Viagra, chemically called sildenafil citrate (active ingredient), is a potential ED medication that relaxes blood vessel muscles in order to regulate blood flow towards certain areas of the body as per the requirement.
Primarily, viagra medication has been approved by the US FDA for the treatment of erectile dysfunction but the potential of the drug in treating many other indications such as pulmonary arterial hypertension and rare meningitis attacks has led to its multipurpose use.
The mode of administration of Viagra is oral (as tablets or mouth spray) and the recommended dose varies depending upon the indication for which Viagra is to be administered.

Viagra for rare meningitis attack

Meningitis is a medical condition in which the delicate protective membranes of central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) called meninges get inflamed due to microbial infection or any drug’s adverse side effects.
This inflammation is due to bacterial poison that spreads through brain’s fluid called cerebrospinal fluid. In rare cases, bacteria multiply indiscriminately and attack blood streams through its deadly poison resulting in blood leakage and insufficient supply of blood to tissues constituting vital organs.

Now this impaired circulation is what treated with Viagra. The medication is administered in case of rare meningitis attack in order to stimulate the flow of blood to the blood deficient areas that are severely damaged by bacterial infection.

In some cases of rare meningitis, this medication has proved its worth but the efficacy of the same has not yet been established scientifically and approved by regulatory authorities for the purpose.

Side effects and warnings while using viagra for this purpose

Viagra in general has several common side effects such as flushing, headache, stuffy nose abnormal vision. Muscle pain and upset stomach have been reported to be associated with Viagra administration and the belief that the medication leads to increased libido and improved sexual performance has made it commonly used (in fact abused) for recreational purpose.

Certain special cases such as those suffering from (or have a history of) medical conditions such as liver disease, kidney disease, heart problems or individuals already being administered with antibiotics, antifungal or antiviral formulations should inform the health care provider before getting Viagra prescribed.

Also, viagra is only intended for men, so women should never consume it. In the case of pregnancy, the safety and efficacy of viagra have not been established therefore its use is highly discouraged.

How to access Viagra?

The abuse potential of Viagra as a recreational drug has made it strictly ‘prescription only’ drug in most of the countries. So only after the prescription is obtained (either online or offline), it is legal to buy Viagra both from chemist stores as well as online pharmacies.

Summary

Viagra has proved its potential in treating erectile dysfunction and has been approved for the same. But for other medical uses such as treatment of rare meningitis, although success stories speak about its effectiveness, the risk to benefit factor needs to be determined and supported with scientific accuracy in order to be established as safe.
To be on safer side, when it comes to consuming Viagra, the dosage and duration of administration should be under medical practitioner’s supervision so as to prevent oneself from being a victim of abuse or adverse side effects.