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Get to know VIAGRA

What is VIAGRA?

VIAGRA is a prescription medication indicated for erectile dysfunction (ED).

What dosage forms does VIAGRA come in?

VIAGRA is available in two formats: tablets and oral dissolving films (ODF).

Tablet:
Supplied as blue, rounded, diamond-shaped tablets in doses of 25 mg, 50 mg and 100 mg, which can be swallowed with water.

Oral dissolving film (ODF):
Available as a 50 mg, thin, pale red-colored film (about 32 × 24 mm) that dissolves completely on the tongue and can be taken with or without water.

What does VIAGRA do?

VIAGRA belongs to a class of medicine called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors.

Following sexual stimulation, VIAGRA works by helping to relax the blood vessels in your penis which allows blood to flow into your penis. This results in improved erectile function.

What is important to know is that VIAGRA is used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction — the inability to achieve or maintain a penile erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual activity. It’s also important to note that VIAGRA works only with sexual stimulation. VIAGRA alone does not increase your sex drive.

When you are talking to your doctor about VIAGRA and how it works for you, don’t be shy. Having complete information helps your doctor provide appropriate care.

How does VIAGRA work?

“When I take VIAGRA, am I responding to my partner or the drug?”

When a man takes VIAGRA, he still must be sexually stimulated to get an erection. VIAGRA helps blood flow to the penis, but getting things happening is up to the two of you!

You take VIAGRA 30 - 60 minutes before having sex to help your natural erection process by increasing blood flow to the penis. When you get sexually excited, VIAGRA helps you have an erection.

How VIAGRA helps an erection?

To understand how VIAGRA works, it helps to understand how an erection works.

The penis is a muscular organ that has a rich blood supply. When not erect, blood flow to the penis is restricted.

In a man who does not have ED, with sexual stimulation, generally blood flow to the penis is increased and an erection occurs. In a man who has ED, a sufficiently hard, erected penis for satisfactory sexual activity is not achieved or maintained.

What’s important to remember is that the whole chain of events leading up to an erection always starts with sexual stimulus. You and/or your partner have to provide the fun part for VIAGRA to work.

When should I take VIAGRA?

VIAGRA should be taken about 30 minutes to 1 hour before sex. The time it takes VIAGRA to work may vary a bit from one man to another. You can engage in sexual activity within 30 minutes of taking the tablet and for up to 4 hours. Remember, sexual stimulation is required for VIAGRA to work.

How should I take VIAGRA?

Take VIAGRA about 30 to 60 minutes before sexual activity. You may take VIAGRA between 30 minutes to 4 hours before sexual activity if needed.

The amount of time it takes to have an effect varies slightly from person to person. Sexual stimulation is needed for VIAGRA to work.

Take with or without food. However, VIAGRA may take longer to work if you take it with a high-fat meal.

Tablets:
Swallow tablet whole with some water.

Oral dissolving films (ODF):
Place the film on your tongue with a dry finger. Allow the film to dissolve completely before swallowing with or without water.

You can swallow your saliva while the film is dissolving, without swallowing the film. If a second film is needed for a 100 mg dose, take the second film once the first is fully dissolved.

Recommended Dose:

Tablets:
Your healthcare professional can determine the dose that works best for you.

Oral dissolving films (ODF):
1-2 films (50-100 mg sildenafil) per dose, per day.

A dose above 100 mg per day is not recommended. You should not take more than one dose of VIAGRA per day. If you have serious liver or kidney problems or you are 65 years of age or over, your doctor may start you at the lowest dose (25 mg) of VIAGRA.

What if VIAGRA doesn’t work for me?

Hey, it happens. But don’t get discouraged if VIAGRA doesn’t work for you the very first time. Relax!

