Although your doctor is the best source for answering your specific questions about erectile dysfunction (ED) and treatment with VIAGRA, you can find answers to common questions here.
To see questions, click on the topics below.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT VIAGRAtop
VIAGRA is a prescription medicine used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). You will not get an erection just by taking this medicine. VIAGRA helps a man with ED get and keep an erection only when he is sexually stimulated.
VIAGRA is not for use in women or children.
It is not known if VIAGRA is safe and effective in women or children under 18 years of age.
VIAGRA can cause your blood pressure to drop suddenly to an unsafe level if it is taken with certain other medicines.
Do not take VIAGRA if you take any other medicines called "nitrates." Nitrates are used to treat chest pain (angina). A sudden drop in blood pressure can cause you to feel dizzy, faint, or have a heart attack or stroke. Do not take VIAGRA if you take medicines called guanylate cyclase stimulators which include:
- Riociguat (Adempas®), a medicine that treats pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic-thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
Tell all your healthcare providers that you take VIAGRA. If you need emergency medical care for a heart problem, it will be important for your healthcare provider to know when you last took VIAGRA.
Stop sexual activity and get medical help right away if you get symptoms such as chest pain, dizziness, or nausea during sex.
Sexual activity can put an extra strain on your heart, especially if your heart is already weak from a heart attack or heart disease. Ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough to handle the extra strain of having sex.
VIAGRA does not protect you or your partner from getting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV—the virus that causes AIDS.
VIAGRA works for men with ED by increasing blood flow to the penis so you can get and keep an erection hard enough for sex.* VIAGRA only works when you are sexually stimulated. It has been proven to help guys with various degrees of ED. VIAGRA usually starts to work within 30-60 minutes. And you only take it when you need it.
*Individual results may vary.
VIAGRA usually starts to work within 30-60 minutes. And you only take it when you need it. VIAGRA can be taken with or without food. If you take VIAGRA after a high-fat meal (such as a cheeseburger and french fries), it may take a little longer to start working.
If you’ve tried VIAGRA and you’re still not getting results, ask your doctor to see if adjusting your dose might help. Remember, VIAGRA should not be taken more than one time a day. VIAGRA may not be right for every man.
ABOUT COUNTERFEIT VIAGRAtop
VIAGRA is one of the most counterfeited drugs in the world. Counterfeit medicine is fake medicine. It may be contaminated or contain the wrong or no active ingredient. They could have the right active ingredient but at the wrong dose. Counterfeit drugs are illegal and may be harmful to your health. Many consumers may not know that the medicines they've purchased are counterfeits.
What we found in counterfeit VIAGRA:
- Blue printer ink
- Amphetamines, also known as “speed”
- Metronidazole, a powerful antibiotic that could cause an allergic reaction, diarrhea, or vomiting
- Too much active ingredient (or not enough), which may cause you harm
- Binding agents, such as drywall, that prevent the tablet from breaking down in your system
The primary danger in taking a counterfeit medicine is that you are putting something into your body that not only may not help your current condition, but more alarmingly could result in harmful effects to your overall health.
No. There are lots of treatments that claim to be “herbal VIAGRA.” They can be found online or even at some drugstores. But there’s no such thing as “herbal VIAGRA.”
The FDA has never approved any form of “herbal VIAGRA” as a treatment for erectile dysfunction. Plus, these treatments can be fake or unsafe. Many have been recalled.
You can only get VIAGRA by prescription from your doctor or healthcare provider.
HOW TO GET BRAND-NAME VIAGRAtop
Your prescription may have been filled with a generic version instead of brand-name VIAGRA. Follow the steps below to help ensure you receive the brand name your doctor prescribed and, if eligible, save on your prescription.
- Ask Your Doctor.
Ask your doctor to prescribe brand-name VIAGRA and to indicate “DAW” (Dispense As Written), if appropriate, on all of your VIAGRA prescriptions.*
*Language and requirements may vary based on your state's law. - Get a Savings Card.
Sign up for a Savings Card and, if eligible, you may save 50% on up to 12 prescriptions of brand-name VIAGRA per year.*
*Terms and conditions apply. - Check Your Pills.
Check Your Pills to be sure they're brand-name VIAGRA—not the generic. If you think your brand-name prescription has been filled with a generic, talk to your pharmacist.
Talk to your doctor and/or your pharmacist to ask if you should be getting brand-name VIAGRA.
Check your pills for the distinctive shape and markings of brand-name VIAGRA.
SAVING ON VIAGRAtop
The VIAGRA Savings Card allows eligible patients to save 50% on up to 12 prescriptions of brand-name VIAGRA—and could save up to $4,200 a year. If you have a prescription for brand-name VIAGRA, you can use the card for every fill while this program remains in effect.*
There are 2 ways to use the card immediately. Once you’ve requested your Savings Card, you can either:
- Bring a printed copy of it to the pharmacy
- Show it to your pharmacist on your phone
You can keep this card with you and continue to save on each fill while this program remains in effect.*
To be eligible to use a VIAGRA Savings Card:
- You do not have insurance from any Federal Healthcare Program (including Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, or any other state or federal medical pharmaceutical benefit program or pharmaceutical assistance program)
- You and your spouse/partner are both not over age 65 and retired
- You do not receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or any other Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits
- Neither you, your spouse nor your parents are on active military duty and if so, you are not covered by their military health insurance
- You agree to the Terms and Conditions
- You are over the age of 18
To learn the full details of who is eligible, please see the full Terms and Conditions.
To get a Savings Card, register here and then download your card or have it sent to you via email or text.
The VIAGRA Savings Card can only be used for new prescriptions that are filled after you have activated the card.
Yes, for reimbursement when using a nonparticipating pharmacy: Pay for your VIAGRA prescription, and mail a copy of the original pharmacy receipt (cash register receipt NOT valid) with product name, date, and amount circled to: VIAGRA Savings Card, 2250 Perimeter Park Drive, Suite 300, Morrisville, NC 27560. Be sure to include a copy of the front of your Savings Card, your name, and mailing address.
Yes, for reimbursement when using the VIAGRA Savings Card through a mail-order pharmacy: Pay for your VIAGRA prescription, and mail a copy of the original pharmacy receipt (cash register receipt NOT valid) with product name, date, and amount circled to: VIAGRA Savings Card, 2250 Perimeter Park Drive, Suite 300, Morrisville, NC 27560. Be sure to include a copy of the front of your VIAGRA Savings Card, your name, and mailing address.
TAKING VIAGRAtopBefore you take VIAGRA, tell your healthcare provider if you:
Your healthcare provider will tell you how much VIAGRA to take and when to take it. Do not take VIAGRA more than once a day. VIAGRA usually starts to work within 30-60 minutes. You may take it up to 4 hours before sexual activity.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. VIAGRA may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect the way VIAGRA works, causing side effects.
Before you take VIAGRA, tell your healthcare provider if you:
- have or have had heart problems such as a heart attack, irregular heartbeat, angina, chest pain, narrowing of the aortic valve or heart failure
- have had heart surgery within the last 6 months
- have pulmonary hypertension
- have had a stroke
- have low blood pressure, or high blood pressure that is not controlled
- have a deformed penis shape
- have had an erection that lasted for more than 4 hours
- have problems with your blood cells such as sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma, or leukemia
- have retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic (runs in families) eye disease
- have ever had severe vision loss, including an eye problem called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION)
- have bleeding problems
- have or have had stomach ulcers
- have liver problems
- have kidney problems or are having kidney dialysis
- have any other medical conditions
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. VIAGRA may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect the way VIAGRA works, causing side effects. Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take any of the following:
- medicines called nitrates (see "What is the most important information I should know about VIAGRA?")
- medicines called guanylate cyclase stimulators, such as riociguat (Adempas)
- medicines called alpha-blockers such as Hytrin (terazosin HCl), Flomax (tamsulosin HCl), Cardura (doxazosin mesylate), Minipress (prazosin HCl), Uroxatral (alfuzosin HCl), Jalyn (dutasteride and tamsulosin HCl), or Rapaflo (silodosin). Alpha-blockers are sometimes prescribed for prostate problems or high blood pressure. In some patients, the use of VIAGRA with alpha-blockers can lead to a drop in blood pressure or to fainting.
- medicines called HIV protease inhibitors, such as ritonavir (Norvir), indinavir sulfate (Crixivan), saquinavir (Fortovase or Invirase) or atazanavir sulfate (Reyataz)
- some types of oral antifungal medicines, such as ketoconazole (Nizoral) and itraconazole (Sporanox)
- some types of antibiotics, such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), telithromycin (Ketek), or erythromycin
- other medicines that treat high blood pressure
- other medicines or treatments for ED
- VIAGRA contains sildenafil, which is the same medicine found in another drug called REVATIO. REVATIO is used to treat a rare disease called pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). VIAGRA should not be used with REVATIO or with other PAH treatments containing sildenafil or any other PDE5 inhibitors (such as Adcirca [tadalafil]).
Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of these medicines, if you are not sure.
Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.
- Take VIAGRA exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it.
- Your healthcare provider will tell you how much VIAGRA to take and when to take it.
- Your healthcare provider may change your dose if needed.
- Take VIAGRA about 1 hour before sexual activity. You may take VIAGRA between 30 minutes to 4 hours before sexual activity if needed.
- VIAGRA can be taken with or without food. If you take VIAGRA after a high-fat meal (such as a cheeseburger and french fries), VIAGRA may take a little longer to start working.
- Do not take VIAGRA more than 1 time a day.
- If you accidentally take too much VIAGRA, call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.
SAFETY & POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTStop
VIAGRA can cause your blood pressure to drop suddenly to an unsafe level if it is taken with certain other medicines. Do not take VIAGRA if you take any other medicines called "nitrates." Nitrates are used to treat chest pain (angina). A sudden drop in blood pressure can cause you to feel dizzy, faint, or have a heart attack or stroke.
Do not take VIAGRA if you take medicines called guanylate cyclase stimulators which include:
Riociguat (Adempas®), a medicine that treats pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic-thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
Tell all your healthcare providers that you take VIAGRA. If you need emergency medical care for a heart problem, it will be important for your healthcare provider to know when you last took VIAGRA.
Stop sexual activity and get medical help right away if you get symptoms such as chest pain, dizziness, or nausea during sex.
Sexual activity can put an extra strain on your heart, especially if your heart is already weak from a heart attack or heart disease. Ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough to handle the extra strain of having sex.
VIAGRA does not protect you or your partner from getting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV—the virus that causes AIDS.
VIAGRA can cause serious side effects. Rarely reported side effects include:
- an erection that will not go away (priapism). If you have an erection that lasts more than 4 hours, get medical help right away. If it is not treated right away, priapism can permanently damage your penis
- sudden vision loss in one or both eyes. Sudden vision loss in one or both eyes can be a sign of a serious eye problem called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Stop taking VIAGRA and call your healthcare provider right away if you have sudden vision loss in one or both eyes
- sudden hearing decrease or hearing loss. Some people may also have ringing in their ears (tinnitus) or dizziness. If you have these symptoms, stop taking VIAGRA and contact a doctor right away
The most common side effects of VIAGRA are headache; flushing; upset stomach; abnormal vision, such as changes in color vision (such as having a blue color tinge) and blurred vision; stuffy or runny nose; back pain; muscle pain; nausea; dizziness; rash.
In addition, heart attack, stroke, irregular heartbeat, and death have happened rarely in men taking VIAGRA. Most, but not all, of these men had heart problems before taking VIAGRA. It is not known if VIAGRA caused these problems.
Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.
These are not all the possible side effects of VIAGRA. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Do not take VIAGRA if you:
- take medicines called nitrates (such as nitroglycerin)
- use street drugs called "poppers" such as amyl nitrate or amyl nitrite and butyl nitrate
- take any medicines called guanylate cyclase stimulators such as riociguat (Adempas)
- are allergic to sildenafil, as contained in VIAGRA and REVATIO, or any of the ingredients in VIAGRA
ABOUT ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION (ED)top
ED is the medical term for difficulties getting and keeping an erection. ED happens when not enough blood flows to the penis, preventing an erection. It is a sexual health problem that affects about 30 million men in the U.S. Please ask your doctor or healthcare provider to get more information about your specific symptoms.
ED is often caused by something physical, such as a disease, injury, or side effects from other drugs.
Medical conditions that can cause ED:
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Obesity
- Prostate cancer treatment
- Spinal cord injury
Medications that can cause ED:
In some men, ED is a side effect of some medications. These medications might include drugs used to treat:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Depression
Yes. lifestyle choices can contribute to ED. Smoking, heavy drinking, and drug use disorder can damage the blood vessels and reduce blood flow to your penis. Being overweight and getting too little exercise also raise your odds.
You can talk with your regular doctor. Or you can talk to a specialist, like a urologist. Either one can prescribe VIAGRA if they decide it’s right for you.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION AND INDICATION
