Viagra

Viagra (sildenafil) is a generic medication used to treat erectile dysfunction (inability to get or keep an erection) in men. This is one of the most popular drugs in the U.S.

How does it work?

Viagra fights erectile dysfunction in men. Often erectile dysfunction is caused by a violation of the outflow of blood in the vessels of the penis. Sildenafil – the active ingredient of the drug – improves blood flow and helps to naturally get a hard and lasting erection. Important: a man needs sexual stimulation for the drug to work.

Indications

Viagra is used to treat erectile dysfunction of any nature and severity.

The drug is used in cases when erectile dysfunction is caused by increased fatigue, psychological problems, physical age-related disorders.

The drug is prescribed exclusively for men over 18 years of age.

How to take Viagra?

To have successful sexual intercourse, you just need to take one tablet of the drug. It’s recommended to start with 50 mg of sildenafil. The daily dosage should not exceed 100 mg. The exposure lasts up to 1 hour, after which you can expect up to 4 hours of erectile support.

The maximum frequency of use is 1 time / day. If you are an elderly patient over the age of 65 and have concomitant impaired renal or hepatic function, the dose should not exceed 25 mg.

Sildenafil is a substance that does not mix well with alcohol and fatty foods. That is why you should not combine these pills and alcoholic beverages and a fatty meal. If you violate this recommendation, the risk of adverse reactions increases or the drug starts working later than expected.

Side effects

Viagra is generally tolerated well. However, some men reported side effects after its use. The occurrence of adverse reactions depends on the characteristics of the body and dosages. You may experience:

Dizziness;
Headaches;
An increase in pressure;
Heartburn;
Nausea;
Indigestion;
Pain during urination;
Vision problems;
Skin redness.

As a rule, all of the listed symptoms are short-term and appear only due to an overdose. If you have any of the mentioned side effects, stop taking the drug and consult a doctor.

Contraindications

Before taking pills to improve an erection, you need to visit a doctor (urologist).

Viagra has some contraindications for use, namely:

heart disease and any cardiovascular disease;
leukemia;
anemia of varying degrees;
multiple myeloma;
priapism;
individual characteristics of the body and hypersensitivity to sildenafil.

Interactions

Cimetidine, erythromycin, saquinavir and ketoconazole can affect the concentration of sildenafil in the blood and increase it. Therefore, when used together with the mentioned drugs, the initial dose of Viagra should not exceed 25 mg.

In order to minimize the risks of a sudden decrease in blood pressure in patients taking sildenafil together with alpha-blockers, this group of patients should start taking Viagra only after achieving stabilization of hemodynamics. In such cases, it is recommended to reduce the initial dose of sildenafil.

Overdose

Symptoms of an overdose include an increase in the frequency of adverse reactions (headache, hyperemia, dizziness, dyspepsia, nasal congestion and visual impairment).

Treatment is symptomatic. There is no antidote. Hemodialysis is not effective.

Precautions

The drug is not used in patients under the age of 18 years.

Before taking this drug, you need to visit a doctor who will examine your cardiovascular system.

Caution should be used in patients with anatomical deformity of the penis (e.g., angulation, cavernous fibrosis or Peyronie’s disease), a tendency to bleeding, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum in the acute phase, hereditary retinitis pigmentosa, and in patients with diseases that predispose to priapism (such as sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma or leukemia).

Sildenafil does not affect the ability to drive vehicles and operate machinery.

Viagra should not be used by patients for whom sexual activity is undesirable.