Sildenafil induced seizures in a patient treated for pulmonary hypertension: A case report

Abstract

Sildenafil is one of the common drugs used to treat pulmonary hypertension. We report a rare case of a life-threatening adverse effect of Sildenafil. The patient was admitted to our intensive care unit for the management of urosepsis with obesity hypoventilation syndrome with pulmonary hypertension. After administration of the first dosage of Sildenafil, the patient developed generalized tonic-clonic seizure. She had no previous history of seizure disorder. She was investigated for the possible cause of seizure, but none were conclusive. Sildenafil was discontinued and she remained seizure free after discontinuation of it. Sildenafil can increase the effects mediated by nitric oxide and can thus affect the seizure threshold. Though rare, seizure as an adverse effect of Sildenafil should be considered before initiating this drug.