Today, Viagra (sildenafil) is the most popular drug for increasing potency in men, despite the fact that more than 20 years have passed since its release, and now there are cheaper analogues of this medicine on the market. The popularity of Viagra is due to its action – just 1 tablet may improve the quality of an erection and also prolong sexual intercourse. However, despite the obvious positive effect, Viagra, like all medications, has contraindications for use and can also provoke side effects.
Common Viagra side effects
The most common Viagra side effect is a minor headache. In addition, there is another common adverse reaction – face flushing and shortness of breath. However, these unpleasant symptoms are short-term so the man recovers quickly enough.
The negative effects of Viagra may be caused by a drug overdose. The following systems may suffer:
- Cardiovascular – tachycardia, ischemia, arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, low blood pressure, heart failure;
- Immune – allergic reactions: skin rashes, itching;
- Respiratory – rhinitis, nasal congestion, cough, sinusitis, laryngitis, dry nose;
- Hematopoietic – causes leukopenia, anemia (in rare cases);
- Hearing aid – noise, earache, hearing loss;
- Organs of vision – a violation of color perception, blurred vision, conjunctivitis, photophobia, cataracts, eyelid edema;
- Digestive – nausea, vomiting, colitis, abdominal pain, dry mouth;
- Genitourinary – violation of ejaculation, cystitis, uncontrolled urination, swelling of the genitals, lack of orgasm (anorgasmia);
- Nervous – headaches, migraines, dizziness, tremors, drowsiness, or vice versa, insomnia, neuralgia, hypertonicity;
- Musculoskeletal – pain in the limbs and back.
Such side effects after using Viagra usually occur due to an excess of sildenafil in the body (in other words, with an overdose) or in the presence of concomitant diseases.
Important! The tendency to thrombosis is a dangerous factor in which the use of Viagra is contraindicated (sildenafil increases blood flow, respectively, the risk of thrombosis of important bloodstreams increases, and this can lead to death).
Viagra’s effects on a healthy body
For men who do not suffer from erectile disorders, there is simply no point in taking stimulant drugs – they will not achieve any supernatural results. If the potency is normal, it will not get better, the only thing sildenafil can affect is the duration of sexual intercourse and the frequency of repeated erections.
But there is another situation – when a healthy man’s erection has become unstable due to fatigue or stress – a stimulant drug will help in this case, but you should not abuse it.
Important! Do not use ED drugs unless absolutely necessary. If you have a short-term deterioration of erection, ED medication can be replaced with dietary supplements, which have a more gentle effect on the body.
How to get rid of viagra side effects
If a headache occurs or blood pressure drops insignificantly, then you do not need any treatment. These side effects usually pass after 3-4 hours. But if the following complications occur, you need to dial 911 or your local emergency number immediately:
- heartache;
- your pulse increased to 100 beats per minute;
- a rapid jump in blood pressure;
- acute pain in the stomach;
- blood in the urine;
- bleeding from the penis;
- you lost consciousness.
If Viagra is difficult to tolerate, then you should make an appointment with your doctor. The specialist will examine you, prescribe tests and select a new drug.
Note: For men over 50 years, it is recommended to undergo a medical examination before using ED drugs in order and exclude heart diseases.
To prevent side effects, start with the smallest dose of sildenafil. If you feel unwell, it is better to consult a doctor for advice.
Dangers of Viagra – myth or reality?
Some people believe that Viagra may not only cause side effects but also an addiction:
- A man gets addicted and he needs a “magic” blue pill before each sexual intercourse – this is a purely psychological factor. By regularly using Viagra, even healthy men are confident that good potency is the merit of stimulants, so he takes blue pills over and over again;
- In other men, on the contrary, there is no effect, that is, the body stops responding to stimulants. Theoretically, this can happen, but there is no direct evidence. With regular use of sildenafil, the excretion of the drug may be disrupted, it will accumulate in the blood and, in the end, the body will begin to fight. Against this background, the effectiveness of the drug may decrease after each subsequent dose. The man begins to increase the dosage, and at some point Viagra stops working.
Of course, both theories take place. Scientists agree on psychological dependence, then the opinions about physiological addiction differ.
Another opinion is that uncontrolled intake of Viagra causes priapism. Priapism is a prolonged erection that does not pass even after ejaculation. Such a disease does exist but it develops for completely different reasons not related to sexual arousal. Viagra can cause priapism, but only if the man has concomitant pathologies for this.
In fact, the drug does not pose a potential threat, the main thing is to take into account the existing contraindications, as well as observe the permissible dosage. The correct use of the drug will help a man get rid of many complexes associated with erectile disorders.
Important things to remember when using Viagra
- Take medication only when you really need it. You must know what medicine and for what disease you are taking. There are ED drugs that can be taken daily, while others are only for a short time. Very often, patients take medications without a doctor’s prescription, on the advice of relatives or friends.
- Remember that drugs have strict indications for use. They may help with one disease and be useless for another, or even dangerous. Do not advise your relatives or friends the medicines that you are taking, they may be contraindicated or dangerous to their health.
- Ask your doctor for the name of the medicine he recommends. If the pharmacy offers you another medicine, you can ask the pharmacist if it matches the one prescribed by your doctor. There are a lot of generics of Viagra (cheaper drugs with the same active ingredient). When buying medicines, carefully look at the packaging, make sure that it looks the same as the one you have taken before. If the packaging looks different, check with the pharmacy worker.
- Carefully read the information on the packaging of medicines and in the instructions on the leaflets. Please read this package leaflet carefully before you start taking your medicines. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Be very careful if you need to take the medicine at night. Never throw away the packaging of the drug! The package contains the batch and series numbers of the medicine, its expiration date, and the manufacturer. If a medicine has caused you an adverse reaction, turned out to be substandard or counterfeit, this information will help determine the cause and prevent other people from taking this medicine. Never throw away the instructions for using Viagra (sildenafil) until the moment you take it!
- Keep your medicines out of the reach of children or pets. Medicines must be stored in a special box that can be locked. Many medicines are brightly colored – children may mistake them for candy. After taking the medicine, immediately remove the packaging so that children or animals cannot find them.
- Always check the expiration date on the medicine’s packaging. Remember that you should not take medicines that have expired! This is very dangerous because the drug may change its properties, cause side effects or threaten your life. Never dispose of expired medicines in general waste collection places!
- Make a list of medications you are taking for treatment or prevention. List all prescription drugs and OTC products that you bought at the pharmacy (including vitamins, dietary supplements and herbs). Note which medications you take constantly and which ones from time to time. This list will help your doctor or pharmacist select the right treatment for you. You should have a copy of such a list at home. In an emergency, or if you develop a side effect, the list will help you figure out what drugs you are taking and what might be causing it, and help prevent it in the future. You can put all your medications in a bag and take them to your doctor to check if you are taking them correctly and if you need all of them.
- If you do not feel better after taking Viagra, or if you feel worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible. If the side effect is not serious, your doctor may recommend that you continue taking the drug or change your dose. If the reaction will have serious consequences for your health, you may need to cancel the drug and start another treatment.