Viagra

Generic name: Sildenafil

Sildenafil tablets

What is sildenafil used for?

SILDENAFIL (Viagra®) is intended for the treatment of problems with erection some men experience due to a number of reasons.

What should I inform my doctor about before taking this drug?

Your doctor needs to know as much as possible about any of your health conditions that may interfere with the treatment, including:

• allergies, especially an allergy to the active ingredient of this medicine and any other drugs and products
• a history of a stroke
• bleeding disorder
• diabetes
• if you ever had priapism (long and painful erection), Peyronie's disease, or anatomical deformity of the penis
• pregnancy or breastfeeding
• kidney disease
• liver disease
• sickle cell disease
• stomach or intestinal ulcers
• inherited eye or vision problems
• heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• high cholesterol
• heart problems, such as heart disease, chest pain, a history of a heart attack or irregular heart beats
• HIV infection
• high or low blood pressure
• liver disease

How should I take this medicine?

Sildenafil comes in tablets that should be taken by mouth. Unless your doctor provided you with necessary directions you can read the label to know for sure how to take this drug. Do not take a double dose and make sure at least 24 hours between the two doses. Swallow the tablet with a drink of water without crushing or chewing it. If you are taking this medicine you are probably not on any kind of dosing schedule

What are sildenafil storage conditions?

Make sure nobody has access to your medicine. Keep it in a tightly closed container that small children will not manageto open.

Sildenafil has to be stored in a dark and cool place (from 59 to 89 degrees F). Any medicine past its expiration date should be thrown away to prevent serious health effects.

Are there any drug interactions with sildenafil?

Do not use sildenafil if you are taking the following medications:

• nitroglycerin-based medicines for chest or heart pain such as
  • amyl nitrite,
  • isosorbide dinitrate,
  • isosorbide mononitrate,
  • or nitroglycerin,
  even if these are only taken occasionally.

Be careful when combining sildenafil with the following drugs as interactions are possible:

• alpha blockers, including alfuzosin (UroXatral), doxazosin (Cardura), prazosin (Minipress), or terazosin (Hytrin), intended for the treatment of high blood pressure, especially if the dosage of sildenafil you are taking is higher than 25 mg. At least 4 hours should pass before you can safely take sildenafil.
• monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO inhibitors), such as Zelapar, Nardil, Azilect, Marplan, Parnate, Eldepryl, Emsam
• medicine prescribed for seizures (carbamazepine, phenobarbital or phenytoin)
• fungal infection drugs available by prescription (fluconazole, voriconazole, ketoconazole)
• some medications used for patients diagnosed with HIV or AIDS
• medicines used to treat depression, anxiety and a number of other mood problems. Some of the medicines from this group include fluoxetine, fluvoxamine and nefazodone
• nitroprusside
• erythromycin
• cisapride
• clarithromycin
• quinidine
• verapamil
• rifabutin
• rifampin
• grapefruit juice
• bosentan
• cimetidine
• diltiazem
• mibefradil

It's important that you inform your doctor about any other medications you are taking - prescription or over-the-counter drugs, as well as any supplements. You must not start taking any new medicines before previously checking with your health care provider. If you think your dosage needs to be reconsidered make sure you first discuss this decision with your health care provider. If you smoke, drink a lot of alcohol or coffee, or use illicit drugs make sure your doctor knows about it.

What should be reported to the doctor?

Stop taking sildenafil if you lose sight in one or both of your eyes and seek emergency medical help, as this might be a sign of a serious symptom rarely reported by some patients. If you experience some vision problems tell your doctor about them to make sure your condition is not likely to get worse.

If your erection lasts longer than 4 hours and you experience pain seek emergency help. Unless timely treated this condition may result in a permanent damage of your penis tissues.

If while having sex you experience dizziness, nausea, pain in the chest or arm, stop sexual activity and consult your health care provider as soon as possible. It's important that you describe all the symptoms to your doctor for him to be able to provide you with further instructions.

If you think your dosage needs to be increased or decreased please talk to your doctor before doing it. Your dosage is based on your health condition and other drugs you are taking, so more harm can be done by adjusting it without your doctor's supervision.

Even when you are taking Viagra (sildenafil) you need to wear a condom to avoid sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV (a virus that causes AIDS).

What are Sildenafil side effects?

The following side effects should be reported as soon as possible no matter how intense or bothersome they appear to be:

• changes in hearing (ringing in the ears) and vision (eyes becoming more sensitive to sunlight, blurred vision, trouble telling the difference between blue and green or seeing objects with a blue color tinge to them)
• itching or mild skin rash
• shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• palpitations or chest pain
• priapism (erection lasting longer than 4 hours)

Some less serious side effects that need to be reported to your health care provider only if they change in intensity or become bothersome include:

• nasal congestion
• dizziness
• indigestion
• diarrhea
• headache
• flushing