Can You Take Viagra Every Day?

Erectile dysfunction can be a frustrating condition to deal with. When you find a treatment plan that works — such as a Viagra prescription — you may find yourself wondering how frequently you can take the medication and how it affects your ED.

Viagra is used primarily to treat ED and can be taken once every 24 hours. It is essential to always follow the dosage instructions provided by your healthcare practitioner and never exceed more than one dose of Viagra in a 24-hour timeframe.

This article will discuss everything you need to know about how frequently you can take Viagra.  

Plus, keep reading to learn about potential side effects of Viagra, how to make Viagra more effective, and more.  

What is Viagra?

Viagra is a brand-name prescription drug used for treating erectile dysfunction (ED).  

Viagra, also known by its generic name sildenafil, is a medication that is classified as a phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor.  

PDE inhibitors are used to promote blood vessel dilation and relax muscles. In Viagra, this mechanism works to increase the blood flow to the penis.  

Do you need a prescription to buy sildenafil?

For people living in Canada, a prescription is required to purchase sildenafil (Viagra).  

Prescriptions for Viagra can be obtained from any Health Canada-approved healthcare practitioner — including online clinics such as Felix.  

Once you have your prescription, you can receive your Viagra pills at either an in-person pharmacy or order them online.  

Viagra is specifically designed for people with ED, so it is crucial to take the proper steps for diagnosis and treatment.  

Taking Viagra recreationally without a formal diagnosis and prescription should be avoided, as misuse of the drug can have serious side effects.  

Is Viagra’s dosage based on age or weight?

While weight is not a major factor in determining the best Viagra dosage for you, age can play a role.  

A Viagra dosage is influenced by many factors, such as age and certain health conditions.  

Lower-dose Viagra may be recommended for people who are:

• 65 years or older
• Living with pre-existing kidney or liver problems
• Taking certain medications that may interact with Viagra (alpha-blockers, HIV medications, etc.)

Does Viagra work to treat ED?  

Erectile dysfunction — or ED — is a fairly prevalent condition that affects a person’s ability to maintain an erection for sexual activity.  

According to the Canadian Urological Association guideline on ED, 40% of men in their 40s will experience ED at different levels of severity, with this prevalence increasing by 10% each decade following a person’s 40s.  

Additionally, this research states that ED can occur following trauma (pelvic or penile), surgery (pelvic, penile, or urethral), and radiation therapy.  

Oral medications, such as Viagra, are one element of treatment for anyone dealing with ED. Along with sildenafil (Viagra), other ED medications include:

• Tadalafil (Cialis, Adcirca)
• Vardenafil (Levitra)
• Avanafil (Stendra)  

How often can you take Viagra?

Following your dosage instructions is key to safely using Viagra to treat ED.

The standard dosages of Viagra are as follows:  

• For adults 65 or younger: 50 mg of Viagra once per day, at least 1 hour before partaking in sexual intercourse.  
• For adults 65 or older: 25 mg of Viagra once per day, at least 1 hour before partaking in sexual intercourse.

Viagra is not intended for use by anyone under the age of 18. Additionally, a healthcare practitioner can help you adjust your dosage according to your needs.  

Is it safe to take Viagra every day?  

As per the dosage instructions for Viagra, it is safe for the medication to be taken once every 24 hours.  

However, you should never exceed more than one dose of Viagra per day.  

Taking more than the recommended dose of Viagra can result in moderate to severe consequences, including a condition called priapism, which is a medical emergency and requires immediate medical attention.  

What taking Viagra every day does to your body

Several studies that suggest daily use of Viagra can be beneficial when treating ED.  

Some of the potential benefits of Viagra aside from helping to treat ED include:  

• Improving a person’s ability to urinate
• Lowered risk of stroke and heart attack

• Heightened quality of life and confidence

How long does it take for Viagra to work?

When you are given a prescription for Viagra, your healthcare practitioner will likely recommend giving the medication an hour to enter your system and begin working.

However, you can take Viagra up to four hours before sexual intercourse.  

Every person is different.

Thus, every person’s body will respond to the medication in varied ways.  

Once you have your prescription, you can observe what length of time is best for waiting after taking Viagra.  

Contact your healthcare practitioner if you have taken your recommended dosage and do not notice any changes to your penis or erection within an hour. Additionally, Viagra requires sexual stimulation to work, so you will need proper stimulation to get an erection on the medication.  

You may need a dose adjustment, which your healthcare practitioner can determine.  

What can I do to make Viagra work faster?

There is no medically-proven way to make Viagra work faster. However, you can potentially improve the effectiveness of Viagra by:

• Not taking it on a full stomach: Having a full stomach can cause the medication to take longer to work, according to 2019 research. Since it is not necessary to take Viagra with food, you can choose to take the medication when you have an emptier stomach.  
• Avoiding alcohol with Viagra: It is safe to consume moderate amounts of alcohol with Viagra — yet, you may not want to. Alcohol is a natural depressant that can make achieving an erection more difficult, working directly against the effects of Viagra.  
• Getting proper exercise: One study shows that inadequate physical activity and abdominal obesity can increase the chances of or severity of ED. By getting your proper amount of exercise in (at least 30 to 150 minutes per week), you can potentially improve your ED symptoms, as well as increase the potential effectiveness of Viagra.  

How long will Viagra stay in my system?

Viagra stays in your bloodstream and system for up to 24 hours — hence why you must avoid taking more than one dose of Viagra in a 24-hour period.

What’s the youngest age for which Viagra is safe to use?

Viagra is currently only approved for use by people aged 18 or older.  

Viagra is mainly intended as a treatment for ED, which tends to affect older people more than younger people.  

Viagra side effects

Several side effects can occur when taking Viagra.  

These side effects range from common to rare, with some requiring medical attention from a healthcare practitioner.  

The common side effects can include:  

• Aching muscles
• Bloody nose

• Diarrhea
• Headaches
• Flushed or reddened skin
• Trouble sleeping

As for the more rare side effects, these can include:  

• Bladder pain
• Burning in the chest or stomach
• Tingling, itching, prickling feelings
• Cloudy or bloody urine
• Dizziness
• Increased and/or painful urination  
• Indigestion
• Upset and/or tender stomach

Contact your healthcare practitioner as soon as possible if you are experiencing side effects from Viagra.

How to relieve Viagra side effects

Most of the common and mild side effects of Viagra will pass after a few hours once the medication has made its way through your system and the effects begin to wear off.  

If side effects continue to persist after 24 hours or each time you take Viagra, talk to your healthcare practitioner about your dosage.  

Viagra interactions with other medications

Like any medication, Viagra has potential interactions with other medications you may be on. While some of these interactions may be normal, others may have serious consequences.

It is crucial to always disclose all of your medications — both past and current — to the healthcare practitioner giving you a Viagra prescription.  

Check out Drugs.com — a free online educational resource on prescription drugs — to view all 306 of Viagra’s drug interactions.  

Key takeaways

Erectile dysfunction does not have to control your sex life or overall well-being.  

With the right dosage of Viagra or another ED medication, you can take back the control of your life and experience more fulfilling and satisfying sexual intercourse.

To discuss your ED options with a healthcare practitioner, get started with Felix today.  

Our online clinic is Health Canada-approved and offers medications prescribed by licensed healthcare practitioners.