Question: I was arrested for a DUI in Atlanta. I ate dinner at The Cheetah on Spring Street and I had a beer. I was driving back to my condo in Buckhead when I was stopped by an Atlanta Police Officer on West Paces Ferry Road. He said I was weaving.
I did everything the cop asked me to do. I did his tests and answered all his questions. But during the tests I felt really dizzy and I almost fell. I felt like I was going to faint. I don't think this was from alcohol because I only drank one craft beer and I had a pretty big dinner. I wasn't drunk.
I think that I was dizzy because I just started taking Viagra. That's the only thing I can think of that would make me dizzy. I never feel dizzy from just a little booze.
I refused to take any tests at the jail. So I didn't blow and I refused a blood test. Does Viagra have side effects that can seem like a DUI?
P.G. in Buckhead
Answer: We have gotten questions regarding the side effects of medications like Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. Yes, some of their side effects can lead a police officer to believe that a motorist has been drinking.
Dizziness or lightheadedness has been reported as a side effect, especially when getting up from a sitting position. As erectile dysfunction medications become more widely distributed and utilized, we expect to see more DUI defenses built around their use.
For your defense, an Atlanta DUI lawyer will want to see a valid prescription for the drug and the attorney will want to gather relevant, scientific studies demonstrating that Viagra (or similar drugs) has been scientifically linked to dizziness.
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