Generic Viagra for erectile dysfunction

What is generic Viagra?

The same tablet goes by several names: generic Viagra, generic sildenafil citrate (Viagra), Viagra’s generic, a generic form of Viagra, Sildenafil Citrate, sildenafil, and Sildenafil Tablets (Erectile Dysfunction). Sildenafil is pronounced (sil DEN a fil). Sildenafil citrate is also pronounced (suhl • DEH • nuh • fl) CITRATE.

It is FDA-approved to treat erectile dysfunction, and it is described as clinically proven for that use. It has an FDA warning. It belongs to a class called a phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitor, also written phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5).

What is erectile dysfunction, and what else can cause it?

Erectile dysfunction is trouble getting or maintaining an erection firm enough for sexual activity. That trouble typically comes from insufficient blood flow to the penis. “Typically” means this is the usual picture, and it is not true in every case.

Other factors can sit behind it. Physical factors include cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Psychological factors include stress, anxiety, and depression. Lifestyle choices include smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and drug use. Hormonal imbalances, neurological conditions, age, and medications can also be part of it. Share all of these details with the medical provider before requesting treatment. This tablet is not described as a treatment for every factor on that list.

Which nitrate medicines and poppers must it not be taken with?

Nitrates and poppers sit on the same “before I take this drug” list as medicines this tablet must not be combined with.

Nitrates

The nitrate names are isosorbide dinitrate, isosorbide mononitrate, and nitroglycerin. They are often prescribed for chest pain. Do not take them with this drug. They may also need to be avoided for some time after the last dose of this drug. How long that gap lasts is not stated.

Poppers

Poppers are drugs such as amyl nitrite and butyl nitrite. Tell the doctor if you use them. They must not be taken with this tablet.

How does it work?

It blocks the enzyme PDE5 (phosphodiesterase type 5). That enzyme breaks down the chemicals responsible for blood flow and, because of that, for erections. Blocking it boosts the impact of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide stimulates other constituents to calm the smooth muscles of the penis, so blood can flow in and an erection can take place.

The same process is also described at the vessels: it eases the soft muscles of the blood vessels that supply the penis and increases the flow of blood needed for an erection. More blood flow to the penis makes it easier to get and stay hard when aroused.

Is it the same medicine as Viagra, and how do the tablets differ?

Viagra is the brand name of these sildenafil tablets for erectile dysfunction. Sildenafil works just like Viagra. The side effects of sildenafil are the same as those commonly associated with Viagra.

The brand tablet is made by Pfizer. It is always a small, four-sided blue pill imprinted with Pfizer. Several companies make the generic, so those pills are usually white, and they vary in shape and color. If you are unsure which medication was prescribed, consult the pharmacist or the doctor.

Who decides whether it is used, and who checks a dose change?

The doctor, the medical provider, and the health care provider decide whether it is used. It is prescribed if appropriate. Use this drug as ordered by the doctor. Read all the information given to you. Follow all instructions closely, and follow the provider’s instructions for best results. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any drug without checking with the doctor. Individual results may vary.

How and when is it taken?

This drug is used as needed. It is taken when the moment is right, not on a schedule, and as needed to support the ability to get and keep an erection. The window is 30 minutes to four hours before sexual activity, also written as 30 minutes to 4 hours before sexual activity. Take it before sex at the time the doctor gave. If you are not sure when to take it, talk with the doctor.

Sildenafil citrate typically takes between 30 minutes and an hour to begin working. “Typically” is not a guarantee that it will start then. It is also described as lasting up to 12-24 hours in the body. “Up to” is not a guarantee, and those hours are time in the body. They are not how long an erection lasts.

Do not use more than the doctor told you to use. Do not use it more often or for longer than you were told. Doing any of those things may raise the chance of very bad side effects. Do not take 2 doses on the same day. A missed dose stays on that as-needed rule.

What if too much is taken?

If you think there has been an overdose, call a poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened.

Who should not take it because of the heart?

Sildenafil tablets should not be used in men for whom sexual activity is inadvisable because of their underlying cardiovascular status, since the medication can cause cardiac risk. If you have been told that you are not healthy enough to have sex, tell the doctor.

What heart history has to be told first?

Before a first dose, the history to tell is chest pain, including chest pain during sex, heart disease, heart failure, or high or low blood pressure. High or low blood pressure on this list is that earlier history. In the last 6 months, also tell the doctor about an abnormal heartbeat, a heart attack, or a stroke.

