-wake cycle, resulting in the condition called jet lag, marked by insomnia, sleepiness and difficulty concentrating.

Researchers Patricia Agostino, Santiago Plano and Diego Golombek of the Universidad Nacional de Quilmes in Buenos Aires gave doses of Viagra to the hamsters at night, then switched on bright lights six hours early to simulate eastbound flight.

They judged how well the hamsters adjusted to the changes by observing when they began running on exercise wheels.

The drug helped the rodents cope with jet lag only when given before the equivalent of an eastbound flight, not the reverse when they delayed turning on lights to simulate westbound travel, the study found.

The researchers said the findings suggested that Viagra could be useful to help people cope with jet lag or shift work. They said the dose needed for such uses could be lower than the one used for treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Viagra interferes with an enzyme that lowers levels of a naturally occurring compound that plays a role in the regulation of the circadian cycle, the body's internal clock, the researchers said.

Viagra is marketed by Pfizer, the world's largest drug maker. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved it to treat erectile dysfunction in 1998.

Interesting!


.

I suppose it perked them up a bit.

For those who have seen the movie "love, Honour and Obey" - just translate to people on a plane!

I wonder if it was the Viagra that did it or the behavior it facilitated. It has been called everything from a "quickie" to an "Afternoon Delight" to a "Nooner" and more and I suppose a "Wake Me Up" (r should it be a "KEEP Me Up") wouldn't be possibilities.

The next thing we'll be told is that "seasoned travelers" never get jetlag...maybe because they have been secretly getting something else.

if i took Viagara during the flight i'm afraid i may get stiff legs?

Just stiff legs? :)

This could give new meaning to "The Mile High Club"!

Just don't take it before immigration/customs. Might have a hard time getting through.

How will I lower my tray-table at meal time?

I know some people believe that you get over jetlag if you stay up as long as possible, but this is ridiculous..

logandog and you bragging just a bit eh? My concern would be what happens when the person in from of me reclines the seat! OUCH!

NYT Science Section - Jane Brody has a long story on Jet Lag today. www.nytimes.com - mentions melatonin prominently

This gives a whole new meaning when the stewardess says,"resume the upright position".

OP doesn't say if Viagara for Jet Lag is only of help to men - women too?

"Viagra May Also Help With Jet Lag"

Talk about a hard landing!

((H))

I guess we have to start a thread with:
"This gives whole new meaning to [fill in the blank].
hard landing
soft landing
the upright position
nonstop flight
red-eye special
frequent flier
open jaw
rear exit
front exit
and so on
and so on
and so on ...

so on

please sit erect in your seat, trays up

Warning: Viagra should only be taken in Over The Pole flights.

((H))

Crikey if the pilot takes some,he may not know which is the joy stick.

;-)

And it may cause problems when the Please Fasten Seat Belt signs come on.