Viagra – The little blue pills used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction
In the age of fast-paced technology where everything works smoothly, there are some men who have complaints with their sexual ability and the competency to satisfy their partners. Most of them are suffering from the problem of erectile dysfunction. But it is said that where there is a will there’s a way.
Scientists and doctors from pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer have developed the most wonderful erectile dysfunction treatment drug known as Viagra. Reports say that Viagra is the most perceptible medication in the world today for the above mentioned issue.
It was the United States of America which first approved Viagra as the oral treatment of erectile dysfunction. The medicine cum supplement was patented in 1996 and it was approved for use on March 27, 1998, by US Food and Drug Administration.
According to the reports of ‘Urology Care Foundation’, almost 30 million men in the US alone face problems regarding getting and keeping the erection. Finally, they turn to ED medications. There are different drugs like Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, etc., which mostly work in a similar way but still there are some basic differences. So in this article, the readers will be able to go through the highly topical comparison of Viagra vs Cialis vs Levitra.
A brief overview of Viagra (sildenafil citrate)
Viagra is the commercial name or trade name for the drug named Sildenafil (sil-DEN-a-fil). It belongs to the class of PDE-5 (Phosphodiesterase type 5) inhibitors and mainly works for the men suffering from erectile dysfunction or, as it is also referred to quite often, impotence. It works by increasing the flow of blood towards the body of the penis so that the person can get an erection hard and long-lasting enough for their sexual intercourse.
It is important to note that Viagra works solely when the person is sexually excited. It can be taken 4 hours prior to your sexual intercourse and the medicine usually starts working within 30-60 minutes.
Can everyone take Viagra?Well, this gets the most disappointing answer as not all men having ED can take Viagra. Below there are some scenarios which prohibit a person from Viagra intake and they are:
Do not take it if you are taking medicines from the ‘nitrate’ group, i.e. nitro-glycerineAvoid taking Viagra if you take guanylate cyclase stimulators like Adempas
You won’t be allowed to take it if you use street drugs commonly referred to as ‘poppers’ – i.e. amyl nitrite, butyl nitrate, etc.
Dosage
Viagra is usually available in three common dosages: 100 mg, 50 mg, and 25 mg.
What do the official reports have to say?According to the reports, 85% of men consuming 25 mg, 80% consuming 50mg and 72% of men consuming 100 mg of Viagra have managed to gain hard erections while having sex. The figure is almost 50% higher if compared to the results achieved by patients taking placebo.
Are there any side effects?There are certain side-effects of Viagra and they are:
It can cause sudden partial or complete vision loss to both of your eyes
It can cause an erection that will not go away (commonly known as priapism) and may result in permanent penile body damage if not treated promptly
It can also cause hearing loss
Other common side-effects of Viagra include dizziness, muscle and back pain, upset stomach, headache, nausea, etc.
It is already mentioned that there are some other ED drugs available like Cialis and Levitra, but whether it is Viagra or Cialis or any other similar medication, they work in an almost identical manner.
Cialis (tadalafil) overview
Cialis is also one of the drugs used to fight erectile dysfunction and in medical terminology, it is known as tadalafil (tah-DA-la-fil). Cialis actually relaxes the muscles that are located in the walls of our blood vessels and it also intensifies the flow of blood to certain areas of the body. Cialis or tadalafil is also used for the treatment of enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia), along with that it is also effective against such symptoms of BPH as weak urine stream, frequent urination, problem in beginning the flow of urine, etc.
Misconception with CialisSome of the patients think that by the intake of this drug they will be protected from STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) like HIV, syphilis, gonorrhoea, hepatitis B, etc., which is completely wrong. Always use protection when having sex with anyone who is not your regular partner, no matter if you’re taking any ED meds or not.
Intake recommendationsFirst of all, a doctor’s consultation is vital for using this type of drugs. It can be taken with or without food. What is probably the most important thing to remember is that one should not take more than a single pill a day.
DosageDosage varies from one person to another. It depends on a number of subjective factors, which include but are not limited to the degree of a patient’s susceptibility to tadalafil or the presence or absence of certain health conditions that may affect the way tadalafil works in the patient’s system. In most cases, a patient would be recommended to start with one 10 mg Cialis pill taken prior to sexual activity and later on the dosage can be increased to 20 mg or lowered to 5 mg depending on the results.
Side effects of CialisHearing loss
Sinus pain
Headache
Irregular heartbeat
Convulsions
Dizziness/ Light-headedness
Levitra (vardenafil) overview
Levitra is another widely popular medication for treating ED. This drug is a PDE5 inhibitor. Levitra stimulates blood flow towards the penis, which consequently helps a man to get and keep his erection hard all through the sexual intercourse. This drug is manufactured and distributed by Bayer Pharmaceuticals. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved this as a medication in 2003.
DosageOne can take an initial dose of 10 mg about 60 minutes prior to expected sexual activity. Depending on the results and the presence or absence of side effects, this dose can later be changed to either 20 mg or 5 mg.
Side effectssneezing
itching
nausea
puffiness or skin rash
body ache
dizziness
sore throat
indigestion
abnormal ejaculation
diarrhoea
vision changes or blindness
Levitra and Pregnancy
This drug is intended for males and not for women. Pregnant or lactating mothers are strictly forbidden to take this medicine to avoid severe side-effects.