A medication commonly used to enable men to achieve erections, sildenafil is more popularly known in its branded form, Viagra. It’s already been several years since other pharmaceutical companies have been manufacturing generic sildenafil, yet there are still many things about sildenafil that men are curious about.

For one, there’s the question of whether it works the same way as Viagra. While other men are wondering how long the effects of sildenafil last, others want to know how long its effects actually start to kick in. Read on to learn more about sildenafil and how long before you start feeling its effects.

Overview

Both generic and branded sildenafil are used to treat erectile dysfunction and a heart condition called pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). For PAH, only the lower-strength sildenafil 20 mg is prescribed, while for erectile dysfunction, the available doses are 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg.

The main active ingredient contained in both branded and generic sildenafil is actually the same, a substance called sildenafil citrate. What it does is that it stimulates your smooth muscles to relax.

In your blood vessels, it results in dilation which then leads to increased blood flow and lower blood pressure. In your penile tissues, the actions of sildenafil citrate allow you to achieve an erection because when your penile smooth muscles relax, your penile arteries dilate. This then causes increased blood inflow to your penile erectile tissues.

How Long Before Sildenafil Starts to Work?

Studies about Viagra indicate that the drug starts to work in about 30 minutes after ingestion. In truth, that’s just the average since there are actually several factors that can affect your body’s absorption and metabolism of the drug.

Some men need to take the drug an hour prior to sex because their body doesn’t absorb sildenafil citrate as quickly as other men do, or their body isn’t as responsive to the medication.

Factors that can influence the amount of time it takes before the drug produces noticeable effects include your overall health, other medications you are taking, as well as any underlying medical conditions. Even your diet may also affect how long the medicine takes effect.

With generic sildenafil, on the one hand, the time it takes for it to take effect may also differ depending on the manufacturer. The efficacy, as well as the safety and side effects, may also vary.

How Long Do the Effects of Sildenafil Last?

Once it starts to take effect, Viagra usually stays potent for up to three hours. After that, the effects start to wane, although there are men who feel the effects of the drug for up to five hours after ingestion.

With generic sildenafil, how long its effects last may also vary, depending on the manufacturer. Your body’s metabolism may also affect how long the medicine lasts in your system.

Other factors that also influence how long the effects of the medicine last include the dosage of the tablet you took, your age, your diet, and if you’re taking certain medications. Even your psychological state can affect how long sildenafil stays effective after you take it.

If you’re taking sildenafil 25 mg, the effects may start to fade sooner than if you took a higher dosage. However, if your doctor only prescribed sildenafil 25 mg for you, it wouldn’t be advisable to take a higher dosage as that could lead to serious side effects.

If you eat a high-fat meal right before you take the drug, it could take longer for sildenafil to start kicking in. On the one hand, it may prolong the time that the medicine stays in your system since your body will metabolize it along with the food you ate.

Although you may think that your age is the number one reason why you’re experiencing erection problems, your age may actually help you enjoy the effects of sildenafil for longer. Men who are older tend to have a slower metabolism, and this means that your body may take longer before it completely metabolizes sildenafil.

You should also consider the fact that sildenafil doesn’t make you automatically erect. You still need to be sexually stimulated before you can start feeling the effects of the drug. This means that your psychological state and anything else that can impact your receptiveness to sexual stimuli can also affect how effective sildenafil will be for you.

If you’re feeling stressed or you’re suffering from anxiety or depression, it’s possible the you won’t be able to enjoy the full effects of sildenafil. The drug may not be as effective for you as when you’re actually in a positive mood and ready to enjoy sex.

The Downside

The thing about sildenafil is that the drug eventually gets fully metabolized and then you will no longer feel any of its effects. On top of that, doctors do not recommend that you take multiple sildenafil tablets in a day since that could cause serious side effects like dangerously low blood pressure, priapism, dizziness, nausea, and other adverse effects.

This means that even if you take sildenafil on a daily basis, which is actually not advisable, you still won’t feel any permanent improvements in your ability to achieve erections.

In addition, sildenafil also doesn’t help you last longer in bed. After you ejaculate, you will go through a refractory period which means your body will need to take a rest from sexual stimulation, thereby preventing you from having another erection right away. Results of various studies indicate that sildenafil doesn’t really make you last longer in bed.

Alternatives to Sildenafil

If you want to see permanent improvements in your ability to achieve erections, or if you want to increase your sexual stamina, you may be better off if you take herb-based supplements for erectile dysfunction instead.

A lot of men think that herbal supplements for sexual performance enhancement are not really effective, but the truth is that several herbs have been proven to effectively treat erectile dysfunction.

For instance, Tongkat Ali and Tribulus terrestris are both scientifically proven to significantly improve erection quality. In numerous studies, men with erectile dysfunction experienced vast improvements in their ability to achieve erections after taking supplements containing Tongkat Ali or Tribulus terrestris.

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