Although sildenafil citrate has been found to have a number of promising medicinal properties, the only other brand-name medicine in which it is the active ingredient is Revatio, which was also developed by Pfizer. Revatio is prescribed to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension, or PAH, a form of high blood pressure that is localized to the arteries that supply the lungs.
PAH is a progressive disease with symptoms that tend to grow worse over time.
The symptoms of PAH can include chest pain or angina; dizziness and/or fainting; fatigue; rapid, hard, or irregular heartbeats; swollen abdomen; and swelling of the ankles and legs, also known as edema.
Shortness of breath is the single most widely observed symptom of PAH, which Revatio can relieve by dilating the arteries that supply blood to the lungs, thus lowering blood pressure. Revatio is available in 5- and 20-milligram tablets, as an oral suspension powder that is mixed with water, and in injectable form as well.
Generic formulations of the drug are also available. As with Viagra, Revatio and its generic substitutes are incompatible with nitrate-based drugs. Taken together, they can cause blood pressure to drop precipitously.