You have probably heard wonders about this little blue pill, but is it really that effective? In this article, we aim to answer some of your questions surrounding Viagra, such as how long it lasts, and what dosage you should start with. We also explain the factors affecting Viagra’s overall effectiveness, and include tips to increase its efficacy.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a sexual dysfunction whereby men are unable to achieve or maintain an erection for sexual intercourse.
ED is common amongst men above the age of 40, and can be a result of either type-2 diabetes or high blood pressure. That said, younger men are not immune to developing ED, especially when under huge psychological stress.
Erections occur when the nerves around the penis are stimulated. This causes muscles around the penis to relax, allowing blood to flow in to cause an erection.
For men with ED, their nerves aren’t properly stimulated, and so blood doesn’t flow properly into the penis. Viagra helps as it contains an active ingredient called sildenafil citrate, a PDE-5 inhibitor. This relaxes the walls of the blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more easily into the penis to cause an erection.
Viagra is well-known for good reason. It has continuously proven itself to be an effective ED treatment, with at least two-thirds of men having harder erections after consuming it.
Like most medications, different men require different doses of Viagra for best results. Viagra is generally sold in doses of 25mg, 50mg, and 100mg.
To determine what initial dosage is best for you, we recommend seeking professional advice from trained doctors, which we offer here at Noah.
Research shows that 100mg is the most appropriate initial dose. For a majority of men with ED, 100mg is shown to produce an optimal erection hardness (fully hard and rigid).
However, your required initial dosage may differ depending on external factors.
For example, if you’re consuming other medications, you might require a lower initial dosage due to potential drug interactions.
We recommend that you allow a doctor to advise you on the best initial dosage for your current condition.
Viagra generally starts working within 30 to 60 minutes after consumption. However, some may take up to 2 hours.
For Viagra to work faster, it’s important that you feel relaxed and comfortable. Facing huge stress at work or panicking over your bedroom performance could negatively affect Viagra’s effectiveness. If you feel your anxiety levels rising, take a long deep breath to calm yourself.
It’s also important to remember that Viagra requires sexual arousal to work. Some suggestions include masturbation, reading erotica or engaging in foreplay.
According to Viagra’s FDA level, it has a terminal half-life of roughly 4 hours. This means that Viagra stays in the system for roughly 4 hours post-dose.
However, the duration of Viagra’s effects depend on various external factors such as your body’s metabolism rate. For most men, Viagra lasts between 2 to 3 hours before its effects start decreasing. If you’re lucky, it can stay in your system for up to 5 hours or longer.
While Viagra can last in your body for around 4 hours, it’s a myth that you would be having a boner throughout. Depending on how your body metabolises the Viagra, you can get several erections throughout the time period.
Another myth is that Viagra makes you last longer in bed. While Viagra can’t increase stamina, it can, however, reduce your refractory period, allowing you to get another erection sooner after ejaculation.
There are multiple external factors affecting Viagra’s overall effectiveness. Here are some of the more common ones:
We all know that our metabolism slows down with age. This means that the older you are, the longer Viagra can last in your system. This is especially true for men > 65 years of age. Who says that there are no perks to growing older!
Certain medications (such as those including nitrates or alpha-blockers) can interact with Viagra, affecting how long the Viagra lasts in your system. In such cases, you might require different dosages of Viagra for better results.
To err on the safe side, we recommend that you consult a medical professional before consuming Viagra.
For best results, Viagra should be taken on either an empty stomach or after a light meal.
Large meals and high-fat foods are not recommended as they prevent Viagra from being metabolised quickly or effectively. If you’ve already eaten, it’s best that you wait a few hours for the food to digest first.
If possible, limit alcohol consumption or smoking before taking Viagra as they decrease blood flow to the penis, thereby reducing the Viagra’s overall effectiveness.
How effective and long Viagra lasts in your system also depends on your pre-existing health conditions.
If you have diabetes or heart conditions like atherosclerosis (fat buildup in blood vessels), do expect Viagra to be less effective and last for a shorter duration.
On the flipside, Viagra lasts longer if you have kidney or liver problems, since your body takes a longer time to metabolise the tablet.
Oftentimes, we tend to forget that our mental wellbeing is as important as our physical health.
Feeling anxious, nervous, stressed or even depressed can all have negative influences on how your body responds to sexual stimulation. Since Viagra requires sexual arousal to be effective, try to be as relaxed and calm as possible. Some meditation or yoga could be helpful!
It’s extremely frustrating if your Viagra isn’t working when you desperately want it to.
While it’s tempting to pop another pill in, always remember that you should never take more than 100mg of Viagra within a 24-hour period. As a rule of thumb, always follow the dosage prescribed by your doctor – no more, no less.
Overdosing is definitely not a fun experience. It can cause severe headaches and low blood pressure, which may eventually lead to fainting.
More severely, overdosing can lead to priapism, a painful erection that lasts for over 4 hours. This is dangerous as it could potentially damage penis tissue since the blood stored in the penis isn’t receiving oxygen. If this occurs, we advise that you seek emergency treatment immediately.
While Viagra is one of the more common and effective drugs on the market, it is not the only one. There are currently many different ED medications available. A popular alternative is Tadalafil, which is equally effective and longer-lasting compared to Viagra.
Ultimately, everyone reacts to different ED medications and dosages differently. For best results, seek professional medical advice before consuming any ED medications. Here at Noah, this can be done in just a couple of minutes and within the comfort of your own home!
Articles featured on Noah are for informational purposes only and should not be constituted as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have any medical questions or concerns, please talk to your healthcare provider. If you're looking for a healthcare provider, click here.
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