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Home » Prescription and Medication » Sildenafil Side Effects – Common and Uncommon effects of Viagra
If you’re considering taking Sildenafil, or you’re already taking it and are perhaps experiencing unusual symptoms, then you may want to know what the list of Sildenafil side effects might be. In this article, we’re going to list all the common Sildenafil side effects.
But first, let’s make sure we all know what Sildenafil is, then we’ll head into the side effects and other information.
What Is Sildenafil? Sildenafil is a renowned prescription drug that is available in the form of a tablet and a liquid suspension, both of which are taken orally. It is also available in an intravenous (IV) form, but a licensed physician only administers this form.
The oral Sildenafil tablet is commercially available under brand-names Viagra and Revatio. It’s also available as a generic drug, which usually costs less for retail pricing compared to the brand-name variants of it.
Enrollment with Prescription Hope enables access to patient assistance programs, which can provide these brand name medications at a reduced cost.
Sildenafil belongs to the family of drugs known as phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors. A family of drugs comprises of a group of medications that have a similar mechanism of action in the body.
These drugs are typically prescribed to treat a similar type of disorder. Sildenafil works differently, though, depending upon the kind of condition it’s being used to treat.
Sildenafil helps in increasing blood circulation towards the penis, which helps you either get or maintain an erection. Sildenafil will only work for this condition if one is already in a state of sexual arousal.
Sildenafil relaxes the smooth muscles and dilates the blood vessels in your lungs. This helps to reduce the blood pressure in your lungs. Sildenafil will slow down the rate of progression of your disease and enables you to perform vigorous exercises with greater ease.
Before you take Sildenafil, inform your healthcare practitioner if you are, or have:
You should stop the intake of medication instantly if:
Before your healthcare practitioner prescribes you this medication, inform them of all the medicines you are currently taking, whether they are prescription, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, or any other nutritional and herbal supplements.
Sildenafil can affect how other medications might work, and other medications may interfere with the way Sildenafil works, causing serious side effects. You need to particularly inform your healthcare practitioner if you take any of the following medications:
The most commonly reported adverse reactions reported through clinical trials on human subjects include:
Sildenafil is one of the most popular drugs for men who have erectile dysfunction. However, alcohol might be one of the primary reasons why you might have erectile dysfunction in the first place.
Alcohol might help you overcome your fears and anxiety and give you that boost of confidence. However, all of this comes at a price.
What happens is that alcohol consumption reduces the volume of blood that stays within your penis, which makes it difficult for you to get or maintain an erection.
If you’re taking Sildenafil because of your experience with erection problems in the past, then you should avoid consuming alcohol as much as possible.
In addition, alcohol and Sildenafil have been reported to interact. The drug is known to lower the blood pressure, and so does alcohol.
If your blood pressure level gets lower than normal, you’re bound to experience dizziness, light-headedness, fainting, severe headache, and even an irregular heartbeat. Undergoing such side effects isn’t only potentially harmful to your health; it also certainly doesn’t enhance your sexual performance.
Grapefruit and grapefruit juice are an overall healthy fruit and fruit beverage which provides an ample amount of vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, and other beneficial nutrients.
However, the bad news is that grapefruit juice can interact with a significant number of drugs, sometimes even in a dangerous manner.
Researchers have not been able to pinpoint which one of the hundreds of chemicals in grapefruit is mainly responsible for this. The leading suspect is the compound furanocoumarin, which is also found in sour oranges and tangelos. Thus, the precautionary guidelines for grapefruit also apply to these fruits, as well.
The suspected chemical in Grapefruit does not directly interact with Sildenafil. Instead, it acts in a way that binds to an enzyme in a person’s intestinal tract – an enzyme known as CYP3A4. This, in turn, decreases the absorption of this drug into the bloodstream, thus rendering the drug mostly ineffective.
In some, cases though, the chemicals in grapefruit juice can completely block the enzyme, this then makes it easier for the drug to pass from the digestive tract into the bloodstream.
This then causes blood levels to rise more rapidly than usual, and the abnormally high plasma levels of the blood can be potentially dangerous. This is a major Sildenafil side effect that requires urgent consultation with a physician.
We hope this has been useful in understanding the types of Sildenafil side effects you could be exposed to if you begin taking Sildenafil. Keep in mind that with any drugs, side effects can occur, but are less common than you might think.
As always, for a more in-depth consultation, refer to your relevant practitioner or your local doctor for further advice relating to your individual circumstances.
If you have any questions about how Prescription Hope can help you save money for any other drugs that we offer, or if you’re having trouble affording any of the medications you’ve been prescribed, then contact us. Visit the enrollment page to create an account and fill out an application and let us save you money!
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