Caverject Side Effects

Serious Adverse Side Effects

Caverject | Alprostadil Urogenital Injection comes with some very serious adverse side effects, such as:

• Cardiovascular side effects such as cardiac arrest
• Gastrointestinal side effects such as obstruction
• Hematological side effects such as disseminated intravascular coagulation, or blood clotting as a result of taking this drug
• Musculoskeletal side effects such as infantile cortical hyperostosis, a condition that  is an inflammatory disorder that causes bone changes, soft tissue swelling and irritability
• Neurological side effects such as seizures
• Reproductive side effects such as inability to lose the erection
• Respiratory side effects such as apnea

Common Adverse Side Effects

Caverject | Alprostadil Urogenital Injection has more common and less severe adverse side effects such as:

• Cardiovascular side effects such as irregular heartbeats and lowered blood pressure
• Dermatological side effects such as flushing
• Renal side effects such as discomfort of the urethra
• Reproductive side effects such as fibrosis of the penis (formation of excess tissue), pain in the penis or the testicles
• Other side effects such as fever

Warnings & Recalls for Caverject

Black Box Warning

Caverject | Alprostadil Urogenital Injection has an associated “black box” warning attached to it that states that apnea can be experienced by about 10% to 12% of patients with a congenital heart defect who are given this drug.  Therefore, the respiratory status should be monitored by a physician throughout the duration the patient takes this drug and Caverject | Alprostadil Urogenital Injection should only be used only when ventilatory assistance can be made readily available.

Contraindications

Caverject | Alprostadil Urogenital Injection has some associated contraindications attached to it that hinder a patient’s ability to take this drug.  They include:

• Anatomical deformation of the penis
• Hypersensitivity to alprostadil
• Leukemia
• Myeloma
• Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome
• Patients with penile implants
• Peyronie’s disease
• Patients who display priapism
• Sickle cell anemia

Who Should Not Take This Drug

Caverject | Alprostadil Urogenital Injection should never be taken by the following patients who have these preexisting conditions.  They include:

• Patients undergoing anticoagulant treatment
• Patients undergoing treatment with vasoactive agents
• Female or child patients
• Patients with bleeding abnormalities

Caverject Treatment and Use

Caverject | Alprostadil Urogenital Injection is a drug that’s manufactured and marketed by Pfizer to treat certain types of erectile dysfunction in men.  As the name states, it comes in the form of an injection, meant to be injected directly into certain parts of a male patient’s genitals.  The drug classification Caverject | Alprostadil Urogenital Injection is that of a vasodilator.  This drug doesn’t cure erectile dysfunction or increase sexual desire.  It also cannot prevent pregnancy or the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Caverject | Alprostadil Urogenital Injection comes as a powder to be mixed with a liquid solution provided in the package and injected directly into the penis.  It also comes as a urethral suppository pellet that’s placed into the urinary opening of penis.  An erection usually occurs within 5 to 20 minutes after using the injection.  Regarding the pellet, within 5 to 10 minutes.  The erections usually last approximately 30 minutes to an hour.  Caverject | Alprostadil Urogenital Injection shouldn’t be used more than 3 times per week with 24 hour intervals between uses.  The pellets shouldn’t be used more than 2 times within a 24-hour period.

See the “Warnings And Precautions” tab for the “Black Box” warning for this drug.

How This Drug Works

When administered as an injection or as an urethral suppository, Caverject | Alprostadil Urogenital Injection acts to locally relax the trabecular smooth muscles and certain arteries.  The erection of the penis results when arterial blood flows after injection or administration of the pellet.

Other Names for Caverject

Brand Name

• Caverject

Generic Name

• Alpostradil Urogenital Injection

Lawsuits & Legal Information for Caverject