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What Is It
Viagra is the first oral drug for male impotence. It works by dilating blood vessels in the penis, allowing the inflow of blood needed for an erection.
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What special precautions should I follow?
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of Viagra. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
- Arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat) or
- Conditions causing thickened blood or slower blood flow, including leukemia; multiple myeloma (tumors of the bone marrow); or polycythemia, sickle cell disease, and thrombocythemia (blood problems)
or
- Priapism (history of)¡XAlthough Viagra does not cause priapism (erection lasting longer than 6 hours), patients with these conditions have an increased risk of priapism and it could occur w
ile using Viagra
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Proper Use of This Medicine
Doses range from 25 milligrams to 100 milligrams, depending on the drug's effect. The usual dose is 50 milligrams. If you are over 65, have liver or kidney problems, or are taking erythromycin, ketoco
nazole, itraconazole, ritonavir, or saquinavir a dose of 25 milligrams may be sufficient. Your doctor will adjust the dosage if the drug is not working properly for you.
Take Viagra only bef
ore sexual activity. The manufacturer recommends a maximum of 1 dose per day (1 dose every 2 days for those taking ritonavir).
To avoid low blood pressure, do not take the 50-milligram or 10
0-milligram dose of Viagra within 4 hours of taking an alpha-blocking drug such as Cardura.
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Precautions while Using this Medicine
Viagra has not been studied with other medicines used for treatment of erectile dysfunction. Presently, using them together is not recommended .
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- Use Viagra exactly as directed by your doc
tor. Do not use more of it and do not use it more often than your doctor ordered. If too much is used, the chance of side effects is increased.
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If you experience a prolonged or painful erec
tion for 4 hours or more, contact your doctor immediately. This condition may require prompt medical treatment to prevent tissue damage of the penis and possible permanent impotence.
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Side Effects of This Medicine
Less common to rare side effects may include:
- insomnia, itchy skin, joint disease, light sensitivity, loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence), low blood pressure, migraine headache, mus
cle ache, nosebleeds, numbness, oral inflammation, pain, painful erection, prolonged erection, raised skin patches, rapid or throbbing heartbeat, rectal bleeding, respiratory inflammation, ringing in
the ears, seizure, sinus and throat inflammation, skin rash, skin ulcer, slow reflexes, stomach or intestinal inflammation, sweating, swelling, thirst, tremor, vision problems, vomiting, weakness
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Significant Interactions:
When you are taking Viagra, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:
- Cimetidine (e.g., Tagamet)
- Erythromycin (e.g.,
E.E.S. or Ery-Tab)
- Itraconazole (e.g., Sporanox)
- Ketaconazole (e.g., Nizoral)
- Mibefradil (e.g., Posicor)
- Ritonavir (e.g., Norvir)
- Saquinavir (e.g., Fortovase or Inv
irase)¡XThese medicines may increase the unwanted effects of Viagra, unless lower starting doses of Viagra are used
- Nitrates, such as nitroglycerin (e.g., Nitrostat or Transderm-Nitro)¡XViagra
creases the lowering of blood pressure by nitrates too much and their use together is not recommended
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