Consulting a Doctor Before Using ED Medications
Once solely deemed “an older man’s drug,” Viagra and other erectile dysfunction medications are becoming commonplace in younger men’s lives.
| Factor | Impact on Effectiveness | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Decreases efficacy | Older individuals may require higher doses |
| Food intake | Decreases absorption | Fatty meals slow absorption |
| Drug interactions | Can reduce effectiveness | Other medications, especially nitrates |
| Timing of dose | Critical | Optimal results when taken 30-60 mins before activity |
| Physical health | Variable | Conditions like diabetes or obesity can affect results |
But why are these young men relying on this little blue pill when they clearly have no physiological impediment?
Before taking this medicine
As mentioned above, each drug has its unique benefit and risk profile, which should be discussed during your consultation. With prices as they are, most patients can safely order both sildenafil and tadalafil to see which works best for them. Of course, if you experience any side effects with either drug, stop and switch to the other medication. If the side effects are severe or long-lasting, seek prompt medical attention. Comparison of clinical trials with sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil in erectile dysfunction. It’s been over two decades since Viagra—the little blue pill— came onto the market to change the lives of millions of males.
| Product | Dosage | Quantity + Bonus | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viagra Soft Tabs | 100mg | 90 + 6 Pills | 205.31€ 195.53€ | |
| Viagra Original | 100mg | 14 + 2 Pills | 89.03€ 84.79€ | |
| Viagra Super Active | 100mg | 20 + 4 Pills | 48.05€ 45.76€ | |
| Viagra Super Active | 100mg | 90 + 10 Pills | 165.61€ 157.72€ | |
| Viagra Generic | 25mg | 120 + 6 Pills | 125.56€ 119.58€ | |
| Viagra Professional | 100mg | 360 + 6 Pills | 527.09€ 501.99€ | |
| Viagra Generic | 25mg | 30 + 4 Pills | 47.97€ 45.69€ | |
| Viagra Professional | 100mg | 20 Pills | 71.14€ 67.75€ | |
| Viagra Professional | 100mg | 180 + 4 Pills | 337.30€ 321.24€ | |
| Viagra Generic | 200mg | 270 + 10 Pills | 379.76€ 361.68€ | |
| Viagra Original | 100mg | 64 + 4 Pills | 264.15€ 251.57€ | |
| Viagra Professional | 100mg | 120 + 4 Pills | 262.83€ 250.31€ | |
| Viagra Generic | 100mg | 60 + 4 Pills | 96.36€ 91.77€ |
However, in the last few years, more and more young males have been turning to this pharmaceutical solution despite not having age-related ED issues.
Competing interests
Dr. Engel likes to analogize erectile dysfunction to a roller coaster. Typically, there is a slow movement toward ED. However, once erectile dysfunction begins interfering with sexual activity, it is a downward slope that generally cannot be reversed. Erectile dysfunction medications help improve blood flow to the penis at least transiently.
Related treatment guides
However, the underlying vascular issues associated with ED typically worsen with age, and there’s simply nothing we can do about it. As such, eventually, these drugs will no longer offer satisfying erections, at which point we need to consider further treatments, including injections or penile prostheses (implants). While both drugs offer about the same quality of erection, slightly more men achieved a satisfactory erection with sildenafil, according to a study.¹ However, as mentioned above, tadalafil remains in the bloodstream longer and, in the same study, was preferred by more men, probably for that reason. With generic prices as low as they are, Dr. Engel believes that there is no single erectile dysfunction drug that should be prescribed to every patient. For some, it’s something new to try and a bit of fun.
Authors' contributions
In both cases, the drug does not increase desire, instead allowing for a better erection when the desire is present. As with any medication, side effects are associated with both sildenafil and tadalafil. Generally, however, both drugs are well tolerated and have few severe side effects. Patients taking sildenafil may experience headaches, nausea, flushing, stuffy nose, and on occasion, indigestion, or dizziness. Patients may also develop a blue hue to their vision.
