Category: Viagra

Viagra Question

I read somewhere that Viagra reduced the risk of heart attack. Is that accurate and could it help me too?

Answer

While earlier studies had already established Viagra’s benefits for those with damaged hearts, a more recent study found that men with type 2 diabetes could reduce their chances of heart attack significantly by taking Viagra. The study, conducted by researchers at England’s University of Manchester, also found that type 2 diabetics taking Viagra were more likely to survive a heart attack than those not on the drug.

The research team reviewed the electronic health records of nearly 6,000 male type 2 diabetics between the ages of 40 and 89.

As a treatment for ED, Viagra works by temporarily disabling an enzyme known as phosphodiesterase-5 that can interfere with optimal blood flow. It turns out that sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra, also optimizes blood flow to the heart, thus reducing the risk of heart attack and increasing the survival odds for those who do have heart attacks.

Findings from the study, funded by the British Heart Foundation and the United Kingdom’s National Institute of Health Research, were published in a 2016 issue of the BMJ journal “Heart.”

Viagra Question

Is it possible to overdose on Viagra? And, if so, what would the symptoms of an overdose be?

Answer

The maximum recommended daily dose of Viagra is 100 milligrams, which some men need to get the desired results from the drug. Taking more than that would constitute an overdose and would increase the likelihood — and severity — of the drug’s known side effects. The most common side effects of Viagra are back pain, diarrhoea, dizziness, flushing, headache, muscle aches, runny or stuffy nose, and upset stomach.

Because sildenafil citrate works by temporarily lowering blood pressure to dilate the arteries that supply the penis, thus increasing blood flow to the organ and facilitating erection, too much of the drug could cause a precipitous drop in blood pressure. This, in turn, could lead to extreme lightheadedness and even loss of consciousness.

In addition to amplifying the drug’s regular side effects, taking too much Viagra could also cause shortness of breath, chest pain, and/or an irregular heartbeat. A Viagra overdose could also increase your risk of experiencing one of sildenafil citrate’s more serious side effects, which include a sudden decrease or loss of hearing or vision and an erection that lasts for four hours or more.

Although the latter might seem at first glance a potential benefit, priapism is no laughing matter. An erection that lasts more than four hours can cause permanent damage to erectile tissue, making it even more difficult or impossible to get an erection in the future.

Viagra Question

I’ve been fortunate thus far in life to enjoy healthy erectile function, but I have been treated in the past with a drug called Revatio for difficulty in breathing diagnosed as pulmonary arterial hypertension. When I went to refill a prescription recently, I noticed that the generic substitute was labelled sildenafil citrate, which is the same active ingredient as that in Viagra. What gives?

Answer

In the two decades since Pfizer first introduced Viagra, the little blue pill’s active ingredient sildenafil citrate has been found to have a number of other medicinal properties. One of the first of those to be discovered is its ability to improve respiratory function in patients suffering from pulmonary arterial hypertension, or PAH.

This is a condition in which high blood pressure is localized to the arteries that supply the lungs and heart, making it difficult for patients to breathe normally.

In 2005, the FDA approved Pfizer’s new drug application to market sildenafil citrate in 20-milligram tablets under the brand name Revatio. The sildenafil temporarily dilates the arteries supplying the lungs and heart, allowing near-normal blood flow and easing respiratory difficulties.

Although Revatio was introduced seven years after Viagra, Pfizer’s patent on the brand name drug has already expired, opening the market to generic competition.

Viagra Question

I know that Pfizer is a major international pharmaceutical manufacturer and has offices and factories around the world. But I was surprised recently when I heard that the company produces most of the world’s Viagra in a factory in Ireland. Is that true?

Answer

Although it’s headquartered in New York City, Pfizer Inc. is truly a global corporation with offices and manufacturing facilities scattered around the world. For several years now, Pfizer’s plant at Ringaskiddy in Ireland’s County Cork has turned out the bulk of Viagra’s active ingredient, sildenafil citrate. While Pfizer has lost its patent on the little blue pill in most major markets worldwide, its American patent will not expire until April 2020.

However, under special agreements that Pfizer negotiated with Teva Pharmaceutical and Mylan, those generic drugmakers have won the right to begin marketing generic formulations of the medication in December 2017. Because Pfizer’s U.S. patent runs until 2020, both Teva and Mylan will be required to pay licensing fees to Pfizer until the latter’s patent expires.

With six locations and more than 3,000 employees across Ireland, Pfizer is a major employer in Ireland, where it has a capital investment of roughly $7 billion.

Viagra Question

How long does it take for Viagra to take effect?

Answer

The little blue pill usually takes effect 30 to 60 minutes after you pop it. For the vast majority of users, the average time before the onset of effects is 30 minutes, although some may find they have to wait a bit longer for Viagra’s effects to kick in.

For some men, Viagra’s effects last for up to five hours, but the average duration of effect is more like three to four hours. The recommended starting dose for Viagra is a 50-milligram tablet, which works for the vast majority of men. However, if the 50-milligram tablet doesn’t get the job done, you can increase your dose to 100 milligrams.

