A 74-YEAR-OLD man got more than he bargained for when he took TWO viagra tablets before heading out for a date with 27-year-old woman.
Ray Boddington picked up the pills from a friend in his local pub
But as he left her apartment after a night of nookie, Ray was taken ill at a bus stop with major heart palpitations and an ambulance had to be called.
As he lay in the back of the ambulance a paramedic treating the father of six told him: ‘It’s coming down” only to then add: ”I’m talking about your blood pressure’’.
Tests showed Ray had a high blood pressure reading of 157/88 – a normal reading shouldn’t be above 140/90. His heart was also beating at a high rate of 102 beats per minute – above the regular 60-100 beats.
‘I only took them because I was going to a bird’s flat and a bloke told me to give them a go’
Ray Boddington
The pensioner, from Salford, Greater Manchester – a former contestant on The X Factor – was allowed to stay in the vehicle until his heart rate went back to normal. He did not require any hospital treatment over the incident on October 25.
”It was only two hours after taking the tablets when I began began to feel faint. I could my heart pounding in my chest and the blood rushing from my head. I thought I was having a heart attack and I was going to die.
Ray now wants to highlight the dangers of Viagra
“No-one has discussed the dangers of Viagra. It’s becoming a craze in Manchester clubland. I was having a laugh trying it out but then I couldn’t get it down. I nearly passed out. It sent my blood pressure to a high level.
“I only took them because I was going to a bird’s flat and a bloke told me to give them a go. He said they would be good for me.
“I’ve took one before but never two – I don’t need them, it was for a laugh. She’s a lot younger than me so I wanted to be able to keep up. I’ll not be doing it again, that’s for sure.
“In the ambulance the paramedic said, ‘it’s coming down’, I said ‘it doesn’t feel like it’s coming down’, she said, ‘no, I’m talking about your blood pressure’.
Ray warns that dealers in pubs and clubs are swapping Es for Vs
“I was in the ambulance for 45 minutes but even when I got back home and went to bed the effects were still happening. Imagine if someone dies because no-one has spoken about the dangers. People shy away from the subject. It took around 24 hours for things to go back to normal.”
In his notes, the treating paramedic from the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust said: “Scared male phoned 999 as he had taken warfarin and 2 x Viagra. At a bus stop, alert, orientated and good colour. No nausea or vomiting, no headache. States he feels a bit lightheaded.”
A spokesperson for the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust said: “We can confirm we attended an accident on October 25 at the specified time and place. We would always recommend you follow the advice given by your GP and the advice that is on the packaging before taking any form of medication.”
