Sildenafil
in the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction

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While the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) increases with age, 52 percent of all men experience ED at some point during their lives.

Medical specialists define ED as having difficulty getting and maintaining a proper erection. As with most medical issues, there are many effective ED treatment options available, including medications such as Viagra and Kamagra. What many people don’t realize, though, is that sildenafil is the main ingredient in both these ED treatments as well as others.

But what is sildenafil? And how can it help erectile dysfunction?

If you’re thinking of taking sildenafil, keep reading to learn everything you need to know about this leading ED treatment option.

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What Is Sildenafil?

Sildenafil is a generic drug most often used to treat erectile dysfunction. Also known as sildenafil citrate, this drug belongs to a class of medications called phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors.

How Does Sildenafil Work?

It’s important to note that sildenafil doesn’t cure erectile dysfunction. Instead, it treats the physical ED symptoms of not getting and/or maintaining an erection.

Contrary to popular belief, sildenafil and medications containing sildenafil such as Viagra are not aphrodisiacs, and nor do they contain the male hormone testosterone.

Rather, as a PDE inhibitor, sildenafil treats ED by preventing an enzyme called phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE5) from working too fast. The penis is one of the areas where this enzyme operates.

By controlling PDE5, sildenafil allows the blood vessels in the body to dilate, especially around the genital area. As blood flows here, sildenafil helps the penis to become and stay erect. Although, only when physical sexual contact activates this effect.

Sildenafil, Viagra, and Kamagra: What's the Difference?

You might be wondering why the name sildenafil isn’t more familiar since it’s such an effective ED treatment. But if you’ve ever taken Viagra or other leading ED medications, you’ve likely already taken sildenafil without realizing it.

In contrast, whether they’ve taken it or not, most people have heard of the branded ED prescription medication Viagra. Not least because it was the first major ED medication on the market. Since then, though, other ED medications have proved just as effective at tackling ED symptoms, including Kamagra.

Kamagra and Viagra are comparable as two brand-name medications for the treatment of ED. While Pfizer Inc. makes Viagra, Kamagra is an ED medication made by Ajanta Pharma Ltd. As for sildenafil, this generic drug is the active ingredient in both Viagra and Kamagra.

To understand the difference between a generic drug such as sildenafil and a brand like Viagra, it can help to consider other well-known medications and their generic ingredients.

For example, Advil is a brand-name drug but the active ingredient is ibuprofen. So, while it’s the ibuprofen working to soothe your headache or ease your back pain, the brand on the pack probably says Advil. Although, it could also be a different brand name or generic ibuprofen and be just as effective.

In the same way that Advil is synonymous with pain relief, the name Viagra is synonymous with the treatment of ED. Or at least, it was until Pfizer’s patent on it ran out in 2020. In a pre-emptive move against its competitors, Pfizer started selling generic sildenafil in 2017 while it still held the Viagra patent.

Once other companies could also sell sildenafil tablets after April 2020, consumers soon had more options when it came to ED treatments. And one of the leading alternatives to emerge since then is Kamagra.

How Can You Take Sildenafil?

Sildenafil is available in pill form, as an oral liquid, and as a jelly. While Viagra’s “little blue pills” are almost as famous as the brand name itself, generic sildenafil usually comes as a small white pill. Generic sildenafil is often available in pills of 20 milligrams (mg), 25mg, 50mg, and 100mg.

Kamagra tablets are small green pills containing 100mg of sildenafil. For treating ED symptoms, the best way to take sildenafil pills is one hour before intercourse. Although, with Kamagra tablets and some other sildenafil pills, you may start to notice the effects after 30-45 minutes. These effects can then last up to three or four hours but may continue for as long as six hours.

For those of you who find pills difficult or uncomfortable to swallow, oral sildenafil is an excellent alternative. In particular, the Kamagra oral jelly is easy to take and contains 100mg in every 5 gm sachet. All you need to do is squeeze the delicious jelly onto a spoon, eat it, and wait for the sildenafil to work its magic.

Another difference with Kamagra oral jelly is that it works a little faster than pills. Men who tried Kamagra oral jelly reported that it provided noticeable effects after only 15 minutes. As such, it’s also a great option if time is of the essence.

Sildenafil Recommendations & Precautions

Whether you’re taking generic sildenafil, Kamagra, or Viagra, there are various recommendations and precautions to bear in mind:

Recommendations When Taking Sildenafil

To ensure that sildenafil is as effective and safe as possible, you should follow certain recommendations when taking it:

  • Whichever form of sildenafil you choose, you should only take it once per day

  • It's best to take sildenafil with a large glass of water. Sildenafil can be dehydrating so doing this helps counteract the effect

  • Although you can take sildenafil with or without food, taking sildenafil on an empty stomach tends to increase its effectiveness. Men who took the Kamagra oral jelly on an empty stomach, in particular, found that it offered better results in the form of a more solid and long-lasting erection

  • If you can't take sildenafil on an empty stomach, you must at least avoid eating a large meal a few hours before taking sildenafil for optimal results

  • Avoid oily foods, alcohol, and nicotine. As well as making sildenafil less effective, smoking, drinking, and fatty foods can all increase the chances of various side effects

  • Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice. Grapefruit can delay the time that sildenafil takes to work. But combining grapefruit and sildenafil can also cause hot flushes, a drop in blood pressure, and other unwanted side effects

These recommendations can help you make the most of sildenafil and its ability to treat ED symptoms. Even for those of you in excellent health, following these recommendations ensures a much safer and more pleasurable experience.