In the unlikely event that the 50-milligram tablet is more than you need, you can lower your dose to 25 milligrams to see if that works for you.

Viagra Question

While traveling in Italy, my girlfriend and I stopped in at a gelato shop. I saw one flavor of the gelato identified as Viagra gelato. Does it contain the same active ingredient as Viagra?

Answer

It would be nice to get the erection-friendly effects of Viagra for the cost of an ice cream cone, but sadly the gelato you saw in Italy contains none of the little blue pill’s active ingredient.

However, it does match the iconic deep-blue hue of the Viagra tablet. An article posted at Delish.com says that some of the Viagra gelato sold in shops throughout Italy actually does contain herbal ingredients that reputedly have effects similar to Viagra, but none actually contain sildenafil citrate.

Those who have actually tried Viagra gelato from different shops across Italy say that the deep-blue gelato taste varies from one shop to another.

In some places, it tastes like bubble gum or black liquorice, while in others its taste is likened to that of cotton candy (does cotton candy even have a taste?).

Back in 2014, award-winning U.K. food inventor Charlie Harry Francis actually created a batch of Viagra-infused ice cream for a wealthy client. Each scoop of the ice cream reportedly contained 25 milligrams of sildenafil citrate, and Francis dubbed his Viagra ice cream “Arousal.”

Viagra Question

What’s organic erectile dysfunction? Is it the same as physiological ED and does it respond to treatment with Viagra?

Answer

Organic ED is exactly the same as physiological ED and refers to an inability to get and keep an erection strong enough for penetration because you’re not pumping enough blood to your penis to facilitate erection. This is the single biggest cause of ED and fortunately can sometimes be reversed if you adopt a healthier lifestyle.

However, if the problem is already too advanced to be turned around, you can get the extra help you need from Viagra, which temporarily optimizes blood flow to the penis.

However, even though you’re taking Viagra to improve blood flow to the penis, you should continue taking every step you can to live a healthier lifestyle. Such proactive measures could in time reduce your need for outside erectile help and most certainly will improve your overall cardiovascular health, reducing your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Viagra Question

What’s organic erectile dysfunction? Is it the same as physiological ED and does it respond to treatment with Viagra?

Answer

Organic ED is exactly the same as physiological ED and refers to an inability to get and keep an erection strong enough for penetration because you’re not pumping enough blood to your penis to facilitate erection. This is the single biggest cause of ED and fortunately can sometimes be reversed if you adopt a healthier lifestyle.

However, if the problem is already too advanced to be turned around, you can get the extra help you need from Viagra, which temporarily optimizes blood flow to the penis.

However, even though you’re taking Viagra to improve blood flow to the penis, you should continue taking every step you can to live a healthier lifestyle. Such proactive measures could in time reduce your need for outside erectile help and most certainly will improve your overall cardiovascular health, reducing your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Viagra Question

Is it true that erectile dysfunction can be an early warning of more serious cardiovascular health issues? What can I do to avoid such problems, and can I take Viagra in the meantime to help me function sexually?

Answer

Although erectile dysfunction is certainly no laughing matter, it is far less serious a health problem than a heart attack or stroke. And because the arteries that supply the penis are considerably smaller than those that supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart and brain, ED of vascular origin is viewed as an early warning of more serious health problems elsewhere in your body.

If you take the hint and modify your lifestyle to improve your overall cardiovascular health, you may well be able to reverse the early symptoms of ED. And in doing so, you will also make it less likely that you will experience other cardiovascular health crises in the future.

Eating a heart-healthy diet and maintaining a regular regimen of physical activity can go a long way toward maintaining overall cardiovascular health. Other steps that you can take include quitting smoking, moderating alcohol consumption, and shedding excess pounds. If erectile difficulties persist even though you’ve modified your lifestyle, Viagra could give you the erection boost you need.

Viagra Question

Is it true that erectile dysfunction can be an early warning of more serious cardiovascular health issues? What can I do to avoid such problems, and can I take Viagra in the meantime to help me function sexually?

Answer

Although erectile dysfunction is certainly no laughing matter, it is far less serious a health problem than a heart attack or stroke. And because the arteries that supply the penis are considerably smaller than those that supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart and brain, ED of vascular origin is viewed as an early warning of more serious health problems elsewhere in your body.

If you take the hint and modify your lifestyle to improve your overall cardiovascular health, you may well be able to reverse the early symptoms of ED. And in doing so, you will also make it less likely that you will experience other cardiovascular health crises in the future.

Eating a heart-healthy diet and maintaining a regular regimen of physical activity can go a long way toward maintaining overall cardiovascular health. Other steps that you can take include quitting smoking, moderating alcohol consumption, and shedding excess pounds. If erectile difficulties persist even though you’ve modified your lifestyle, Viagra could give you the erection boost you need.