What rare heart events have happened?

Rarely, an abnormal heartbeat, a heart attack, a stroke, bleeding in the lungs, and very bad high blood pressure have happened with this drug. Sometimes this has been deadly. Most of the time, these problems happened in people who had heart problems before taking this drug. It is not known if this drug caused these problems.

Will it raise sex drive or fix other sexual problems?

Taking Viagra or sildenafil does not boost libido, and it is not intended to. An erectile-dysfunction medicine is not a quick-fix solution. These medicines are not intended to address premature ejaculation, anorgasmia (not reaching orgasm), or decreased libido.

What can happen with an alpha-blocker, a blood-pressure medicine, ritonavir, or riociguat?

Taken together, sildenafil tablets and an alpha-blocker or an anti-hypertensive may lead to hypotension, a drop in blood pressure. “May” is the limit; a drop is not certain. Alpha-blockers are commonly used for prostate problems or high blood pressure. Other drugs for high blood pressure are also named among medicines that may interact.

Ritonavir

Ritonavir is a protease inhibitor. Taken with this tablet, it substantially increases the amount of sildenafil in the blood. HIV protease inhibitors are named more broadly among drugs that may interact.

Riociguat, vericiguat, and Adempas

Tell the doctor if you are taking riociguat or vericiguat. They must not be taken with this tablet. They belong with guanylate cyclase stimulators, medicines often prescribed for cardiovascular conditions. Adempas (riociguat) is one of those stimulators. They are named among medicines that may interact.

Can another erectile-dysfunction drug of this type be taken with it?

Tell the doctor if you are taking another drug like this one for erectile dysfunction, or another drug that has the same drug in it. They must not be stacked without the doctor’s check. Tell the doctor if you take another drug like this one for high pressure in the lungs. This tablet should not be taken with REVATIO or other pulmonary arterial hypertension treatments that contain sildenafil, or with PDE5 inhibitors like Adcirca (tadalafil).

When is an erection an emergency?

A painful erection, a hard penis that hurts, or an erection that lasts longer than 4 hours is a reason to call the doctor right away. This may happen even when you are not having sex. If it is not treated right away, it may lead to lasting sex problems, and you may not be able to have sex. The same event is also listed as rare: a painful or prolonged erection lasting more than 4 hours.

Can it be taken with food, alcohol, or grapefruit?

Food, alcohol, and grapefruit are not described in one agreed way. Where two wordings exist, both are kept.

Food

One wording is to take it with or without food. The other is that it is most effective on an empty stomach, and that it works best on an empty stomach. “Most effective” and “works best” are not a guarantee.

Alcohol

Alcohol (ethanol) is a moderate interaction, and one of the two food and beverage interactions named. Talk with the doctor before you drink alcohol. It is also described as most effective with no alcohol in the mix, and as working best without alcohol close to its use. “Most effective” is not a guarantee.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit or grapefruit juice is a moderate interaction. It is the other of the two food and beverage interactions, beside alcohol.

What other medicines have to be checked?

The check covers certain drugs used for HIV, for infections, and for other health problems, certain oral antifungal drugs such as ketoconazole, and specific antibiotics. It also covers prescription and over-the-counter drugs, natural products, and vitamins. 283 medications are known to interact. The groups named here are the ones listed, and they are not every drug or health problem that can interact. Tell the doctor and the pharmacist about all of your drugs — prescription or over-the-counter, natural products, and vitamins — and about your health problems. You must check that it is safe for you to take this drug with all of your drugs and health problems.

What has been found in fake tablets?

Surveys have found that erectile-dysfunction drugs account for nearly 80% of illegal medicine confiscations each year. Confiscated fakes of Viagra have been reported to contain rat poison, drywall, amphetamines, and blue ink used to copy the blue color of the brand-name pill. Those fakes are not generic sildenafil from a trusted pharmacy. Obtain the medicine from a trusted pharmacy.

Does it prevent HIV or hepatitis?

HIV and hepatitis are infections that can spread through sex. This drug does not protect against HIV or hepatitis. To protect against these infections, use a latex or polyurethane condom.

What strengths are named?

The strengths named for this erectile-dysfunction tablet are 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg. The same three are also written 25mg, 50mg, and 100mg, and as 25, 50, or 100 mg. Generic tablets are available, and Sildenafil 100mg Tablets is one of the names used. None of these listings says 100 mg is the only strength.

