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For almost 30 years, the “little blue pill” has helped men perform in the bedroom.
However, this medication is only approved for men, and despite recent innovations, there’s still no equivalent alternative on the market for women.
But in a twist of fate, Viagra — medically known as sildenafil — has an interesting emerging use for a condition that affects more women than men.
Chronic or extreme coldness in your extremities can be a sign of poor circulation, an occurrence that affects far more women than men.
In more severe cases, this drops beyond discomfort into Raynaud’s syndrome, a generally harmless condition causing numbness, a prickling, stinging pain and even noticeable skin color changes.
Here’s how the “little blue pill” can provide relief from cold-weather pain.
An unexpected remedy
When weather chills, the body tries to keep its core temperature high. It constricts blood vessels near the skin first, then in extremities, to direct blood flow to vital organs like the heart and brain.
That’s partly why frostbite strikes your fingers and toes first. They’re the farthest from your body’s core.
People with Raynaud’s have an extreme reaction to the cold that clamps blood flow to their extremities. This vascular spasm turns the skin white from a lack of blood or blue, as oxygen levels drop.
Those with Raynaud’s are particularly sensitive to cold weather, but attacks can happen throughout the year.
“For example, when you come out of a heated pool, walk into an air-conditioned building, or reach into the freezer section at the supermarket,” rheumatologist Dr. Robert H. Shmerling told Harvard Health. “Even slight changes in air temperature can trigger an episode.”
This disproportionately affects women as they naturally have more fat than men, which further restricts blood flow. And because women are typically smaller, they lose heat faster.
Remember that for men, Viagra works by pumping blood to their penis, making erections easier. For those with pain in the cold, the drug works the same way, just getting blood to flow to another part of the body.
A blogger with Sjögren’s disease shared how Viagra has been a game-changer, helping treat the freezing-cold fingers caused by Raynaud’s, which is linked to her autoimmune disorder.
Additionally, several Reddit users have credited Viagra for alleviating their chilly symptoms.
“I’ve been on it for a couple of years and it’s been very effective at reducing both the frequency and severity of attacks,” wrote one. “I still suffer, but now it tends to be more isolated to particularly extreme situations.”
Not a first-line treatment
Cold fingers and Raynaud’s attacks usually resolve on their own.
“It is reversible upon warming up,” Dr. Anca Askanase, a rheumatologist at Columbia University Medical Center, told The Post in a previous story.
To prevent an episode, minimize exposure to the cold. If your fingers turn numb, run warm water over them — but don’t go too hot, which can cause burning. “When [an attack] is prolonged, it can cause sores and tissue loss and, rarely, finger gangrene,” Askanase said.
Viagra is a tightly controlled drug, and the FDA has disciplined illegal gas station knock-offs for using sildenafil in products like “Boner Bears.” They warn the drug should be used under the supervision of a doctor, because it can interact with other drugs and cause dangerously low blood pressure.
But getting Viagra from a doctor can be tricky: Sildenafil is only FDA-approved for erectile dysfunction and constricted blood vessels in the lungs (pulmonary arterial hypertension).
All other uses, including for Raynaud’s and cold fingers and toes, would be an “off-label” use, which doctors can legally prescribe at their medical discretion.
One study showed sildenafil was highly effective for Raynaud’s, lowering the frequency of attacks and shortening their duration.