It's possible to develop long-term side effects from sildenafil treatment. In clinical trials,* long-term side effects, such as vision loss and hearing loss,† occurred at any time during treatment. However, the exact reason why these side effects occurred is not fully known.
However, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there have been reports of myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke, irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias), and even death in people taking Viagra.
Minor differences in packaging aside, brand name Viagra and its generic counterpart sildenafil are exactly the same medication. If you have erectile dysfunction, both medications should produce noticeable improvements in your erections and sexual performance. The key difference, as we mentioned above, is price.
Viagra helps to maintain the erection after ejaculation and reduces the refractory time before a second erection can be obtained.
Avoid fatty meals on days when you plan on taking Viagra®. This can cause Viagra® to take effect more slowly. Try eating light meals throughout the day before taking Viagra®, and avoid heavy meals with red meat, fried food and other high-fat components.
Alone, Viagra did not promote platelet aggregation, but it did so in the presence of a small amount of other compounds typically present when a blood vessel is damaged. In fact, Viagra caused the cells to clump at concentrations well below those achieved in patients prescribed the drug for erectile dysfunction.
Regardless of your dose or individual metabolism rate, Viagra usually wears off after 4-6 hours. Note that your erection should never last more than four hours. If it does, seek medical treatment.
Nothing much would happen if someone without erectile dysfunction took Viagra, although they might think they feel better psychologically. But it would make a difference if you took it along with other drugs. Cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy, alcohol, nicotine, crystal meth - they all can cause erection problems.
Sildenafil does not improve sexual function in men without erectile dysfunction but does reduce the postorgasmic refractory time.
The 'as required' Tadalafil (generic Cialis) has an advantage over Sildenafil in that it lasts a lot longer – up to 36 hours (compared with 4-5 hours for Sildenafil). Some men prefer this as it allows for more spontaneity.
In controlled studies, Sildenafil 50mg was found to be effective in 74% of men with erectile dysfunction. As such, it's likely that you will experience success with this treatment.
Pfizer, the company that manufactures this drug, has confirmed that the typical Viagra user is on average 53 years old. The company does not keep records of users younger than 33 years. The drug should not be used in young men who do not have erection problems.
The bottom line. It's best to avoid consuming alcohol while taking ED medications like Viagra: Not only can alcohol counteract the medication's effects, but it can also worsen side effects, like flushing and headaches.
Sildenafil causes small decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressures, but clinically significant hypotension is rare. Studies of sildenafil and nitrates taken together show much greater drops in blood pressure.
A penile erection can normally last anywhere from a few minutes to about half an hour. On average, men have five erections a night while they're sleeping, each lasting about 25 to 35 minutes (Youn, 2017).
Viagra does not stimulate you sexually, it can only help you get an erection once you're already aroused. Because Viagra only helps you to get an erection by improving blood flow to the penis, it doesn't force you to get an erection, so it won't work unless you're sexually stimulated.
The biggest difference between Viagra and Cialis is the amount of time their effects last. Viagra remains effective for 4 to 6 hours, which offers ample opportunity to have sex on multiple occasions if you wish. However Cialis typically allows you to achieve erections for up to 36 hours after taking a tablet.
Effectiveness of all PDE5 inhibitors is similar; although reported effectiveness of Viagra, at 84% is slightly higher than that of Cialis at 81%. However, more men prefer Cialis because of its longer duration of effect.
Is There a Way To Tell if a Man is Taking Viagra? Wondering if your man is taking a pill to keep up his energy in bed? You could check his medicine cabinet, send an email to his doctor asking what prescription drugs he's on, or have his blood tested.