Sildenafil

Sildenafil works by helping the blood vessels in your penis to relax and open up. This allows blood to flow into the penis when you become sexually aroused, resulting in a harder and longer-lasting erection exactly when you need it.

Taking sildenafil won’t result in an instantaneous erection. In most cases, sildenafil starts working an hour after you take it and its effects last for around four hours. This means there’s a window of about four hours in which your erection should feel harder and last longer than before, and in which you can plan to have sex.

Sildenafil does not alter your libido or sexual desire — you will still need to be sexually aroused for it to take effect.

If you’re thinking about having sex after dinner, a word of note: having a large meal at the same time as taking sildenafil could delay the effects by about an hour.

Sildenafil is a “generic” medicine. A generic medicine is one that has been created to be the same as an already marketed brand-name medicine in terms of dosage, safety, strength, quality, how well it performs, how it’s administered in the body, and what it’s used for.

The process of branding a medicine costs pharmaceutical companies a lot of money, and this cost is often passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. Generic medicines, on the other hand, are unbranded - which means these costs do not get passed on to the consumer.

Therefore, generic medicines are almost always cheaper than their branded counterparts (even though they contain the same active ingredients and work in the same way).

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The results of a study looking at men using sildenafil over the course of four years suggest that it’s safe and effective when used over a prolonged period of time.

In general, if you find yourself taking sildenafil for an extended period of time, it’s worth looking at the underlying causes with the help of your doctor. There’s also plenty of information on the possible root causes of ED in our Book of Erections.

Sildenafil’s effects last for up to four hours, meaning that once you take it, there’s a four-hour window in which you can expect to experience stronger erections.

To get the most out of sildenafil it’s best to take it an hour before sex (as it takes about an hour to kick in). When it does, you can expect to experience stronger and firmer erections.

For most people, a window of four hours is enough to enjoy satisfactory sex. However, if you’d prefer an ED treatment that gives you more flexibility, tadalafil and Tadalafil Daily last significantly longer (tadalafil lasts for 36 hours and Tadalafil Daily lasts continually).

Drinking alcohol causes a drop in blood pressure, which can make it even more difficult to get or maintain an erection when you have ED. It can also worsen some of the potential side effects of ED medication, such as headaches, dizziness and feeling faint.

The recommended starting dose for sildenafil is 50mg taken no more than once per day, on the days you intend to have sex. However, depending on your response, you might want to speak to a clinician about increasing your dose to 100mg.

If you're finding it hard to coordinate taking sildenafil around your sexual activity, or if spontaneity is important to you, tadalafil (another type of ED treatment) may be a better alternative. It works similarly to sildenafil, but it starts working within 30 minutes and its effects last up to 36 hours.

There are many types of erectile dysfunction medicine, however three of the most popular treatments are sildenafil, tadalafil, and Tadalafil Daily.

These ED treatments are many people’s go-to medication when they have erection problems because they are clinically proven to relieve the symptoms of erectile dysfunction.

As they are all effective in treating ED, many people make their choice based on which of the three ED tablets is most convenient for their lifestyle:

• Sildenafil lasts for up to 4 hours, making it ideal for those who have sex every now and then.
• Tadalafil lasts for up to 36 hours and is a convenient option for those who have sex more spontaneously.
• Tadalafil Daily’s effects are continuous, because it keeps your body topped up with a small but steady supply of tadalafil every day. Therefore, those who have sex frequently (such as those in long-term relationships) are likely to find it particularly convenient as it removes the need to take a tablet directly before sex.

Ultimately, the ED treatment you choose will depend on lifestyle factors such as how often you have sex and how often you’d like to take an ED tablet. It will also depend on the price of the treatment, which is why our ED medications are priced affordably to make it easier to find the perfect treatment for you.

While there is research to suggest that certain diets can help to improve cardiovascular health (which is linked to erectile function), there are no scientifically proven home remedies for erectile dysfunction.

However, sildenafil (and other erectile dysfunction treatments such as tadalafil and Tadalafil Daily) has been clinically proven to reduce the symptoms of ED in men. There is plenty of evidence supporting sildenafil’s ability to help men achieve stronger erections, which is why it’s the first choice for many men when they need help with ED.

Although erectile dysfunction tablets are effective, they shouldn’t be seen as the be-all and end-all when it comes to treating ED. Erectile Dysfunction can be caused by numerous underlying psychological or physical conditions, so it’s best to identify the root cause of your ED and make healthy lifestyle changes that help to reduce (and prevent) symptoms

Recommended lifestyle habits to adopt include:

• Eating a healthy, balanced diet. Consuming plenty of fruit and veg, and avoiding refined carbs such as bread and sugar can help to keep the body functioning as it should.
• Quitting smoking (if you smoke). Smoking is linked to erectile dysfunction, so quitting smoking is highly recommended. If you find it difficult to quit, take a look at our Quit Smoking Programme as it offers all the support you need to kick the habit.
• Exercising regularly. Research has shown that 160 minutes of exercise a week for 6 months “contributes to decreasing erectile problems” in men experiencing ED due to physical inactivity, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

Sildenafil safety information

The following safety information is intended to help you take sildenafil as safely and effectively as possible. Please read it before taking sildenafil to ensure it is safe for you to take.

How sildenafil works

Sildenafil works by helping to relax and open up the blood vessels in your penis, allowing for increased blood flow. This means that when you are sexually aroused, you can achieve a harder and longer-lasting erection.

If you’re interested in understanding the science behind erections and how sildenafil works in more detail, check out our Book of Erections, which has everything you need to know about erections and more.

Don’t take sildenafil if:

• You have had an allergic reaction to sildenafil or any similar medications in the past.
• You have low blood pressure.
• You are taking medications that contain nitrates (usually for chest pain).
• You are using amyl nitrites (“poppers”).
• You have recently had a heart attack or a stroke.
• You have a serious heart or liver condition.
• You have a history of non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION).
• You have an inherited condition affecting your retinas, such as retinitis pigmentosa.

Sildenafil may not be suitable for you if you:

• Have a deformity of your penis, such as Peyronie’s disease.
• Have stomach ulcers.
• Have a bleeding disorder, such as haemophilia.
• Have a heart condition, including left ventricular outflow obstruction.
• Have sickle cell anaemia, leukaemia or multiple myeloma.

Sildenafil should only be used by men over the age of 18 who have erectile dysfunction. It should not be used with other treatments for erectile dysfunction. If you aren’t sure whether you have any of the conditions listed above, please consult your doctor.

What to expect

Taking sildenafil doesn’t result in an instantaneous erection - a little bit of planning is required. Sildenafil starts working an hour after you take it, and the effects last for four to five hours. This means that there’s a window of about three hours when you can plan to have sex - and you’ll need to be sexually aroused for sildenafil to take effect. Your resulting erection should feel harder and last longer than before. Eating a large meal at the same time as taking sildenafil can delay the effects by about an hour.

Recommended starting dose

The recommended starting dose for sildenafil is 50mg/100mg taken once per day, as needed. If you feel the effect of sildenafil is too strong or too weak, feel free to contact us and we can advise you on adjusting your dosage.

You should not take more than one dose of sildenafil within 24 hours.

It’s worth noting that sildenafil doesn’t alter libido or sexual desire. It also doesn’t have an effect on your testosterone levels.

Possible side effects of sildenafil

If you experience any of the following serious (but uncommon) side effects, you should stop taking sildenafil and seek urgent medical attention:

• An allergic reaction - symptoms include swelling of the lips, throat and eyelids, sudden difficulty in breathing or wheezing, dizziness, collapse.
• Chest pains - you should not use nitrate-containing medication to treat this.
• A prolonged erection lasting more than four hours, which may be painful - this is a medical emergency and you should visit A&E as soon as possible.
• Severe skin reactions - swelling, blistering or peeling skin.
• Seizures.

Always read the Patient Information Leaflet enclosed with your sildenafil. It contains other important safety information as well as a complete list of possible side effects.