Apollo Network
A Question About Poppers
Posted by Ellar, MD
Wednesday, October 22nd 2008 @ 09:09:25 AM EST

Hi Doctor, I have a friend who is 73, we were lovers now just friends. He can't have sex unless he uses poppers. When we were together it use to scare me because he uses so much even if it's the first thing in the morning. Are there any long term effects? Thanks, -Ray

Hi Ray, That line in the Viagra commercials about avoiding it if you are on nitrates because of blood pressure drop is applicable to poppers as well. Poppers are amyl or butyl nitrate, usually the latter since they can legally sell it as room odorizer. The nitrates drop the pressure since they markedly dilate all the veins and arteries in the body and the heart races in overdrive to compensate from the big drop. Erection can be enhanced and the patient feels a a roaring racy buzz. It can also cause fainting and high output heart failure if used excessively in the face of heart disease.

Poppers are potentially dangerous drugs. Also, they cause circulating blood proteins to be broken into small pieces that flood the immune system with random strange bits that get filtered out in the liver, spleen and lungs. This creates a period of immune incompetence since all circuits are busy and routine surveillance is on hold. In the early days of the aids epidemic there was an assumed cause and effect with poppers due to this physiological situation. That direct link has been disproved but always use full protection and play safely. -Ellar, M.D.

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