Viagra

It can take just 30 minutes to 1 hour for Viagra to begin to work. It is best to take it 1 hour before you want to have sex as it can sometimes take this long to work fully.

It will not give you an erection on its own, you also need to be turned on. The effects of Viagra can last up to 5 hours, but it usually starts to wear off after 2 or 3 hours.

When the effects wear off you should not take another Viagra within the same 24 hour period

Viagra should only be taken once a day if you are using 50mg or 100mg doses. If you use 25mg, you may use 2 if 1 is not enough. You can use Viagra as often as you like, as long as it is no more than 100mg in 1 day. Taking it every day or regularly across months or years does not seem to cause any harmful effects.

Taking too many in one day can give you some nasty side effects, like:

• headaches
• stomach pain
• dizziness
• a blocked nose
• changes in vision

As with any medicine, you should take Viagra as your doctor has advised. Talk to them right away if you have taken too much and you are worried about the side effects.

You should not take Viagra if you:

• have had an allergic reaction to sildenafil before
• have any serious heart, kidney, or liver problems
• have low blood pressure
• have recently had a stroke or a heart attack
• are taking medicine for chest pain called ‘nitrates’
• have a rare inherited eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa

Check with your doctor before taking Viagra if you have:

• sickle cell anaemia
• leukaemia
• multiple myeloma
• an irregular penis shape or Peyronie's disease (a curved penis)
• a heart condition
• a stomach ulcer or a bleeding problem like haemophilia

Common side effects of Viagra include:

• headaches
• dizziness
• feeling sick
• hot flushes
• indigestion or heartburn
• a change in vision
• a stuffy nose

If you have any of these side effects it is safe to keep taking Viagra, but you should tell your doctor if you are worried or they do not go away over time.

Rare side effects of Viagra include:

• chest pains
• prolonged and sometimes painful erections
• a sudden change or loss of vision
• a serious skin reaction
• seizures

You should stop taking Viagra and call a doctor right away if you get any of these rare side effects. You should get medical help right away if you have an erection that lasts more than 4 hours.

Before you take Viagra you should tell your doctor if you are taking any other medication. Some medicines do not mix well with Viagra and may cause harmful side effects.

You should avoid taking Viagra with alcohol as it may make it more difficult to get an erection. It can also be potentially dangerous to take Viagra with recreational drugs, like poppers (amyl nitrite).

You should tell your doctor if you are taking:

• nitrates for chest pain
• riociguat for pulmonary hypertension
• recreational drugs like amyl nitrite, called poppers

As well as sildenafil, Viagra also contains lactose (as monohydrate). This means it is not suitable if you have rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, total lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption.

The best way to dispose of your medication is by using a medicine take-back program. Speak to your local pharmacist for more information.

Make sure to keep the tablets in the box they come in, tightly closed and out of the reach of children. Store the tablets at room temperature and away from heat or moisture.

The marketing authorisation holder of VIAGRA is Upjohn EESV, Rivium Westlaan 142, 2909 LD Capelle aan den IJssel, Netherlands.

The manufacturer of VIAGRA is Fareva Amboise, Zone Industrielle, 29 route des Industries, 37530 Pocé-sur-Cisse, France.

You can buy boxes of 4, 8, 12, 16, or 28 tablets. The tablets are blue and diamond-shaped, marked PFIZER on one side and either VGR 25, VGR 50, or VGR 100 on the other depending on the dose you have.