  • People respond differently to medications, so VIAGRA may not work right away.
  • A high-fat meal can slow VIAGRA down. So can being nervous or tired.
  • If VIAGRA did not work for you on one occasion, try again on another day. Be patient and practise. You'll soon learn what to expect with VIAGRA.
  • Remember that VIAGRA is a treatment for erectile dysfunction. Since VIAGRA is designed to improve your erectile function, it’s a good idea to talk to your partner before using VIAGRA.
  • If you’re still not getting the results you expected, talk to your healthcare practitioner.

Does VIAGRA cause any side effects?

As with all drugs, some side effects have been reported with VIAGRA. Side effects may include: headache, facial flushing, nausea, vomiting, indigestion, abdominal pain, dizziness, dry, stuffy, or swollen nose, throat tightness, dry mouth, decreased sensitivity of the mouth, pain in arms and legs, myalgia (muscle pain), somnolence, and increased erection.

Get to know how you react to VIAGRA before operating a motor vehicle or any machinery.

If you notice any side effects not mentioned above, or any of the above-mentioned side effects persist or become bothersome, please contact your doctor or pharmacist.

Remember: this medicine has been prescribed for you personally, and you should not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.

Serious side effects and what to do about them

Talk with your doctor or pharmacist only if you experience severe cases of:

  • Hypotension (low blood pressure): dizziness, fainting, lightheadedness.

Talk with your doctor or pharmacist every time you experience cases of:

  • Effect on hearing: sudden decrease or loss of hearing, ringing in the ears
  • Cough
  • Nosebleed
  • Fever
  • Shortness of breath
  • Transient global amnesia: temporary memory loss

Stop taking the drug and call your doctor or pharmacist if you experience cases of:

  • Eye problems: colour tinge, blurred vision, loss of vision in eye, increased sensitivity of the eyes to light, eye pain or redness, swelling and itching of the eyelids, decreased sharpness of vision, eye irritation, blocked eye veins, eye pressure
  • Serious skin reactions: rash, blisters, peeling skin, and pains
  • Priapism: erection lasting more than 4 hours
  • Allergic reactions: rash, hives, itching, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, difficulty swallowing or breathing
  • Seizure
  • Heart attack (myocardial infarction): chest pain, shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
  • Arrhythmia/tachycardia, palpitations: fast or irregular heartbeat, increased heart rate
  • Stroke: bleeding in the brain, vision changes, difficulty speaking, weakness on one side of the body, dizziness, lack of coordination, or poor balance
  • Transient ischemic attack: temporary loss of vision, difficulty speaking, weakness on one side of the body, numbness or tingling usually on one side of the body, dizziness, lack of coordination, or poor balance
  • Pulmonary hemorrhage (acute bleeding from the lung): oozing of bloody fluid from the nose and respiratory tract, accompanied by rapid worsening of patient respiration, turning blue, and, in severe cases, shock

VIAGRA may cause other side effects that aren’t mentioned here. If you want more information or have side effects you’re concerned about, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

IMPORTANT: It’s a serious side effect, but a man may have an erection that lasts for many hours. See a doctor immediately if you ever have an erection that lasts longer than 4 hours.

Reporting Side Effects

You can report any suspected side effects associated with the use of health products to Health Canada by:

NOTE: Contact your health professional if you need information about how to manage your side effects. The Canada Vigilance Program does not provide medical advice.

Are there any men who shouldn’t take VIAGRA?

  • If you are taking any medicines containing nitrates in any form (oral, sublingual [under the tongue], skin patch, or by inhalation [spray]). Never take nitrates after using VIAGRA even if you have chest pain. Nitrates are found in many prescription medicines that are used in the treatment of angina pectoris (chest pain due to heart disease), such as nitroglycerin, isosorbide mononitrate, or isosorbide dinitrate. If you do not understand what nitrates are, or are unsure about whether a medication you are taking is a nitrate, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

    If you take VIAGRA with nitrate-containing medicines or any other nitrates (e.g., amyl nitrite “poppers”), your blood pressure could suddenly drop to a life-threatening level. You could get dizzy, faint, or even have a heart attack or stroke.

