Tag: ED

How do I Take Viagra for the Best Results?

For best results, take Viagra as prescribed by your healthcare provider, preferably on an empty stomach or after a light meal, about 30 to 60 minutes before sexual activity.

Avoid alcohol and grapefruit juice, and ensure you are sexually stimulated for the medication to work. Be aware of potential side effects and interactions with other medications. If you have any concerns or experience serious side effects, seek medical attention promptly.

To get the best results from Viagra (sildenafil) while minimizing potential side effects, follow these guidelines:

1. Consult Your Healthcare Provider

    • Prescription: Ensure you have a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider. Do not take Viagra without medical supervision.
    • Medical History: Inform your doctor about your medical history, including any heart conditions, high or low blood pressure, liver or kidney problems, and any medications you are taking.

2. Follow Dosage Instructions

    • Typical Dosage: The usual recommended dose is 50 mg, but your doctor may adjust it to 25 mg or 100 mg based on your response and tolerance.
    • Timing: Take Viagra about 30 to 60 minutes before sexual activity. It can be effective for up to 4 to 5 hours.

3. Take on an Empty Stomach

    • Food Interactions: For best results, take Viagra on an empty stomach or after a light meal. A high-fat meal can delay the onset of action by reducing absorption.

4. Avoid Alcohol and Grapefruit Juice

    • Alcohol: Limit alcohol consumption as it can reduce the effectiveness of Viagra and increase the risk of side effects like dizziness and low blood pressure.
    • Grapefruit Juice: Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice as they can interfere with the metabolism of sildenafil, leading to increased risk of side effects.

5. Sexual Stimulation is Required

    • Mechanism: Viagra requires sexual arousal to be effective. It will not cause an erection without sexual stimulation.

6. Do Not Overuse

    • Frequency: Do not take more than one dose of Viagra in a 24-hour period. Overuse can increase the risk of side effects and decrease the effectiveness of the medication.

7. Stay Hydrated

    • Hydration: Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, as dehydration can increase the likelihood of side effects like headaches.

8. Be Aware of Side Effects

    • Common Side Effects: Headaches, flushing, upset stomach, nasal congestion, dizziness, and vision changes.
    • Serious Side Effects: Rare but serious side effects include sudden vision loss, hearing loss, chest pain, and prolonged or painful erection (priapism). Seek medical attention immediately if you experience any of these.

9. Interaction with Other Medications

    • Nitrates: Do not take Viagra if you are using nitrate medications for chest pain or heart problems. The combination can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure.
    • Other Interactions: Inform your healthcare provider about all medications and supplements you are taking to avoid potential interactions.

10. Lifestyle Considerations

    • Healthy Lifestyle: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise, a balanced diet, and good sleep can enhance the effectiveness of Viagra.
    • Stress Management: Reducing stress and anxiety can improve sexual performance and the effectiveness of the medication.

Here are a couple tips for taking Viagra safely and effectively:

Follow safe, recommended doses.

The standard recommended dose of Viagra for treating ED is 50 mg, but your doctor could prescribe anywhere from 25 mg to 100 mg.

Viagra is only recommended to be taken once per day. This means that if you’re planning on engaging in sexual activity more than once throughout the day, you shouldn’t take a pill every time. And if you take a pill and it doesn’t work for you — don’t double up and take another one. Exceeding the recommended Viagra dosage can put you at risk for serious effects.

Because Viagra can affect other parts of the body, such as the heart and lungs, it’s important to stick to the dose and instructions your doctor provides. And if your prescribed dose isn’t working for you, they may make adjustments to find one that works.

Take it on an empty stomach.

Although it can be taken with or without food, Viagra tends to work best when taken on an empty stomach. So, to maximize its effects, try to take it separately from meals.

But if you do end up eating beforehand, avoid taking it with a high-fat meal since this can affect how quickly the medication is absorbed — and how fast it kicks in.

How does Viagra work?

Viagra  works by relaxing muscles in blood vessel walls to help increase blood flow to the penis, making it easier to get and maintain an erection. Viagra is only effective if there is sexual stimulation, such as that occurring during sexual intercourse. When stimulation first happens, Viagra helps increase blood flow to the penis and then works to help maintain an erection.

According to the Boston University School of Sexual Medicine, erectile dysfunction affects up to 52% of men between the ages of 40-70, many of whom turn to erectile dysfunction medications to help with their symptoms. Viagra is a type of erectile dysfunction drug called a phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor. PDE5 inhibitors keep a particular enzyme called phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE5) from acting too quickly. If PDE5 acts slower, then a substance that’s responsible for relaxing muscles and widening blood vessels can do its job.

Viagra will not be as effective for people with certain conditions. You may not get the full benefits of Viagra if you are sick, fatigued, or intoxicated. Alcohol can worsen the side effects of viagra and potentially make erectile dysfunction worse.

You should take Viagra on an empty stomach about one hour before sex. It starts working within 30 to 60 minutes, but an erection requires sexual stimulation.

“Some patients experience the effects of Viagra within 20 to 30 minutes after taking the medication,” says Amber Williams, Pharm.D., a compounding pharmacist at Family Pharmacy in Sarasota. “However, if the dose is taken with a high-fat meal, the peak response may be delayed for up to 60 minutes.

In most patients, the effects of Viagra will last for up to two hours. A duration of two hours or less indicates that an appropriate dose was taken. If the duration is greater than four hours, medical attention should be sought out immediately to avoid damaging effects on the tissues.”

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 all degrees of ED. VIAGRA usually starts to work within 30-60 minutes. And you only take it when you need it.

 

 

How does Cialis work?

Cialis works by enhancing the effects of one of the chemicals the body normally releases into the penis during sexual arousal.

This allows an increase of blood flow into the penis. An erection is the result of an increase in blood flow into certain internal areas of the penis.

  • Cialis is a brand (trade) name for tadalafil which may be used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
  • Cialis (tadalafil) works by blocking the action of an enzyme known as cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE-5). This enzyme breaks down cGMP, a substance that induces smooth muscles to relax. Blocking PDE-5 means increased levels of cGMP within the smooth muscles which promotes muscle relaxation and vasodilation (a widening of blood vessels).
  • High levels of PDE-5 are found in the penis, lungs, and retina. PDE-5 is also found throughout the body within the smooth muscle cells of blood vessels and muscles.
  • Cialis (tadalafil) belongs to the class of medicines known as PDE-5 inhibitors.