Viagra (Sildenafil)

Viagra works by relaxing the blood vessels in your penis. This lets blood flow in more easily when you’re sexually aroused. This can make it easier to get and keep erections.

It’s taken no more than once a day, usually at least 1 hour before sex.

You must remember, Viagra does not make you get an erection on its own. You need to be sexually aroused for Viagra to work.

How well does Viagra work?

Most men have a stronger and longer lasting erection when using Viagra as recommended by a doctor. Viagra can also work better if you combine it with lifestyle changes, or devices like penis pumps or rings. To get the best results, try to avoid alcohol and heavy meals before you use it.

Does Viagra make you last longer?

Viagra can only make you last longer if you often lose your erection during sex as it makes it easier for you to get and keep an erection.

Viagra is not used as a treatment to stop you from ejaculating quickly. However, if you have erectile dysfunction with premature ejaculation, then you might find this improves. This means that you may still orgasm quickly when taking Viagra. Viagra also does not stop your erection from going down after ejaculation.

It’s important to remember you need to be in the mood to have sex for Viagra to work.

Is Viagra safe?

Yes, Viagra is safe to take when taken as prescribed by a doctor. Make sure you only take 1 tablet each day. You may experience some side effects. If this happens, reach out to your doctor who’ll be able to adjust your dose.

Always make sure you're buying Viagra from a licensed and regulated website like ZAVA. This is to make sure the medication you receive is safe and suitable for you.

• You can take Viagra up to 4 hours before you have sex. You need to be sexually excited for Viagra to work.
• Swallow a Viagra tablet whole with a glass of water, but do not take it with grapefruit juice (it interferes with how the medicine works).
• It’s best to take Viagra on an empty stomach or it may take longer to work, or may not work as well.
• For better results, you should avoid drinking alcohol before taking Viagra.
• Do not take Viagra more than once a day.
• It’s important to follow your doctor’s advice on how to take Viagra.

• 50mg: when taking Viagra for the first time, you’ll likely receive the standard starting dose of 50mg.
• 25mg: this dose is good for you if you tried the 50mg first and got the effect you wanted but got side effects as well.
• 100mg: your doctor may suggest this dose if you didn’t get the results you wanted after taking the 50mg, but only if you also didn’t have side effects.

If you don’t get any side effects, stick to the same dose of Viagra up to 8 times before you think about changing your dose or treatment. You should talk to your doctor if you think you need a higher dose of Viagra.

Can I take more than 1 tablet of Viagra if it does not work?

You should never take more than 1 tablet of Viagra a day. If you accidentally take too much Viagra, get medical help right away. Reach out to your doctor if you think you may need a higher dose of Viagra.

How long Viagra lasts can vary from person to person. Viagra usually begins to work between 30 minutes to 1 hour after taking it. But you might find it takes up to 4 hours to have its full effect.

The effects of Viagra can last for up to 5 hours, but you may find the effects will start to wear off 2 to 3 hours after first taking it.

How well and for how long Viagra works can also depend on:

• your age
• diet
• your general health
• whether you’ve had alcohol recently
• how much Viagra you’ve taken
• any other medication you might be using

When you take Viagra, you should not get an erection that lasts for more than 4 hours. If this happens, it may be a sign of priapism (a long lasting painful erection) and you should get medical help right away.

You can take viagra if you're a man who is over 18 and regularly can’t get or keep erections. Viagra might not be right for everyone. You may not be able to take it if you have certain health conditions or take certain other medications.

Do not take Viagra if you have:

• had an allergic reaction to sildenafil (Viagra) or any similar medications in the past
• been taking medications for chest pain, called ‘nitrates’
• any serious heart, kidney, or liver problems
• recently had a stroke or a heart attack
• low blood pressure (hypotension)
• a rare inherited eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa

Check with your doctor before taking Viagra if you have:

• sickle cell anaemia (abnormal shaped red blood cells)
• leukaemia (cancer of blood cells)
• multiple myeloma (cancer of bone marrow)
• an irregular penis shape or Peyronie's disease (a curved penis)
• a heart problem (such as unstable angina)
• a stomach ulcer or a bleeding problem like haemophilia

Always read the patient information leaflet provided in the box before taking Viagra.

You might hear about various ‘female Viagra’ options. At the moment, there’s no licensed medication equivalent to Viagra for use by women. And there’s no proof that herbal or plant-based tablets help women feel more aroused or achieve an orgasm.

Viagra is safe for many men, but you may experience some side effects when you take it. This does not mean you’ll get them, but it’s good to be aware when deciding on what dose of Viagra to take.

Common side effects include:

• headaches
• dizziness
• indigestion
• feeling sick
• heartburn
• runny or stuffy nose
• stomach upset
• muscle or back pain
• hot flushes
• changes in your vision, like blurred vision or colour distortion
• hair loss

Uncommon and rare side effects include:

• chest pains during or after sex (do not use nitrates to treat your chest pain)
• prolonged and sometimes painful erections lasting more than 4 hours (priapism)
• sudden decrease or loss of vision
• seizures
• an allergic reaction with any of the following: tightness in your chest, trouble talking or breathing, red or swollen skin rash, and swelling in your throat, face, lips or mouth

If you have any of these less common side effects, you should stop taking Viagra and get emergency medical help as soon as possible.

You can find full information about the side effects of Viagra on the patient information leaflet inside your Viagra box.

Drinking alcohol before using Viagra can make it harder for you to get an erection. To get the best results, avoid drinking alcohol before taking Viagra.

Avoid taking recreational drugs with Viagra as this can damage your heart, and stop Viagra from working properly.

Viagra can react with some medications and stop them from working properly. You shouldn’t take Viagra if you are taking:

• alpha-blockers (used to treat high blood pressure)
• other erectile dysfunction medications
• protease inhibitors for HIV treatment (e.g ritonavir or indinavir)
• ketoconazole or itraconazole (used to treat fungal infections)
• medicines for the treatment of arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), like quinidine, procainamide, amiodarone, or sotalol
• erythromycin, clarithromycin, or macrolide antibiotics (used to treat bacterial infections)

Viagra is part of a family of medications called PDE-5 inhibitors. The other medications in this family that are like Viagra include:

• Sildenafil (Generic viagra)
• Viagra Connect (Pfizer is the medicines manufacturer of Viagra and the brand name Viagra Connect)
• Cialis
• Cialis Daily
• Tadalafil
• Levitra (vardenafil)
• Spedra

Trying to figure out the best erectile dysfunction medication can be frustrating. There are advantages to each of the different pills available. So which do you try first?

With a trial pack, you can try out all the main medications available, so you know which one works for you. Then you can request it online.

At ZAVA, you can also request Viagra Connect 50mg and unbranded Viagra.

There are also other options that don’t involve you taking any medication. These include:

• counselling or therapy
• vacuum erection devices (penis pumps)
• penile implants

Visit our page for more details on alternatives to Viagra for erectile dysfunction.

What is the difference between unbranded sildenafil tablets and Viagra tablets?

Both tablets contain sildenafil. This is the active ingredient in both unbranded sildenafil tablets and Viagra tablets. Sildenafil is the ingredient that will help give you an erection when you take it.

The main difference between sildenafil and Viagra is the price. You’ll pay more for Viagra tablets than unbranded sildenafil tablets. You typically cannot get branded versions of sildenafil, such as Viagra, on the NHS.

If you would prefer to request unbranded sildenafil tablets, you can also get them through us. Simply fill out a quick questionnaire, and one of our doctors will prescribe the right treatment for you.

What is Viagra Connect?

Viagra Connect works in the same way as Viagra, but it only comes in 50mg tablets. You can get Viagra Connect without a prescription online through ZAVA.

Is it safe to buy Viagra online?

You need to be careful when buying Viagra online, as there are websites that sell fake versions of it. Do not buy Viagra online without speaking to a doctor like ZAVA first.

NHS Choices have a guide on how to buy medicine online. When buying Viagra online in England, the website should be registered with the General Pharmacy Council and the Online Medicine Seller Registry.

Buying Viagra online can be unsafe, so make sure you do so from a legitimate registered pharmacy. ZAVA is a CQC (Care Quality Commission) registered online doctor service. We have UK GMC registered doctors working for us who are legally allowed to prescribe medications online. We offer treatments from all the major medicines manufacturers, including Pfizer®, GSK®, Bayer®, Merck®, Lilly® and Roche®.

Our doctors always follow strict CQC guidelines, meaning that treatment from us will be safe if a doctor has assessed you for it.