Viagra
Generic Name: sildenafil (oral) (sil DEN
uh fil)
Brand Names: Revatio, Viagra
What is Viagra?
Viagra 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.
Viagra may also be used for other purposes
not listed in this medication guide.
Important information about Viagra
Do not take Viagra 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 Viagra
with a nitrate medicine can cause a serious
decrease in blood pressure, leading to fainting,
stroke, or heart attack. 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 Viagra. Do not take Viagra
more than once a day. Allow 24 hours to pass
between doses. 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.
Viagra 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 Viagra, 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 Viagra
is the actual cause of vision loss.
Stop using Viagra and get emergency medical
help if you have sudden vision loss.
Before taking Viagra
Do not take Viagra 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 Viagra
with a nitrate medicine can cause a serious
decrease in blood pressure, leading to fainting,
stroke, or heart attack.
Before taking Viagra, tell your doctor if
you are allergic to any drugs, or if you
have:
-
heart disease or heart rhythm problems;
-
a recent history (in the past 6 months) of
a heart attack, stroke, or heart rhythm disorder;
-
congestive heart failure;
-
high or low blood pressure;
-
coronary artery disease;
-
liver disease;
-
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.
If you have any of these conditions, you
may need a dose adjustment or special tests
to safely take Viagra.
Viagra 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 Viagra, 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 Viagra
is the actual cause of vision loss. Stop
using Viagra 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
Viagra without telling your doctor if you
are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during
treatment. It is not known if Viagra 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 Viagra?
Take Viagra exactly as it was prescribed
for you. Do not take it in larger doses or
for longer than recommended by your doctor.
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.
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
Viagra. Store this medication at room temperature
away from moisture and heat.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Viagra is used as needed, so you are not
likely to be on a dosing schedule.
If you miss a dose of Revatio, take the missed
dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost
time for your next dose, skip the missed
dose and take the medicine at the next regularly
scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine
to make up the missed dose.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you
think you have used too much of this medicine.
Overdose symptoms may include chest pain,
nausea, irregular heartbeat, and feeling
light-headed or fainting.
What should I avoid while taking Viagra?
Avoid drinking alcohol, which can increase
some of the side effects of Viagra. Avoid
using other medicines to treat impotence,
such as alprostadil (Caverject, Muse, