Viagra 100 mg

About Viagra

• Viagra tablets are prescription-only medicine used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) in men.
• ‘Viagra’ is a brand name, the active ingredient is ‘sildenafil’.
• Recommended starting dose is one 50mg tablet in 24 hours. Depending on results, adjust to 25mg or 100mg.
• Take 30-60 minutes before sexual activity, usually lasts for 4 hours.
• Sexual stimulation is required for Viagra to be effective.
• Read the patient leaflet for a full list of side effects, cautions, and interactions with other drugs.
• Large meals, fatty food, alcohol, and grapefruit can affect efficacy.

How does Viagra work?

Viagra works by increasing blood flow to the penis when sexually stimulated, which helps men get and sustain an erection long enough for sex.

The active ingredient in Viagra is sildenafil, which is known medically as a PDE5 inhibitor. Sildenafil inhibits (blocks) the enzyme PDE5 which regulates blood flow in the penis. PDE5 inhibitors multiply the natural process of arousal and increase blood flow to the penis in situations of sexual stimulation. Sildenafil helps to achieve an erection but relies on natural arousal as a trigger. It, and other PDE5 inhibitors such as tadalafil, vardenafil, and avanafil, support sexual relations when erections are failing.

How to take Viagra

The usual first starting dose of Viagra is one 50mg tablet, for men who have not used it before, although men over the age of 65 years would normally start on the lowest dose tablet (25mg).

Viagra works 30 to 60 minutes after it is taken and usually remains active for 4 hours.

If 50mg strength of tablet is highly effective subsequent doses may be reduced down to one 25mg tablet. If a 50mg tablet is ineffective, or the duration of activity is less than 4 hours, the dose can be increased to one 100mg tablet. Do not take Viagra more than once per day, or more than 100mg dose. Taking a higher dose has not been shown to improve results and increases your risk of severe side effects.

Sexual arousal is required for the treatment to work. Viagra is most likely to be suitable if taken in situations where sexual arousal is expected within an hour or two of taking the tablet. Without sexual arousal there will be no benefit and the effect of the tablet will simply wear off after about 4 hours.

Avoid large meals, meals high in fat, excessive alcohol, and grapefruit as these can affect efficacy