Since its approval for prescription use in 1998 this blue colored diamond pill has captured the public imagination in a way that not even the scientists who won a Nobel Prize for research into sildenafil (active ingredient of Viagra) would have conceived. This ubiquitous blue diamond pill has pervaded popular culture as well as science.
Viagra is the brand name for a drug called Sildenafil. This drug is one of a class of drugs called PDE-5( phosphodiesterase type 5) inhibitors. There are other drugs in this class Cialis (tadalafil) and Levitra (Vardenafil).
Viagra works by increasing the blood flow to the penis. When a man is sexually aroused, his brain sends signals which relax the smooth muscle cells and cause the arteries in the penis to fill more easily with blood. More specifically increased levels of a substance called cGMP(cyclic guanosine monophosphate) facilitates the penile tissue filling with blood. Thus erection is achieved when the erectile tissues fills with blood. In erectile dysfunction there is a problem with levels of cGMP which Viagra addresses. It helps to maintain the levels of cGMP which is important in the process of getting and maintaining an erection.
Viagra will not make you sexually aroused. It only works when signals are sent from the brain to cause the erection. In order for those signals to be sent in the first place the man has to be sexually aroused. So Viagra should only work if the main cause of the erectile dysfunction is physiological. However there has been evidence that Viagra can break the cycle of anxiety in men who suffer from impotence – being able to achieve and maintain an erection on one occasion may give them the confidence and belief that they can do it subsequently.
Viagra dosage: from 25mg to 100mg
Viagra is available in dosages of 25, 50 and 100 mg. The various dosages are there because some people may have underlying health conditions that the GP may want to monitor – so starting out on a small dose may help to see if there are side effects.
Generally it takes from 30 minutes to 1 hour for the drug to work. It will be quicker on an empty stomach and longer after a meal (especially one high in fat – French fries etc.) Viagra is effective for up to six hours.
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People with serious health conditions should not be taking Viagra. Serious health conditions such as heart disease, liver or kidney problems, recovering from a heart attack or stroke, stomach ulcers and high or low blood pressure. Viagra should not be taken if on nitrate medication such as when on angina medication. Nitrate medication includes recreational usage such as poppers. People taking medication like alpha blockers should also not be taking Viagra.
Possible side effects
Side-effects commonly reported include headaches, flushing, dizziness, indigestion and impaired vision.
It is known more colloquially as ‘vitamin-v’, ‘the blue pill’ or ‘the blue diamond’. Unprescribed use of Sildenafil has exceeded prescription use if Dutch studies are accurate. Indeed because of its popularity there is a huge market of fake Viagra that exists online and it is very easy for men looking for the ‘real’ Viagra to fall into the trap of ordering the fake one.
Its intended market or people who would actually benefit from this drug is also not as one expects. Studies have shown that half of men over 40 suffer from some kind of penile dysfunction. But because of Viagra’s connotations with sexual erection a lot of young adults take the drug in the belief that it will further enhance their sexual experience – becoming more sexually aroused or staying harder for longer.
However there is a serious side to this ‘wonder’ drug. Although we are familiar with its treatment in erectile dysfunction. Studies on plants have shown that the active ingredient in Viagra can maintain firmness and ripeness in some plants and fruit. Sildenafil is also used in treating heart disease, depression and altitude sickness.
I am self employed. General Practitioner in Melbourne, VIC. My special interest: male reproductive system.