sildenafil (oral)
| Pronunciation: | sil DEN a fil |
| Brand: | Revatio, Viagra |
Viagra 100 mg
diamond, blue, imprinted with Pfizer, VGR 100
Viagra 25 mg
diamond, blue, imprinted with Pfizer, VGR 25
Viagra 50 mg
diamond, blue, imprinted with Pfizer, VGR 50
What is the most important information I should know about sildenafil?
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Do not take sildenafil if you are also using a nitrate drug for chest pain or heart problems. This includes nitroglycerin (Nitrostat, Nitrolingual, Nitro-Dur, Nitro-Bid, and others), isosorbide dinitrate (Dilatrate-SR, Isordil, Sorbitrate), and isosorbide mononitrate (Imdur, ISMO, Monoket). Nitrates are also found in some recreational drugs such as amyl nitrate or nitrite ("poppers"). Taking sildenafil with a nitrate medicine can cause a sudden and serious decrease in blood pressure. |
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During sexual activity, if you become dizzy or nauseated, or have pain, numbness, or tingling in your chest, arms, neck, or jaw, stop and call your doctor right away. You could be having a serious side effect of sildenafil. |
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Do not take sildenafil more than once a day. Allow 24 hours to pass between doses. |
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Contact your doctor or seek emergency medical attention if your erection is painful or lasts longer than 4 hours. A prolonged erection (priapism) can damage the penis. |
Sildenafil can decrease blood flow to the optic nerve of the eye, causing sudden vision loss. This has occurred in a small number of people taking sildenafil, most of whom also had heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or certain pre-existing eye problems, and in those who smoke or are over 50 years old. It is not clear whether sildenafil is the actual cause of vision loss.
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Stop using sildenafil and get emergency medical help if you have sudden vision loss. |
What is sildenafil?
Sildenafil relaxes muscles and increases blood flow to particular areas of the body.
Sildenafil under the name Viagra is used to treat erectile dysfunction (impotence) in men. Another brand of sildenafil is Revatio, which is used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension and improve exercise capacity in men and women.
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Do not take Viagra while also taking Revatio, unless your doctor tells you to. |
Sildenafil may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking sildenafil?
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Do not take sildenafil if you are also using a nitrate drug for chest pain or heart problems. This includes nitroglycerin (Nitrostat, Nitrolingual, Nitro-Dur, Nitro-Bid, and others), isosorbide dinitrate (Dilatrate-SR, Isordil, Sorbitrate), and isosorbide mononitrate (Imdur, ISMO, Monoket). Nitrates are also found in some recreational drugs such as amyl nitrate or nitrite ("poppers"). Taking sildenafil with a nitrate medicine can cause a sudden and serious decrease in blood pressure. |
To make sure you can safely take sildenafil, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:
- heart disease or heart rhythm problems;
- a recent history (in the past 6 months) of a heart attack, stroke, or congestive heart failure;
- high or low blood pressure;
- coronary artery disease;
- liver or kidney disease;
- a blood cell disorder such as sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma, or leukemia;
- a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia;
- a stomach ulcer;
- retinitis pigmentosa (an inherited condition of the eye);
- a physical deformity of the penis (such as Peyronie's disease); or
- if you have been told you should not have sexual intercourse for health reasons.
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Sildenafil can decrease blood flow to the optic nerve of the eye, causing sudden vision loss. This has occurred in a small number of people taking sildenafil, most of whom also had heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or certain pre-existing eye problems, and in those who smoke or are over 50 years old. It is not clear whether sildenafil is the actual cause of vision loss. Stop using sildenafil and get emergency medical help if you have sudden vision loss. |
FDA pregnancy category B: This medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not use sildenafil without telling your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
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It is not known if sildenafil passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. |
How should I take sildenafil?
Take exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
Revatio is usually taken three times each day, about 4 to 6 hours apart.
Viagra is usually taken only when needed, 30 minutes to 1 hour before sexual activity. You may take it up to 4 hours before sexual activity. Do not take Viagra more than once per day.
Viagra can help you have an erection when sexual stimulation occurs. An erection will not occur just by taking a pill. Follow your doctor's instructions.
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During sexual activity, if you become dizzy or nauseated, or have pain, numbness, or tingling in your chest, arms, neck, or jaw, stop and call your doctor right away. You could be having a serious side effect of sildenafil. |
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Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. |
What happens if I overdose?
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Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. Overdose symptoms may include chest pain, nausea, irregular heartbeat, and feeling light-headed or fainting. |
What should I avoid while taking sildenafil?
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Drinking alcohol can increase certain side effects of sildenafil. |
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Avoid using other medicines to treat impotence, such as alprostadil (Caverject, Muse, Edex) or yohimbine (Yocon, Yodoxin, others), without first talking to your doctor. |
What are the possible side effects of sildenafil?
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Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. |
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During sexual activity, if you become dizzy or nauseated, or have pain, numbness, or tingling in your chest, arms, neck, or jaw, stop and call your doctor right away. You could be having a serious side effect of sildenafil. |
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Stop using sildenafil and call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as: |
- sudden vision loss;
- ringing in your ears, or sudden hearing loss;
- chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling;
- irregular heartbeat;
- swelling in your hands, ankles, or feet;
- shortness of breath;
- vision changes;
- feeling light-headed, fainting; or
- penis erection that is painful or lasts 4 hours or longer.
Less serious side effects may include:
- warmth or redness in your face, neck, or chest;
- stuffy nose;
- headache;
- memory problems;
- upset stomach; or
- back pain.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What other drugs will affect sildenafil?
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Do not take sildenafil with similar medications such as tadalafil (Cialis) or vardenafil (Levitra). |
Before taking sildenafil, tell your doctor about all other medications you use for erectile dysfunction, or if you are using any of the following medications:
- bosentan (Tracleer);
- cimetidine (Tagamet);
- conivaptan (Vaprisol);
- imatinib (Gleevec);
- isoniazid (for treating tuberculosis);
- rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane Rifater, Rifamate);
- an antidepressant such as nefazodone;
- an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), dalfopristin/quinupristin (Synercid), erythromycin (E.E.S., EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin, Pediazole), or telithromycin (Ketek);
- antifungal medication such as itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), miconazole (Oravig), or voriconazole (Vfend);
- heart or blood pressure medication such as diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac), doxazosin (Cardura), nicardipine (Cardene), quinidine (Quin-G), or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan); or
- HIV/AIDS medicine such as atazanavir (Reyataz), delavirdine (Rescriptor), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), saquinavir (Invirase), or ritonavir (Norvir, Kaletra).
This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with sildenafil. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
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