Category: Viagra

Viagra Question

As a man in my mid-50s, I’ve experienced increasing difficulty in getting and keeping an erection. I think it’s only a matter of time before I will be dependent on an ED drug to get an erection hard enough for sex. I know that there are variations from one ED drug to another. Can I buy a single tablet of Viagra to see how it works for me? I don’t want to buy a number of pills, only to discover that they don’t work well or have bothersome side effects.

Answer

For the last few years, Pfizer has offered Viagra in single packs, which allow men who have not previously tried the drug to see how it works for them without paying for multiple pills that may not produce the desired results. Until recently, Viagra was the biggest selling erectile dysfunction drug worldwide, a clear indication that it works for the vast majority of men who are suffering from impotence caused by insufficient blood flow to the penis.

However, the fact remains that because of subtle differences in their active ingredients, some PDE5 inhibitors work better for some than others. And while the more common side effects of all ED drugs are generally mild, an individual might find that one drug causes more side effects than another.

So it pays to give all the ED drugs a chance before deciding which one works best for you.

Viagra Question

Does an occasional problem getting an erection mean that it’s only a matter of time before I’ll be unable to get one on my own? Is Viagra the only answer to my problem?

Answer

Almost every man experiences occasional difficulty in getting an erection, and the inability to rise to the occasion every once in a while has no permanent implications unless it becomes part of a consistent pattern. Too much stress in the workplace or on the homefront, overindulgence in alcohol, and occasional bouts of anxiety can all lead to erection problems from time to time. Don’t assign too much significance to these incidents unless they are occurring regularly.

While it’s possible that Viagra could help you get and keep an erection when you’re unable to do so on your own, it probably is better to recognize that external or psychological factors are temporarily interfering and then tell your partner that you’re just not up to it at the moment.

It is always possible, of course, to become obsessed with these occasional bouts of impotence to the extent that your fears of impending ED become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Face it, none of us is ready for sex all the time, regardless of the male myths to the contrary.

Viagra Question

Does an occasional problem getting an erection mean that it’s only a matter of time before I’ll be unable to get one on my own? Is Viagra the only answer to my problem?

Answer

Almost every man experiences occasional difficulty in getting an erection, and the inability to rise to the occasion every once in a while has no permanent implications unless it becomes part of a consistent pattern. Too much stress in the workplace or on the homefront, overindulgence in alcohol, and occasional bouts of anxiety can all lead to erection problems from time to time. Don’t assign too much significance to these incidents unless they are occurring regularly.

While it’s possible that Viagra could help you get and keep an erection when you’re unable to do so on your own, it probably is better to recognize that external or psychological factors are temporarily interfering and then tell your partner that you’re just not up to it at the moment.

It is always possible, of course, to become obsessed with these occasional bouts of impotence to the extent that your fears of impending ED become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Face it, none of us is ready for sex all the time, regardless of the male myths to the contrary.

Viagra Question

For the last year or so, I’ve been having increasing problems getting and keeping an erection. I went to the doctor to see about getting a prescription for Viagra, but he insisted that I first take something he called a nocturnal penile tumescence test or stamp test. It was actually a series of tests, which showed that I was still getting erections while sleeping and upon waking in the morning. The doctor said this proved that my erection problems were not physiological in origin. Is that true and wouldn’t Viagra help anyway?

Answer

While Viagra might give you a temporary psychological boost that would allow you to get and keep an erection, it would stem largely from a phenomenon known as the placebo effect. You think it will help, and so it does, but only for a while.

Your doctor has determined that there is no physiological issue, so that indicates that your erection problems are almost certainly of psychological origin. Such difficulties can arise from anxiety, including performance anxiety; stress; depression; and relationship problems.

Medication can sometimes clear up such issues, but those drugs can also interfere with normal erectile function. The key to overcoming ED of a psychological nature is to identify the underlying causes and then address them. This can usually be achieved through psychological counselling.

Alcohol Viagra and ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION QUESTION:

What will happen if u drink alcohol and take Viagra? Will it still work?

DOCTOR ALSAYES ANSWER:

Drinking more than one or two units of alcohol for long-term can compromise erections and eventually lead to erectile dysfunction. And it also will make Viagra less effective. Simply because drinking alcohol decreases the blood that stays within your penis, which makes it harder for you to get or maintain an erection.

Also, Viagra lowers your blood pressure, as does alcohol, and If your blood pressure level gets too low, you may experience dizziness, light-headedness, fainting, headache and even heart palpitations.

So, it is important that you limit your alcohol intake while you are taking Viagra.

I hope this answers your question.

Thanks, Dr. Alsayes

Viagra Question

I’m a mountain biker in Colorado, and I compete in mountain bike races at elevations ranging from 6,000 to 10,000 feet or more. I read somewhere that Viagra can improve athletic performance at higher altitudes. Would it be of any help to me?