Casual sex and Viagra
Most of these side effects are transient and will disappear after stopping the drug. Loss of vision is a potentially severe side effect of sildenafil in certain very rare clinical situations, and you should stop the drug and get medical help immediately if this occurs, as this can, in very rare cases, lead to permanent blindness. Patients with certain eye problems, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes), and smokers may be at higher risk. Patients taking tadalafil have a slightly different side effect profile. Like sildenafil, tadalafil can cause headaches, indigestion, and nasal congestion. But when we look into the many personal reasons behind this trend, we can see it’s a lot deeper and emotionally rooted than thought.
| Alternative | Description | Advantages |
|---|---|---|
| Lifestyle changes | Diet, exercise, stress reduction | Long-term benefits |
| Other medications | Alprostadil, Tadalafil (higher doses or different timing) | Different side effect profiles |
| Vacuum erection devices | Mechanical pumps for erectile support | Non-pharmacological option |
| Counseling or therapy | Address psychological causes of ED | Improves overall well-being |
So, is Viagra a harmless quick fix, or are young males now relying on these pills too much, creating a wider cause for concern? And what can this tell us about the relationship between the physical and mental health of men? In the latest installment of our In Conversation podcast, Medical News Today seeks answers to these questions and more while addressing the stigma surrounding male psychosexual health.
- How to store Viagra properly for weekend use.
- Understanding the onset time of Viagra on weekends.
- Differences between weekend and daily Viagra doses.
- Managing potential headaches from weekend Viagra use.
- The importance of hydration when taking Viagra on weekends.
- Consulting a doctor before weekend Viagra use.
- Legal considerations for buying Viagra for weekend use.
Joining this conversation as our guests are Dr.
- The best time of day to take Viagra on weekends.
- How to plan weekend activities around Viagra dosing.
- The influence of caffeine on Viagra effectiveness.
- Using Viagra to improve weekend sexual confidence.
- Managing expectations for weekend intimacy with Viagra.
- The role of mental health in Viagra success over weekends.
- Tips for a successful weekend date with Viagra.
Edward Ratush, board certified psychiatrist and co-founder of telepsychiatry and psychotherapy practice SOHOMD in the United States, Dr. Peter Saddington, an accredited psychotherapist specializing in sexual addiction, counseling, and psychosexual therapy at Relate, and three guests who frankly (but anonymously) shared their personal experience with using Viagra.
Viagra: Getting Your Timing Right
However, tadalafil can also cause unique symptoms like back pain, cough, and upper respiratory liquid viagra tract infections. Interestingly, while both drugs have side effects, recent studies have shown that they may reduce the risk of early death from heart disease by up to 25%. This does not make them a treatment for heart disease, nor does it replace any therapies you may currently be taking for cardiovascular issues. Both drugs have a relatively mild risk profile. It is worth noting that any side effects experienced from tadalafil will typically last longer because the drug remains in the bloodstream significantly longer than sildenafil.
Eat a light meal beforehand
If you’ve been prescribed ED medication in the past, or if you are looking for a prescription now, you will undoubtedly be asked whether you take nitrates. Nitrates like nitroglycerin can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure and even lead to heart attack or stroke. Patients on nitroglycerin typically have serious cardiovascular issues that make taking ED medication risky in the first place. Patients taking recreational “poppers,” including amyl nitrate, amyl nitrite, and butyl nitrate, should not take ED medication. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist about other drug interactions to ensure safety when taking your ED meds. You can listen to this episode of our podcast in full below or on your preferred platform. Editor’s note: This podcast includes commentaries that mention the use of illegal drugs.
| Aspect | Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Prescription requirements | In many countries, prescription needed for legal use | Check local laws |
| Purchasing online | Risks of counterfeit products | Buy from reputable sources |
| Age restrictions | Usually restricted to adults over 18/21 | Age verification required |
| Advertising regulations | Must not imply permanent or guaranteed results | Ethical marketing practices |
Medical News Today does not condone or encourage their use.
