Everything you need to know about Viagra and other drugs like it

Even if you’ve never experienced erectile dysfunction (ED), chances are you’ve heard of the most well-known treatment.

The so-called ‘little blue pill’ was developed by Pfizer in 1989 when the company was actually trying to find a way to treat heart pain due to poor blood flow to the heart muscle (angina). During this process, some patients reported an unexpected side effect after taking sildenafil citrate — penile erection. 

The rest, as they say, is history — after more trials and tests, sildenafil was launched (under the brand name Viagra) as a drug to combat ED, with the drug approved for use in Australia in 1998.

Let’s dive into some more detail.
 

What is Viagra?

Viagra is the brand name of a prescription medication used to treat erectile dysfunction. The drug is actually called sildenafil, and is part of a class of medications called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors.

There are a number of PDE5 inhibitors currently available in Australia, including avanafil, sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil (which are taken as tablets), and alprostadil (which is used as an injection).

PDE5 inhibitors are also used in the treatment of high blood pressure in the lungs and a few other special circumstances. 
 

How does Viagra work?

PDE5 inhibitors combat ED by increasing blood flow to your penis when you get sexually excited.

They work well and are safe for treating most men with erectile dysfunction, allowing intercourse in about 70% of users.
 

How long does Viagra last?

PDE5 inhibitors are generally recommended to be taken one hour before sexual activity. After taking it, you can get an erection for up to 4-6 hours afterwards, but your erection should only last for the normal period of time. Tadalafil can be taken as a once-daily tablet.

If you use PDE5 inhibitors, you should only take them once per day, and they should not be taken with other ED medicines.

You shouldn’t use these types of drugs if you also take long and short-acting nitrates, nitrate-containing medications, or recreational nitrates (amyl nitrate or methamphetamines, also known as ‘poppers’).
 

Viagra side effects

Common side effects of PDE5 inhibitors include headaches, flushing, indigestion, nasal congestion, backache and muscle pain.

Very occasionally, these drugs can cause a painful erection or an erection that won’t go away. If this happens, and the erection lasts for more than four hours, you should go to the nearest emergency department. Prolonged erections can be dangerous.
 

Where to buy Viagra?

To get PDE5 inhibitors, you need a prescription from your doctor. You can then buy them from a brick-and-mortar chemist or an online pharmacy. 

Some people buy these drugs online without a prescription, but this approach is risky as you can’t be 100% sure if the drug is legitimate or a fake.
 

Words of caution

If you think you need to use sildenafil or any other PDE5 inhibitor, you should always discuss it with your doctor first, for a number of reasons. Most importantly, erectile dysfunction is associated with a higher-than-normal risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

PDE5 inhibitors should not be used recreationally or for performance enhancement, because they can have serious side effects in people with health problems (they might be unaware of) or who take other drugs.