Who makes it, and what do the pages say about exclusivity?

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries announced the US launch of its generic sildenafil citrate (Viagra) tablets in an item dated December 11, 2017. In July, Greenstone LLC announced that it would also offer sildenafil citrate once Viagra lost its exclusivity “this month.” “This month” is that item’s phrase. No separate calendar day is given for the loss of exclusivity. A later account says Teva Pharmaceuticals now also manufactures the generic sildenafil, along with several other companies such as Aurobindo and Cambia. In recent years, the manufacturer of Viagra has also launched its own generic version containing the active ingredient sildenafil.

Why was sildenafil first made?

Sildenafil was created in the 1980s to treat angina, chest pain caused by a lack of adequate blood flow to the heart. A number of male patients reported stronger erections. The medication was then found to be a viable treatment for erectile dysfunction.

Who is it not approved for?

It is not approved for use in females. It is not approved for use in children.

What else has to be told to the doctor before the first dose?

Tell the doctor if you are allergic to this drug, to any part of it, or to any other drugs, foods, or substances, and say what signs you had. Also tell the doctor if you have pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD), a hereditary eye problem such as retinitis pigmentosa, or sickle cell disease. Tell all of your health care providers that you take this drug. That includes doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists.

Which effects are people told to expect?

The names stay with the list they came from. Common adverse reactions are headache, flushing, dyspepsia, abnormal vision, nasal congestion, back pain, myalgia, nausea, dizziness, and rash. The most common side effects are named as headache, flushing, indigestion, abnormal vision, nasal congestion, back pain, muscle pain, nausea, dizziness, and rash. A shorter line names headache, flushing, and indigestion.

Other side effects are flushing, headache, heartburn, upset stomach, a runny or stuffy nose, muscle pain, and back pain. Many people have no side effects or only minor side effects. These are not all of the side effects that may occur.

Another list of possible effects is dizziness, lightheadedness, flushing, upset stomach, muscle or back pain, and vision changes such as sensitivity to light or blurred vision. Dizziness on these common lists is separate from dizziness or passing out. Rash on a common-effects list is separate from a serious allergic reaction.

Headache on that account is tied to increased nitric oxide and to changes in blood flow. Limiting caffeine and increasing water intake is described as helping that headache. Call the doctor or get medical help if any of these side effects, or any other side effects, bother you or do not go away.

Which effects mean calling a doctor right away?

Even though it may be rare, some people may have very bad and sometimes deadly side effects when taking a drug. Tell the doctor or get medical help right away if you have signs that may be related to a very bad side effect.

Signs of an allergic reaction include rash, hives, itching, red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin with or without fever, wheezing, tightness in the chest or throat, trouble breathing, swallowing, or talking, unusual hoarseness, or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat. Also call for chest pain or pressure, a fast heartbeat, or an abnormal heartbeat. Call for dizziness or passing out. Call for a severe upset stomach or throwing up. Call for weakness on 1 side of the body, trouble speaking or thinking, a change in balance, drooping on one side of the face, or blurred eyesight. Call for a change in eyesight or loss of eyesight. Call for ringing in the ears, hearing loss, or any other change in hearing. Call for trouble breathing that is new or worse, swelling in the arms or legs, fever, or any unexplained bruising or bleeding.

Listed separately as rare are a sudden decrease or loss of hearing or ringing in the ears, and a serious allergic reaction which may cause rash, itching or swelling, or trouble breathing. Severe eye problems have rarely happened with this drug. Some of these may lead to a change in eyesight and sometimes loss of eyesight, which may not come back.

What should someone 65 or older, or someone who has to drive, know?

If you are 65 or older, use this drug with care. You could have more side effects.

Driving and standing up

Avoid driving and other tasks that call for you to be alert until you see how this drug affects you. To lower the chance of feeling dizzy or passing out, rise slowly if you have been sitting or lying down. Be careful going up and down stairs.

How is it stored, and what if it is not helping?

Store it at room temperature in a dry place. Do not store it in a bathroom. Keep all drugs in a safe place. Keep all drugs out of the reach of children and pets.

If it is not helping

Do not share your drugs with others, and do not take anyone else’s drugs. If symptoms or health problems do not get better, or if they become worse, call the doctor. Side effects may be reported to the FDA at 1-800-332-1088 and at https://www.fda.gov/medwatch. They may also be reported at 1-800-FDA-1088 and at https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch.