Erectile Dysfunction is a common condition that affects 40% of men by the age of 40. There are many medications available that help treat erectile dysfunction; of these, Viagra (or in its generic form sildenafil) is the most widely recognized and used.
Viagra's job is to increase blood flow to the penis, making it easier for you to get and maintain an erection when your sexual appetite is active. In the United States alone, it is a medication used by millions of men and has been proven to be safe and effective.
However, like all medications, Viagra has a high potential for side effects. Most of these effects are minor and temporary (they typically go away after the medication has been in effect for a while), but some side effects can be serious if you use Viagra with other medications.
Below we have outlined a list of common and uncommon side effects from using Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra. We have also outlined information explaining how and why side effects can occur, as well as tips on what you can do to manage them.
Most common side effects of Viagra.
Most common side effects of Viagra.
Viagra can cause a number of side effects. These side effects usually occur at the same time that the medication is active in your system (typically 3 to 4 hours) although in some cases the effects may continue for up to a few hours after the effects of Viagra have completely worn off.
Headaches are the most common side effect of Viagra use, affecting about 25% of men who use the drug. Headaches caused by Viagra are usually mild and typically go away when the drug becomes less concentrated in the bloodstream.
Other ED medications, such as Cialis (tadalafil) and Levitra, are also linked to headaches. All of these medications work to enlarge blood vessels, which helps improve blood flow to the erectile tissue in your penis.
This can also cause the side effect of increasing the size of blood vessels in other areas of your body; as your blood vessels grow, this can cause the headache by pressing on the nerves on the side of your head. As the effect of Viagra weakens in the blood vessels, it is normal for the headache you have acquired from the medication to fade away as well.
Some Viagra users experience muscle aches after using Viagra, this may range from low level muscle pain in specific areas such as the lower back. Muscle pain caused after Viagra use can be treated using over the counter pain medications.
If you experience more frequent muscle pain after using Viagra, be sure to talk to your doctor. Your doctor may recommend a suitable way to relieve the pain or may also suggest using a lower dose of Viagra to treat erectile dysfunction.
Viagra can cause nasal congestion in a partial way, as with most side effects, this is a temporary problem, which usually lasts as long as the medication is in your system, despite this, in some cases nasal congestion could last for a few more hours, until the main effect of Viagra disappears as well.
This side effect is a result of Viagra's effect on the bloodstream; by causing your blood vessels to enlarge, Viagra could contribute to nasal obstruction. This could cause you to be unable to breathe normally through your nostrils.
Studies of Sildenafil Citrate and nasal congestion show that side effects may occur with the 50 mg dose of Viagra. Like other side effects, it is possible that the effect of Viagra that limits your ability to breathe normally may be improved by reducing the dose of the drug.
Some men have reported feeling dizzy after using medications to treat erectile dysfunction, such as Viagra. This is usually due to the increased nitric oxide that Viagra can release.
Most of the time, any dizziness caused by using Viagra is mild and will pass quickly as your body gets used to using the medication.
If you continue to experience dizziness frequently after using Viagra, you should let your doctor know. Like most side effects of using Viagra, dizziness can be controlled by adjusting the dosage of the medication.
Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, causes blood vessels to enlarge, improving blood flow to your penis and making it easier for you to get and maintain an erection.
This can also cause blood vessels in other areas of your body to enlarge as well; when the blood vessels in your face enlarge, this causes your face to take on a flushed appearance; some men who used Viagra noticed this effect around the nose, cheeks, and forehead.
Like the headache, facial flushing goes away as the effect of the medication wears off in your system. If you are prone to facial flushing from Viagra, using a lower dose of Viagra may lessen this side effect.
Facial flushing is a side effect of using erectile dysfunction treatments, this means that switching to another medication such as Cialis or Levitra may NOT prevent the flushing from occurring as well.
- Indigestion or Upset Stomach
Indigestion or upset stomach is a common side effect of using Viagra; this occurs because the effect of Viagra is to soften the muscle tissue in the penis.
After taking Viagra, the smooth muscle tissue in the penis begins to relax, allowing high levels of blood to flow into the penis.
This effect also causes other muscle tissues in other areas of your body to relax as well, including the lower esophageal sphincter. This can cause small amounts of stomach acid to enter the esophagus.
Stomach upset caused by Viagra use can be treated using over-the-counter antacids such as Gaviscon, which create a protective layer in the stomach.
If you experience a mild level of stomach upset caused by Viagra, drinking plenty of water may help prevent the upset.
If you continue to experience indigestion and upset stomach frequently, you should talk to your doctor to discuss possible changes to your medication dosage to a lower dose.
It is also very important not to consume alcoholic beverages at the same time as taking Viagra; alcohol consumption can increase the relaxation of the esophagus and thus increase stomach symptoms and discomfort.
Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, can cause a small percentage of users to experience nausea immediately after using Viagra, this is one of the rarer side effects, in a 4-year study, only 1 of 979 participants reported nausea as a side effect.
