I wonder ...

You've seen and heard any number of drug ads on TV, and they pretty much all have the lengthy description of side effects, like this ad. Some are in normal time, some are voiced by speed talkers. But either way, there is a laundry list of bad stuff than can happen to you.

But there is a notable exception; Viagra and Cialis. They mention only one side effect. Priapism.* If the guy has an er, well, you know, for more than 4 hours, then go see a doc. That's it. One problem. Which got me wondering.

At Viagra.com, you can find lots of potential side effects:

headache, facial flushing, upset stomach. Less commonly, bluish vision, blurred vision, or sensitivity to light may briefly occur. In rare instances, men taking PDE5 inhibitors (oral erectile dysfunction medicines, including VIAGRA) reported a sudden decrease or loss of vision. It is not possible to determine whether these events are related directly to these medicines or to other factors. If you experience sudden decrease or loss of vision, stop taking PDE5 inhibitors, including VIAGRA, and call a doctor right away. Sudden decrease or loss of hearing has been rarely reported in people taking PDE5 inhibitors, including VIAGRA. It is not possible to determine whether these events are related directly to the PDE5 inhibitors or to other factors. If you experience sudden decrease or loss of hearing, stop taking VIAGRA and contact a doctor right away.

Seems to me that Viagra and the incredibly stupid Cialis commercials are trying to fool us. The one side effect they mention might be considered by many who want the drug to be a feature, not a bug.

This also makes me wonder, if these two drugs can mention only one bug/feature and ignore the others that might apply, then why do other drugs ads go to such lengths to list all the side effects. And if they have to list them, why can Viagra and Cialis get away with not mentioning them.

Imponderables.

*And, you gotta love this.

The name comes from the Greek god Priapus, referring to the myth that he was punished by the other gods for attempting to rape a goddess, by being given a massive, but useless, set of wooden genitals.