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Sildenafil is a treatment for erectile dysfunction in male adults. This is when a man cannot achieve or maintain a hard, erected penis for satisfactory sexual activity.
It is important to note that sildenafil works only with sexual stimulation. Sildenafil alone does not increase your sex drive.
For more resources, including a full list of the risks and benefits of sildenafil, please review the product monograph.
Sildenafil belongs to a class of medicine called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors.
Following sexual stimulation, sildenafil works by helping to relax the blood vessels in your penis by allowing blood to flow into your penis. This results in improved erectile function.
It’s important to note that sexual stimulation is still needed for Sildenafil to function.
What is Sildenafil used to treat?
Sildenafil is primarily used as a treatment for men with erectile dysfunction, who are having trouble getting or maintaining an erection that lasts long enough to perform sexual activities.
Sildenafil should be taken 30-60 minutes before planning to start sexual activities. However, it can be taken 30 minutes to 4 hours prior to sexual activity.
Dosage will depend on what your healthcare practitioner believes is the best choice for you. The most common dosages are 50mg or 100mg, but in some cases, 25mg doses are used.
Never take more than the recommended dosage of sildenafil, and don’t take more than one dose within a 24-hour period. I
f you have questions about how to use sildenafil safely and effectively, talk to your healthcare practitioner at Felix. They’ll be able to give you any guidance you need.
How long does Sildenafil last after you take it?
The most common side effects from taking sildenafil include:
- Headache
- Flushing
- Indigestion (dyspepsia)
- Nasal congestion
- Respiratory tract infections
- Flu syndrome
- Urinary tract infection’
- Abnormal vision
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Rash
- Back pain
- Joint pain (arthralgia)
If you start to experience any serious side effects when taking sildenafil, you should talk to your healthcare practitioner at Felix immediately. They may be able to suggest alternative medications or dosages that may work better for you.
In rare cases, patients may experience priapism (an erection lasting more than 4 hours). If this occurs, you should seek immediate medical attention to ensure your safety.
There are a number of people who shouldn’t use sildenafil prescriptions, such as:
- People taking medications that include nitrates
- People under the age of 18
- People who have had an allergic reaction to sildenafil in the past
- People who have previously experienced a condition called non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION)
- People taking guanylate cyclase stimulators (i.e., riociguat)
- People who have been advised against sexual activity
In addition to these people, there are others that should be cautious about using sildenafil, because of other underlying conditions.
You should talk to your healthcare practitioner at Felix if you:
- Have heart disease
- Have had a heart attack or stroke
- Are over the age of 65
- Have low or uncontrolled high blood pressure
- Have kidney or liver problems
- Have sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma, or leukemia
- Have a deformed penis
- Have Peyronie’s disease
- Have ever had a priapism (an erection that lasts more than 4 hours)
- Have stomach ulcers or other bleeding problems
- Have retinitis pigmentosa
- Have ever had temporary or permanently loss of vision in one or both eyes
Sildenafil is not intended for use in women or people assigned female at birth.
Can women take Sildenafil?
No, it’s not recommended for women to use sildenafil, if they were born with a uterus.
However, transgender women may be able to use sildenafil pills, if your practitioner determines it’s safe for you to do so.
Your best bet would be to reach out to your practitioner and discuss the option of using an online sildenafil prescription. They’ll be able to tell you whether they think it’s a safe possibility, or if there’s an alternative medication that may function the same way for you.
What age can you start taking Sildenafil?
You need to be over the age of 18 to be able to access treatments like online sildenafil prescriptions through Felix in Canada.
However, as long as you are over the age of 18 and live in one of our serviceable provinces across Canada, you may be eligible to access sildenafil pills.
If you’re interested in exploring sildenafil tablets as a potential form of treatment, be sure to complete a short online assessment to get started with one of our practitioners today!
Can Sildenafil be taken daily?
You may be able to take sildenafil daily, but it’s important that if you’re planning to use this medication as frequently as once every 24 hours that you make your practitioner aware of this.
They may adjust your dosage to provide maximum assistance for you, while also reducing potential negative side effects of using sildenafil every day.
Or they may suggest an alternative to sildenafil pills that is safer to use at this level of frequency.
Can you become dependent on Sildenafil?
No, at this time there is no evidence that there are addictive properties to using sildenafil tablets, even over an extended period of time.
However, any medication can become habit forming over time, even if you don’t become chemically addicted to it; especially if it’s something that provides a drastic quality of life improvement for you (i.e., ED treatments).
If you’ve been treating your ED symptoms using sildenafil pills for an extended period of time, you may also benefit from seeking counseling like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This can help you work through any mental health factors that could be holding back progress in your ED treatment plan.
It may also be a good idea to explore potential physical causes of your ED symptoms with your practitioner, so that you can begin treating these underlying causes, if possible.
Further reading