Other Uses for ED Medications
None is considered superior to the other in this respect. That means seven out of 10 people who take a drug like Cialis or Viagra will have more frequent or longer-lasting erections. PDE5 inhibitors are sometimes used to treat other conditions besides ED. This includes special formulations of tadalafil and sildenafil, called Adcirca and Revatio, that are approved to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs). In addition to the daily or "on-demand" use, Cialis and Viagra have also been given different approvals by the U.S.
Full Text Sources
Food and Drug Administration (FDA): With Cialis, in addition to ED, the drug can also be taken as a 5-mg daily dose to treat an enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). With Viagra, the drug is only licensed for the treatment of ED. Cialis and Viagra are also sometimes used off-label to treat Raynaud's syndrome, a condition in which your fingers turn numb and blue when exposed to cold. When patients come to us looking for relief from their erectile dysfunction, they are faced with a preliminary decision of which medication, tadalafil or sildenafil, is better. Back in the day, when these medications were still on patent AND named Cialis and Viagra, respectively, they were very costly. In the 1980s, Pfizer biologists started testing the drug for its anti-angina and anti-hypertensive potential.
What is Viagra?
These were the days of fighting with and often losing to insurance companies. Now that generics are available, so many more people can take advantage of these great, highly effective drugs. We often suggest that patients taking ED medications for the first time try both separately to see which works best for them with the fewest side effects. Ultimately, with prices as low as they are, there’s little financial risk in seeing which is best for our patient’s unique circumstances. Regarding how sildenafil and tadalafil work, they are very similar in that they are both PDE-5 inhibitors.
Avoiding Tadalafil and Sildenafil Together
This means they slow or stop the action of the phosphodiesterase type five enzyme in the body. This mechanism increases blood flow to the penis when a man is aroused. It’s worth noting, however, that these medications do not increase sexual desire. Instead, they allow the penis to better fill with blood and achieve a satisfactory erection. With both of these drugs, however, patients must realize that they do not have 100% success and that the success rate has a lot to do with the severity of ed. However, patients soon began reporting other effects the drug had been having on their body.
Related/similar drugs
Also, patients must understand that it is normal to have to increase one’s dose as the problem of ED progresses and that nearly all patients who had initial success with ED pills will eventually lose that degree of success and may need other help. Both drugs take approximately 30 to 60 minutes to begin working and allow patients to achieve the erection they expect. Peak concentration in the blood is reached after two hours for tadalafil and about one hour for sildenafil. As such, we always suggest taking medication about an hour or two before sexual activity. The time it takes for the drug to function will vary between patients, so use prior experience as a guide.
Professional resources
Of note, sildenafil, a generic Viagra, can be somewhat inhibited after eating a large meal containing fatty foods, and this is not a concern with tadalafil (generic Cialis). We often suggest sildenafil for married couples or long-term partners with a more predictable sex life. Cialis may be more appropriate for patients who are dating, as the big meals often associated with early dating can cause sildenafil to be less effective. Regarding which medication allows an erection to last longer, the clear winner is tadalafil. Sildenafil remains effective for four to six hours, while tadalafil will enable patients to achieve erections up to 36 hours after ingestion, an effect usually seen in younger patients or lesser degrees of ED. One such effect was improved blood flow to the penis, which gave a boost to their sex lives. Dr. Ratush said Viagra’s potential as a treatment for erectile dysfunction was discovered serendipitously.
- How to talk about Viagra use with a partner during weekends.
- Building trust around medication use in relationships.
- Discussing health concerns related to Viagra with partners.
- Addressing stigma associated with Viagra use on weekends.
- Improving communication about sexual health issues.
- Supporting each other’s sexual wellness over weekends.
- Creating open dialogue about medication and intimacy.
“The history of the pharmacology of these products [t]hat started with Viagra was initially intended for the use of cardiac patients because the hope was that they were going to be able to dilate small cardiac vessels and allow for the heart to have oxygen.