Alternative therapy

Published on Thursday 27 November 2008 12:07

THE little girl who takes Viagra to stay alive, and other drugs' super side-effects

DON'T panic if your child is prescribed Viagra for their heart condition. And you're not going mad if you are advised to take antidepressants to deal with the symptoms of the menopause: as trials progress, scientists find many drugs have side-effects that enable them to treat complaints they were never designed for.

When the drug Thalidomide was introduced in the 1950s, for instance, it was hailed as a cure for morning sickness. Thousands of pregnant women were prescribed it, with the resultant tragedy that more than 400 babies in the UK, and in excess of 12,000 worldwide, were born with missing or deformed limbs. It was banned in 1962, but ironically it is the drug's ability to limit blood flow – precisely what caused the defects in developing foetuses – that is now being seen as a breakthrough in cancer treatment: by starving a tumour of its blood supply, it can't grow and thrive.

Viagra, ordinarily prescribed for the bedroom (though even that purpose popped up by accident – it was originally developed to treat angina), is now helping to save children's lives. Pulmonary arterial hypertension, which raises the pressure in arteries supplying blood to the lungs, is incurable, and sufferers can die within a year if not treated. But experts believe the little blue pill has the potential to cure the disease, because of its ability to expand blood vessels.

Janis Archibald, from Musselburgh, says Viagra is keeping Natalie, her seven-year-old daughter, alive. "When we first saw the list of drugs, Viagra was given its proper medical name (Sildenafil or Revatio], so we didn't know what it was. It was only when we looked into it a bit more… But it has transformed her life. I've never seen her so happy. She can run, jump, skip – all the things her friends can do."

Although Viagra has stabilised Natalie's condition, her life is still at risk. "They say there's a ten-year limit on it," says Archibald, "but as long as she's stable like she is just now, things are fine."

Another potential life-saver is the flu jab, which was reported last week to reduce the risk of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) on long-haul flights by as much as 26%. (The benefits for women taking the contraceptive pill were even higher, with the risk of DVT being cut by 59%.) The research is still very new so why the jab is so effective is still unclear – possibly it reduces inflammation or stops an infection thickening the blood.

An increasing number of women are having Botox – originally developed to treat spasms in the face and neck, and more recently used as an anti-ageing treatment – injected into the soles of their feet to relieve the agony of wearing high heels. It can also be used to treat excessive sweating, and has even been found to ease the pain associated with migraines and neuralgia. In a 2005 study, 13 patients with severe trigeminal neuralgia were injected with botulinum-A toxin. All reported a significant reduction in pain.

Lumigan, created to treat the eye disease glaucoma, has been found to have such a profound effect on eyelash growth that some observers are saying it could signal the death of mascara. The effects were first noticed in patients taking the drug, when their lashes became thicker, longer and darker, possibly because its hormone-like properties promote growth. A trial at Miami University followed, in which the lashes treated grew around 2mm in just six weeks.

Regaine, meanwhile (prescribed as minoxidil for high blood pressure), now treats baldness, after patients noticed their hair grew more quickly. It increases the flow of blood and nutrients to the scalp, and in trials around 60% of those using it said their hair-growth had improved after 48 weeks.

Tesofensine, a treatment for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, is now being seen as a weapon in the fight against obesity. It stops the brain registering hunger messages, with the result that patients in trials lost an average of a stone and a half in six months.

But don't rush off to your local surgery just yet. Prof Steve O'Rahilly, an expert in obesity, warns, "As the drug is likely to have actions on parts of the brain not involved in weight control, the risk of serious side-effects on longer-term administration will need to be watched very carefully."

and another thing

Haemorrhoid cream Models are said to smother their faces in Preparation H to banish eye-bags and tighten the skin, but at least one drugs company advises against it. "This is a pharmaceutical, not a cosmetic," says a Schering spokesman, stressing that the cream should be kept away from the eye area.

Toothpaste The white stuff apparently does the business on the occasional outbreak of spots. Jennifer Love Hewitt is said to swear by it.

Skin So Soft Avon's body-moisturising oil is thought to be so effective against the scourge of the midge that it is used by the British Royal Marine commandos.

Sudocrem Don't tell the teens you used to slather it on their bottoms, but the antiseptic qualities of the traditional nappy-rash cream mean it is tops for spots, cuts and grazes.