Answer

Studies designed to determine Viagra’s effects on athletic performance at sea level showed that cyclists taking the drug performed no better than those who did not take the drug. That same study also measured the effects of the drug on athletic performance at a simulated elevation of 12,700 feet, which is well above the maximum elevation at which you’re cycling.

It found that some performed much better — up to 45% better — at that altitude than others, but not all cyclists responded to the drug in the same positive way. Ten cyclists who took sildenafil citrate at that altitude “collectively lowered the time it took to cover six kilometres by 15% compared to placebo trials at altitude,” according to an article posted at ScienceDaily.com.

Overall, the cyclists who took sildenafil also improved stroke volume and stroke output, when compared with those cyclists who were given a placebo. However, the researchers found that the individual improvement for those given sildenafil varied from little or none among some participants to major gains by others. This led them to conclude that sildenafil’s benefits for athletic performance at high elevations vary from one cyclist to another depending upon how well each response to the drug’s effects.

Whether Viagra would improve your cycling performance at elevations lower than 12,700 feet is uncertain, but it probably wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.

Viagra Question

A year or two ago, I read an article about a study that found that Viagra could help to prevent or at least delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. Is that true?

Answer

A small-scale study at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine found promising evidence that sildenafil citrate, Viagra’s active ingredient, can improve insulin sensitivity in both men and women who have been diagnosed as prediabetics.

A research team, led by Nancy J. Brown, M.D., a professor of medicine and pharmacology, recruited 42 prediabetic volunteers for the study. Half of the study participants were given 25 milligrams of sildenafil citrate three times daily, while the other half got a placebo.

At the conclusion of the three-month study period, those who were given sildenafil showed a 20% improvement in insulin sensitivity, compared with those who got a placebo. Although further study remains to be done, this study indicates that Viagra could delay the onset of type 2 diabetes or even prevent it altogether.

Viagra Question

I’m in college and have no problem at all getting an erection, but a number of my friends told me about using Viagra recreationally. What’s the point really and what are the dangers of such use, if any?

Answer

Make no mistake, Viagra and the other oral ED drugs were developed to help men who were suffering from varying degrees of erectile dysfunction. They were never intended for recreational use, and this type of misuse can lead to erectile problems down the road.

Recreational users of Viagra expose themselves unnecessarily to the drug’s side effects, some of which can be very serious. Men unwise enough to use Viagra recreationally might also tend to experiment with poppers, which are nitrate-based recreational drugs.

Taking the two together can trigger a potentially life-threatening drop in blood pressure. Becoming too dependent on the erectile support offered by Viagra can eventually erode a man’s self-confidence and his ability to achieve an erection on his own.

Men who might use Viagra recreationally also might be the type to buy Viagra online from unsavoury vendors who are more likely to supply counterfeit drugs than the real thing.

And the downside of counterfeits goes way beyond spending money on a worthless drug because many of these fake drugs contain toxic ingredients used as fillers and colouring agents. Seizures of so-called herbal Viagra have sometimes found that the product contained varying amounts of sildenafil citrate, the drug’s actual active ingredient.

However, in some cases, the amount of sildenafil was too little to be effective, while in others it was so high that it could pose a health risk.

Viagra Question

I’ve been using Viagra for the last 18 months or so, and it has been working well for me. However, I’m wondering if there are foods or beverages that I can include in my diet to help the drug perform even more effectively. If so, what are these wonder foods?

Answer

Although it’s doubtful that any food or beverage could perform as well as Viagra, there are certain nutrients that are known to improve erectile function. Adding these to your diet would help to ensure that your erectile function stayed strong and hopefully improved.

In an article posted at EverydayHealth.com, Chris Iliades, M.D., lists a number of these nutrients and the foods and beverages in which they’re found. Foods high in nitrates help the body to create nitric oxide, which plays a key role in erectile function. Nitrate-rich foods include arugula, beets, celery, iceberg lettuce, and spinach.

For those with a sweet tooth, dark chocolate is a rich source of flavonoids that support robust vascular health. Pistachios are rich in arginine, an amino acid that seems to relax blood vessels, thus improving blood flow.

Oysters and certain other shellfish are loaded with zinc, a mineral that helps to promote the body’s production of testosterone, while watermelon contains high levels of citrulline, an amino acid that converts into arginine in the body. Tomatoes and pink grapefruit are rich sources of lycopene, a phytonutrient that’s also a powerful antioxidant.

Viagra Question

Is Viagra available in any other form than oral tablets? I seem to remember reading about plans to produce it in spray form and also as a transdermal patch. Are those reports accurate?

Answer

Over the years, reports have circulated that Pfizer scientists and others were considering offering alternative delivery methods for the ED drug. Such alternatives have included transdermal patches and nasal sprays. So far, these reports remain unconfirmed, and no such products have appeared on the market, nor have there been credible announcements that they were actually in the pipeline. A number of medications are delivered via a transdermal patch, but how well this would suit Viagra is unclear.