Medical Review by Jennie Stanford, MD, FAAFP, DipABOM
Summary
- Take the right dosage at the right time. Viagra® should be taken as prescribed, usually 50mg about 1 hour before sex—but the timing can vary from 30 minutes to 4 hours.
- Consult your healthcare provider for dosage adjustments. Your provider may increase or decrease your dose based on your experience, but you should never adjust it on your own.
- Support your medication with diet and lifestyle changes. Exercise, a healthy diet, and avoiding smoking can complement Viagra® by improving cGMP levels, which Viagra® also influences.
- Some evidence suggests that Viagra® may be more effective when combined with other treatments like daily tadalafil, shockwave therapy, or vacuum erectile devices—but there is limited data to support this early research.
- Always talk to your healthcare provider about using Viagra® and check in with them about any other medications or lifestyle changes. Responsible use of Viagra® includes following your provider’s instructions to avoid risks and side effects.
Viagra® is widely used to treat ED—but results may vary
Viagra® is one of the world’s best-known medications for treating erectile dysfunction (ED)—but like all drugs, its effects can vary depending on who takes it. If you are interested in getting the best possible results from Viagra®, there are a few steps you may want to follow.
We’ve provided a list of ways to make Viagra® more effective below and explained each recommendation so that you can see how it supports the use of this medication. Keep reading to learn more about proper dosages and timing, combining Viagra® with other therapies, and more.
Taking the right amount of Viagra® at the right time
It’s important to remember that when the FDA approves a drug for a specific purpose, they’re also approving specific dosages at specific intervals. That means you’re most likely to get the best results from Viagra® if you take it as prescribed—which will be based on the drug’s patient information.
The patient information for Viagra® states that the recommended dose for most patients is 50mg, taken as needed approximately 1 hour before having sex. However, this may be adjusted later depending on your individual experiences.
Adjusting the timing
You don’t have to take Viagra® exactly 1 hour before sex if you find that this isn’t working for you. The drug’s patient information states that you can take it anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours before sex.
If you do plan to adjust your timing for taking Viagra®, it’s a good idea to let your healthcare provider know. It’s also important to note that Viagra® should not be taken more than once per day—so make sure you let at least 24 hours pass after taking Viagra® before you take it again.
Related: Can you take ED medication every day?
Adjusting your dose
As you take Viagra®, it’s a good idea to consult regularly with your healthcare provider and let them know about your experiences with the medication. Your healthcare provider can adjust your dose up to 100mg or down to 25mg as needed—but remember, you should never adjust the amount of medication you are taking by yourself.
Supporting Viagra® with diet & lifestyle changes
Many of the factors that contribute to erectile dysfunction can be modified by making changes to your diet and lifestyle. These include:
- Getting more exercise
- Maintaining a healthy body weight
- Eating a nutritious diet
- Avoiding cigarette smoking
All of these factors can lead to conditions that reduce the amount of nitric oxide (NO) available to your body—and NO plays a key role in supporting erectile function by helping to increase your levels of a molecule called cGMP.
That means when you take action to improve these lifestyle factors, your NO bioavailability improves, your cGMP levels go up, and your risk of erectile dysfunction goes down.
Via the Asian Journal of Andrology.
Sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra®) also works to raise your cGMP levels. So, when you make these healthier diet and lifestyle changes, you’re complementing the effects of Viagra® instead of making it harder for the medication to work effectively.
Combination therapies that involve Viagra®
Some research suggests that the effects of Viagra® may be improved by taking in with other therapies or medications. One study compared the effects of erectile dysfunction medications (including sildenafil) when taken alone to the same medications when taken with the following:
- Daily tadalafil (also sold as Cialis® Daily)
- Low-intensity shockwave therapy
- A vacuum erectile device
Evidence suggests that when treated with PDE5 inhibitors, such as Viagra®, and one of the above methods, there were additional improvements in erectile function, compared to when using the medication alone.Combination therapy might have potential as a first-line treatment for cases of ED that are difficult to treat.
However, this is based on limited data—so talk to your healthcare provider before using any of the methods listed above in combination with each other.
Why consulting a healthcare provider is vital for responsible Viagra® use
It’s important to only take Viagra® as prescribed to you by a qualified healthcare provider and closely follow their directions. This can help you avoid the risks, side effects, and contraindications that come with the medication.
Learn more: Viagra® Guide: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects, & More
According to the patient information for Viagra®, you should also make sure to tell any other healthcare provider you have if you start taking it. That’s because it can be important for an emergency responder to know when you last took Viagra® if they’re treating you for a heart condition.
Learn more about taking Viagra® with Lemonaid Health
Using Viagra® effectively also means using it responsibly. The information provided above can help you communicate more effectively with your healthcare provider about your Viagra® use if it has been prescribed to you and make choices that help the medication work as well as possible.
Lemonaid Health can help. Get started with us to connect with a US-based healthcare practitioner who can provide private online consultations, answer your questions about ED and other medical conditions, and prescribe appropriate medication to you in cases where it is clinically indicated.
Viagra® is a registered trademark of Pfizer, Inc. Cialis® is a registered trademark of Lilly ICOS LLC.
