Lack of performance in bed can be a downer to most men. It greatly affects their confidence and self esteem. It is for this reason that most men prefer to seek medical alternatives in order to deal with this condition. Most of us must have heard of Viagra. It is for a good reason that Viagra was able to cause such a buzz in the market when first introduced because so far, it has been the most successful medicine in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
But what is viagra? Viagra is a blue film coated diamond shaped tablet that has been manufactured to particularly treat erectile dysfunction. The active principle ingredient is sildenafil citrate and it is mainly administered orally.It acts by relaxing muscles and also causes vaso dilation of blood vessels. Its main target organ is the penis and the result will be an increase of blood flow. This eventually causes an erection during sexual stimulation.
Viagra happens to be a prescription only medicine because there is need to control it unlike over the counter drugs. You should make sure that you take it exactly as instructed by your doctor or pharmacist in order to avoid any side effects. The prescription label contains all the information you might need about this drug. Be sure to follow all the directions on the label and if you do not quite understand then you should ask for help. Under no circumstance should you take the medicine in larger or smaller amounts than recommended.
Normally, viagra is taken when needed about thirty minutes to an hour before intimacy. It is recommended that you take the tablet on an empty stomach because it will be absorbed faster. Extremely fatty meals particularly cause delays in absorption of the drug and it may take longer for the drug to start working. You do not want to embarrass yourself during sex so this point cannot be overemphasized.
Most probably your doctor should be able to clearly explain how much you should take and when. Nonetheless lets discuss the dosage of this drug. The tablets come in different strengths. The three main flavors are 25mg, 50mg and 100 mg. If you are a new patient and you have never used this medication before, then you should take the 50 mg tablet. However, if you have used this medication before more than two times and did not achieve the desired effects yet you experienced no side effects, you are allowed to step up and take the 100 mg tablet. There are those who after taking the 50 mg tablet experiencing the adverse reactions of the drug, for such patients they should start taking the 25 mg tablets. Always remember that you should never take this drug more than once daily.
Similar to other drugs, Viagra also produces some side effects. These are inclusive of:
a. Allergic reaction to sildenafil is the most common adverse reaction presented by this drug. It is characterized by difficulty in breathing and swelling of the face, lips and tongue.
b. An erection produced as a result of taking Viagra can be extremely painful and last as long as four hours. When this happens, contact your doctor immediately!
c. Other serious side effects could include vision disturbances, ringing of the ears, chest pain shortness of breath and dizziness.
d. Most people also experience warmth and redness of the face, nausea, diarrhea, headache and an upset stomach.
I am self employed. General Practitioner in Melbourne, VIC. My special interest: male reproductive system.