TY - JOUR AU - Lin, Guan-Yu AU - Lee, Jiunn-Tay AU - Peng, Giia-Sheun AU - Yang, Fu-Chi PY - 2014/05/21 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Sildenafil can induce the onset of a cluster headache bout JF - Canadian Urological Association Journal JA - CUAJ VL - 8 IS - 5-6 SE - Case Report DO - 10.5489/cuaj.1736 UR - https://cuaj.ca/index.php/journal/article/view/1736 SP - e378-80 AB - About 25% of patients who are prescribed sildenafil, the phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitor, for erectile dysfunction (ED) experience headaches. These migraine effects are well-described, including cluster headaches. We report the case of a man who experienced a cluster headache attack following each of 2 sildenafil doses. His symptoms were resolved by adding naproxen to his treatment regimen and changing his ED treatment from 50 mg of sildenafil to 5 mg of vardenafil. To our knowledge, no study has reported cluster headaches triggered by the less commonly used PDE-5 inhibitors, namely vardenafil and tadalafil. Urologists should be cautious in prescribing sildenafil to patients with ED and with a history of cluster headaches. In these patients, they should consider prescribing low-dose vardenafil or tadalafil instead. Failure to recognize sildenafil risks could result in unnecessary headache bouts in patients with a history of cluster headaches. ER -