Viagra Dose
There are millions of men suffering from erectile dysfunction all around the world and all of them take this disorder differently. Of course, these are those individuals who just get up and go to the doctor the moment they feel there might be something wrong with the quality of their sex lives. However, if you belong to the type that prefers searching for information on ED online and trying to figure out what their problem is and how to take care of it at least partially by themselves, this article is for you.
There are lots of questions that a man experiencing sexual performance problems has to answer and all of them are very important. Let’s assume, however, that you have already been diagnosed with erectile dysfunction and chosen Viagra to be your primary form of treatment. Now the question that you need to answer is the following: which Viagra dose is right for you and how to choose it taking all of the underlying conditions into account? This article is here to help you answer this question. Please, note, however, that it can’t serve as a doctor’s consultation or a viable alternative thereto. It’s just to give you a brief overview of how different Viagra doses are chosen for different patients. (about viagra safe)
What strengths does Viagra come in?
Before we try to figure out, which Viagra dose is right for you, let’s take the time to list the most popular strengths that Viagra comes in. The term ‘strength’, by the way, is used to specify the amount of active ingredient contained in each pill/tablet/capsule of medication of your choice. Since the active ingredient in Viagra and most of its generic alternatives is sildenafil, it means that one 50mg pill of Viagra contains exactly 50 milligrams of sildenafil. It’s important to understand that some ED meds, which are not sildenafil-based come in completely different strengths and, therefore, should be used differently. For instance, a regular dose of Cialis would be one 10mg pill before sex. Trying to bring that dose up to 50mg, like with Viagra, may be dangerous for your health and even life. Thus, please, note that this article is only applicable to sildenafil-based ED medications.
So, what are the available strengths that you’ll be choosing from when getting ready to take your first dose of Viagra? If we’re talking about brand-name medication invented and manufactured by Pfizer, then there will be 3 options available to you – Viagra 25mg, Viagra 50mg and Viagra 100mg, containing 25mg, 50mg and 100mg of sildenafil respectively. How different are these and how to understand, which one is right for you? Be patient, we will answer this question in the following parts of our article.
And what about the generic forms of Viagra? Well, they are really not that different from the mother pill – most of sildenafil-based Viagra alternatives come in exactly same strengths with possible additions being Viagra 40mg and Viagra 200mg. Please, be aware that the latter version is really strong and should be used with caution – especially if you’re planning to take it as a one-time dose.
By the way, here’s where it would be right to uncover a little lifehack for you. As overpriced as it is, even brand-name Viagra can cost way less if you resort to pill-splitting. Think yourself – splitting one 50mg pill into half leaves you with two 25mg pills which should be sufficient for two perfect nights. And if you take a 100mg and split it into quarters? That would be even better from the economical point of view! Naturally, Viagra manufacturers warn us against that saying that the active ingredient is not distributed evenly throughout the pill and yadda-yadda but… Countless reviews from real customers doing the pill splitting prove that those warnings might be nothing but a marketing trick intended for forcing us into buying more Viagra (about viagra cheap).
What does Viagra dosage depend on?
Here we get to the most interesting and also the most difficult part of this article – the part where we discuss, which health conditions and substances you might be taking may affect the suggested Viagra dosage. Please, read this as carefully as you can – this information is very, very important not only because it can help you understand, which Viagra dose is right for you but also because it may save you from Viagra overdose, which can be very dangerous.
First of all, Viagra should not be taken by men, who have been recommended to avoid all sorts of sexual activity due to a history cardiovascular disorders or related risks. It should absolutely not be taken by patients suffering from vision loss in one eye as a result of non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) or suffering from hereditary degenerative conditions of the retina (for example, retinitis pigmentosa).
Since Viagra is a potent vasodilator, it should be avoided or taken with care by those suffering from conditions characterized by increased sensitivity to medicines widening blood vessels. Such conditions include but aren’t limited to left ventricular outflow obstruction or multiple system atrophy resulting in heavily impaired autonomic control of blood pressure. Although extremely rare, the latter condition may be regarded as a contraindication to using Viagra.
Even though many sources state that older patients (especially those over 65 years of age) should consider starting their ED treatment with lower doses of Viagra (e.g. Viagra 25mg), the manufacturer of the drug offers no explicit statements related thereto. The conditions that do call for a lower starting dose of Viagra include moderate renal impairment and various kidney or liver conditions that may affect sildenafil clearance (the time period that the patient’s body requires in order to process and get rid of sildenafil completely).
Viagra is not recommended for use in people with penis deformities as well as in people with a history of priapism – an erection that doesn’t go away for 4 hours or more and can potentially cause permanent damage to the spongy tissues of penile body making further treatment of erectile dysfunction virtually impossible.
For those of you wondering whether Viagra may affect fertility or have any undesirable effects on newborn children when used by men during sex that led to conception, the answer would be simple: don’t worry. There were numerous researches studying the effects of sildenafil on the reproductive mechanisms of rats and rabbits as well as a few similar studies aimed at humans and none of them revealed any abnormalities. Note, however, that Viagra is currently approved for use only in men and even though there are more and more studies proving that it may be used by women as well, right now it should better be avoided by ladies, especially those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Viagra is also not approved for use in underage people.
What medicines/substances may require Viagra dose adjustments?
First, let’s name a few of the medications that may interact with Viagra causing unwanted reactions. If you are taking any of these meds, please, make sure you mention it to your healthcare provider when discussing whether Viagra is right for you or not.
Since Viagra can alter affect natural biological reactions involving nitric oxide and taking place in human body, it is not advised to take it if you’re already using nitrates in any form. Please, note that it also includes the use of so-called ‘poppers’ – street drugs that are known to enhance sexual excitement. Co-administration of nitrates and Viagra may result in severe hypotension. The same reaction may be observed in patients taking Viagra or other PDE5 inhibitors along with guanylate cyclase stimulators (riociguat, for example), alpha-blockers or medicines used to treat high blood pressure.
Other medicines and substances that may interact with sildenafil and, therefore, should not be taken along with Viagra or, at least, taken very carefully, are ritonavir and similar HIV protease inhibitors, certain antibiotics (erythromycin, clarithromycin, etc.), certain orally administered antifungal medicines (ketoconazole, etc.), cimetidine, sodium nitropusside and grapefruit juice.
As it has already been stated in multiple sources, the time to onset of effect of Viagra is heavily affected by the patient’s diet. For instance, whereas Viagra usually starts working in 20-30 minutes after being taken, this period of time may stretch out significantly if you pop the pill after a meal rich in fats. Thus, if you’re finishing a hearty dinner with your partner, make sure you take the pill well in advance to ensure the expected effect.
Additionally, many patients report being unable to get an erection strong or lasting enough for sexual intercourse after taking Viagra with large amounts of alcohol. Therefore, don’t blame it on the pill if it didn’t manage to get you rock-hard after a bar crawl – the blame will most definitely be on you yourself. Nevertheless, it’s worth stating that you don’t have to avoid alcohol completely when planning to use Viagra – a pint of beer or a glass of wine shouldn’t do any harm.
Viagra overdose
Viagra is a medication that one can overdose on fairly easily. Older patients tend to forget they have already taken the pill, patients taking Viagra with too much alcohol often do the same or think that taking a double dose of the medication will make them twice as potent as usual… Well, it won’t. Studies in volunteers who have taken 200mg of Viagra instead of 100mg didn’t report any difference in performance but many of them suffered from side effects, which are usually fewer or milder in patients sticking to the recommended dosage. Even more, these was at least one study where volunteers took up to 800mg of Viagra within one day. It was absolutely no surprise that the incident rates and the severity of side effects increased manifold in them.
So, what are the adverse reactions that you risk suffering from after taking too much Viagra? The most dangerous of these could affect your blood pressure, heart function or cause priapism – a persistent erection that doesn’t go away and can result in permanent physical damage to your penis. Thus, if you suspect you have overdosed on Viagra and/or are experiencing chest pain, severe dizziness or fainting or an erection that lasts for 4 hours or longer, seek emergency medical attention immediately. The same applies to severe allergic reactions, sudden loss of vision or hearing or seizures.
Other, more common side effects that may result from Viagra overdose (or even from regular consumption thereof in full accordance with the guidelines) include nasal congestion, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, flushing and nausea. These don’t require immediate doctor’s assistance but you should still mention having these when talking to your healthcare provider the next time you see them. Maybe they will suggest an ED medication that would be more appropriate to you and have fewer side effects.
Fortunately, Viagra is not as much of a dangerous medication as it may seem to you after you have read the above paragraphs. The only side effect experienced by more than 10% of the patients taking this medication is headache and more serious and potentially harmful side effects are usually observed in no more than one in 1,000-10,000. Therefore, make sure you follow the instructions on package insert and don’t take more than 1 pill per day and you should be perfectly safe.
As you see, it’s always important to follow your healthcare provider’s recommendations in order to pick up the Viagra dose that would be right for you. However, if for some reason you don’t have an opportunity to consult a doctor, remember that the usual starting dose would be Viagra 50mg, taken 30-60 minutes prior to expected sexual activity. That, of course, if you are not taking any of the medications or suffering from any of the conditions we have listed in the paragraphs above. Take care and enjoy your sex life to the maximum with Viagra!