  • If you have loss of vision in one or both eyes from an eye disease called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION)
  • If you have ever had an allergic reaction to sildenafil citrate or the nonmedicinal ingredients in VIAGRA
  • VIAGRA is not to be used in men for whom sexual activity is inadvisable
  • Do not take VIAGRA with guanylate cyclase stimulators, such as riociguat
Learn about erectile dysfunction (ED) button arrow

Your condition

What is ED?

ED defined by the Canadian Urological Association:
ED is the inability to achieve or maintain a penile erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance.1

In a man who does not have ED, with sexual stimulation, generally blood flow to the penis is increased and an erection occurs.2 In a man who has ED, a sufficiently hard, erected penis for satisfactory sexual activity is not achieved or maintained.1

What causes ED?

The risk of ED increases steadily with age. This is often the result of other health problems. Despite this, ED is not considered a normal part of aging.3

Given the intricate balance of factors necessary to produce an erection, it is not surprising that a problem in any of a number of areas will cause ED. Cardiovascular disease and/or nerve or hormonal abnormalities are responsible in some cases. In others, medications can affect erectile function.4

Injury, surgery, or pelvic radiation treatments are the cause of ED in some men. Lifestyle habits, including smoking and drug or alcohol abuse, often contribute to the problem.4

How is erection hardness rated?5

Believe it or not, the hardness of an erection can actually be rated:

  • Grade 1: Penis is larger but not hard
  • Grade 2: Penis is hard but not hard enough for penetration
  • Grade 3: Penis is hard enough for penetration but not completely hard
  • Grade 4: Penis is completely hard and fully rigid
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References:
1. Domes T, Najafabadi BT, Roberts M, et al. Canadian Urological Association guideline: erectile dysfunction. Can Urol Assoc J. 2021;15(10):310-322. 2. deGroat WC, Booth AM. Physiology of male sexual function. Ann Intern Med. 1980;92(2 pt 2):329-331. 3. Rastrelli G, Maggi M. Erectile dysfunction in fit and healthy young men: psychological or pathological? Transl Androl Urol. 2017;6(1):79-90. 4. Lowy M, Ramanathan V. Erectile dysfunction: causes, assessment and management options. Aust Prescr. 2022;45(5):159-161. 5. Silva AC, Silva CM, Morgado A. Erection hardness score or penile Doppler ultrasound: which is a better predictor of failure of nonsurgical treatment of erectile dysfunction? Sex Med. 2023;11(2):qfad009.

Learn how to get brand name VIAGRA

How do I know the medication I receive at the pharmacy is brand name VIAGRA?

If it doesn’t say VIAGRA on the packaging, it’s not VIAGRA. Check your VIAGRA tablets and packaging before you leave the pharmacy to be sure you are getting brand name VIAGRA.

Exercise your right to choose.

  • Ask for VIAGRA by name
  • Check the medication you have received to ensure it is VIAGRA
  • If it doesn't say VIAGRA on the packaging, it's not VIAGRA

Can I still fill my prescription with brand name VIAGRA even though a generic version is available?

Yes, you can remain on VIAGRA — just tell your pharmacist you would like your prescription filled with the brand name VIAGRA.

What will I pay for brand name VIAGRA?

Your total prescription cost for VIAGRA may differ at individual pharmacies, as it includes different components, such as: the price of the medication (tablet or film) plus dispensing and mark-up fees. The fees are determined at the discretion of the wholesaler and individual pharmacies.

Ask your pharmacist any questions you may have about the cost of your prescription.

If it doesn’t say VIAGRA, it’s not VIAGRA.

Check your VIAGRA pills and packaging before you leave the pharmacy to be sure you are getting brand name VIAGRA.

In Canada, brand name VIAGRA is virtually the same price as most generic versions.

Exercise your right to choose. Remember to ask for brand name VIAGRA at the pharmacy.