If, though, there are any medical issues, lifestyle factors, or otherwise that might make taking sildenafil a problem, be sure to pay extra attention to the special precautions below.

Special Precautions Before Taking Sildenafil

If you are considering taking sildenafil or any branded drug containing sildenafil, you should:

  • Tell your doctor if you are allergic to sildenafil or any of the ingredients in sildenafil products

  • Avoid taking sildenafil if you are taking or have recently taken nitrates (medications for chest pain). These include isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil), isosorbide mononitrate (Monoket), and nitroglycerin (Minitran, among others). If you're not sure whether any of your medications contain nitrates, ask your doctor

  • Avoid taking street drugs called "poppers." These also contain nitrates such as amyl nitrate and butyl nitrate

  • Tell your doctor about any prescription, OTC medications, vitamins, or supplements you are taking or plan to take

  • Tell your doctor about any herbal products you are taking or plan to take, especially St. John's wort

  • Tell your doctor if you are taking or planning to take anabolic steroids. Although it is safe for healthy males to take steroids and sildenafil together, it's best to advise your doctor from the outset

  • Tell your doctor if you smoke

  • Tell your doctor about any serious diseases or medical conditions you have or have had. These include but are not limited to: a heart attack, a stomach ulcer, leukemia, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, and diabetes

  • Before you have any kind of surgery (including dental surgery), tell your doctor or dentist that you're taking sildenafil

  • Tell your doctor if you have ever had chest pain, dizziness, or nausea during sexual activity

It is also essential, whether you have any health issues or not, to tell all your healthcare providers that you’re taking sildenafil. This way, if you ever need emergency medical treatment for a heart problem, the providers who treat you will know to ask you when you last took sildenafil.

Sildenafil Storage Recommendations

As with any medication, you should make sure to store your sildenafil in a closed container at room temperature away from heat, moisture, and direct light. While it might be tempting to keep a sildenafil pill or a sachet of Kamagra oral jelly in your wallet just in case you “get lucky”, this isn’t a good idea. Doing so could corrupt the composition of the medication and cause it to degrade.

You should also ensure that your sildenafil is well out of the reach of children. And, if you have any sildenafil that expires before you can use it, you should not keep it or dispose of it in your regular trash. Instead, ask a healthcare professional how to dispose of any sildenafil you haven’t used.

Sildenafil Side Effects

All medications have the possibility of causing unwanted side effects as well as the needed effects. Sildenafil is no exception, although most of the side effects of this ED treatment are minor and temporary.

Common Sildenafil Side Effects

Some of the most common sildenafil side effects (in alphabetical order) include:

  • Diarrhea
  • Headaches
  • Indigestion
  • Insomnia
  • Muscle aches
  • Redness of the skin
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Sneezing or a stuffy or runny nose
  • Warm flushes or a feeling of warmth on the face and body

These common and less serious side effects are usually not enough to warrant medical attention. They may go away in time as your body adjusts to taking the sildenafil.

That said, if you experience any of these side effects, it is worth talking to your healthcare professional about them. They may then be able to give you tips on how to prevent or reduce some of these minor sildenafil side effects.

Rare Sildenafil Side Effects

Some rare side effects of sildenafil that a small number of men have experienced include:

  • Abdominal pain
  • Abnormal dreams
  • Anxiety
  • Coughing
  • Depression
  • Diarrhea
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Drowsiness
  • Dry mouth
  • Increased amount of saliva
  • Lack of coordination, clumsiness
  • Nausea
  • Numbness or tingling of the limbs
  • Redness or irritation of the tongue and gums
  • Skin sensitivity
  • Stomach cramps
  • Sexual problems such as failing to experience an orgasm
  • Trembling and shaking
  • Vomiting

Although some of these side effects are more concerning than others, you must seek medical attention straight away if you experience any of them. This is because rare side effects and reactions can be a sign of a serious allergy to sildenafil that you were not previously aware of.

Very Rare Sildenafil Side Effects

Sildenafil can, in some very rare cases, cause other severe side effects. Although these are the experiences of only a few men, it is worth noting that there is a small possibility of experiencing the following after taking sildenafil:

  • Breathing problems
  • Bleeding of the eyes
  • Convulsions (seizures)
  • Deafness or hearing loss
  • Eye pain
  • Fainting
  • Fast or irregular heartbeat
  • Migraines
  • Skin lesions
  • Slurred speech
  • Swelling of the face and body
  • Temporary vision loss
  • Vision changes, including double vision, blurriness, and decreased vision

If you experience any of these very rare sildenafil side effects, you must seek immediate medical attention. Although only a small percentage of cases have reported such side effects, they are all very serious and must be treated as such.

Your Guide to Taking Sildenafil for Erectile Dysfunction

As this in-depth guide to sildenafil shows, this ED medication is the leading treatment for ED symptoms. Whether you have a history of ED or you’re experiencing erectile dysfunction for the first time, sildenafil and branded sildenafil medications such as Viagra and Kamagra could be the solution you’re looking for.

The variety of sildenafil treatment options and its one-hour turnaround ensure that this medication is effective and easy to take. Sildenafil is also well-tolerated for most healthy males, making it a viable option for anyone in need of help getting or maintaining an erection.

For more information on sildenafil or the leading sildenafil brand name, Kamagra, get in touch with us at PharmaGear today!

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