Nausea caused by Sildenafil is generally mild, and like the other side effects, nausea disappears after the effect of Viagra in your system ends.
If you have recurrences of nausea after taking Viagra, consider talking to your doctor about taking a lower dose of the medication.
Viagra is linked to several visual disturbances, including blurred vision, increased brightness of light, and cynophilia, a form of chronotopsia, which causes vision to become excessively blue.
Studies establish that these effects are mild and transient, when vision problems occur, typically the pain in Sildenafil on viagra is at its highest concentration in your system. Long-term studies of viagra, do not show any vision side effects that are permanent.
Viagra is a vasodilator, which can affect blood pressure. On average, a person's blood pressure drops by up to 8.⅘.5 mmHg, (a measure of blood pressure) after taking a typical dose of Viagra. This reduction is mild and does not negatively affect your blood pressure.
In short, if you are healthy and do not suffer from any blood pressure problems, Viagra may affect your blood pressure, but not in a significant or dangerous way.
If you suffer from cardiovascular disease or hypertension, Viagra could cause a side effect on your blood pressure and your overall health.
It is important to talk to your doctor before considering taking Viagra, especially if you are using medications to treat cardiovascular problems.
Side effects that are less common and more serious from using viagra
Although serious side effects from using Viagra are rare, they can still happen, Viagra has several rare effects that can occur when mixed with medications to treat hypertension, a small risk of Pyarism.
Priapism is a serious condition in which you may experience a very painful and persistent erection that may last for several hours even without sexual stimulation; this may lead to permanent damage to the erectile tissue of the penis.
Priapism, compared to other side effects, is very rare. Most cases of priapism related to Viagra use involve people who have taken a long-term overdose of the drug (in case of 200 mg at a time); as well as a man who uses Sildenafil in combination with penile injection therapies.
In 2007, only 93 cases of this side effect were reported from the use of Viagra and other medications for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Considering that millions of men in the United States alone use Viagra without experiencing any problems, we can safely say that priapism is not a common side effect. If you experience priapism after using Viagra or any other ED medication, you should seek medical help immediately.
Priapism is a medical emergency condition that needs to be treated by a qualified professional in order to avoid permanent damage to the tissues of the penis.
Although it is extremely rare for the use of erectile dysfunction treatments such as Viagra to be linked to causing damage to the optic nerve (optic neuropathy), a very small percentage of users have experienced this.
Ischemic optic neuropathy, can cause vision loss as a result of insufficient blood supply to the optic nerve, in some cases it can cause loss of the upper or lower visual field (loss of half the visual field)
In a 2006 review of clinical trial data, researchers found that only 2.8% of 100,000 patient years of Viagra use reported cases of optic neuropathy, making this effect extremely rare to occur as a side effect.
It is worth explaining that the most serious cases of optic nerve damage associated with Viagra use that have been reported in the United States involve men who were already at risk of vision complications due to a small proportion that is associated with this condition.
Viagra and other medications used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) are linked to some cases of hearing loss; some cases occur within 24 hours after using the medication.
An extremely low percentage of men who have used Viagra have experienced a condition called sudden hearing loss, which involves damage to the inner ear, causing permanent hearing loss.
Although research does not confirm why this happens, it is believed to be linked to the effect of Viagra and cyclic nitrate oxide (non-GMP/cGMP), men affected by this side effect were an average age of 56.6 years, and 88% lost hearing in only one ear.
As well as vision problems caused by Viagra use, they are extremely rare; an NHS Guide points out that there have been only 47 cases of hearing loss linked to Viagra, since the introduction of the drug in the late 1990s until 2011, the year the guide was introduced.
Interaction of Viagra with other medications to treat blood pressure.
Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, may interact with some medications used to treat high blood pressure. These medications used together may cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, which can lead to serious health problems.
You should not use Viagra if you are also using nitrates, such as nitroglycerin, isosorbide dinitrate, mononitrate, or amyl nitrate, to treat hypertension.
Viagra should not be taken as a “popper” which often contains ingredients such as amyl nitrates; these drugs have the potential to interact with Viagra and cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, which could make you lose consciousness or cause heart problems, in addition these side effects could occur if Viagra, Cialis or Levitra are combined with nitrates.
If you suffer from any cardiovascular problems, such as high blood pressure or heart problems, you should tell your doctor about these problems and any medications you use to treat them, before discussing the use of Viagra or any other medication to treat ED.
Learn more about viagra and erectile dysfunction.
Overall, Viagra is a safe and effective medication, and is regularly used by millions of men in the United States alone, as well as by tens of millions around the world; while some side effects such as facial flushing and headaches are common, serious side effects are extremely rare.
Are you considering viagra to treat erectile dysfunction ED?
Our guide to Common Medications for Treating Erectile Dysfunction explains in more detail the use of Viagra and other medications to treat erectile dysfunction problems.
This article is for informational purposes only; and does not
This is medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be used as professional medical advice. Always discuss the risks and benefits of any treatment with your doctor.
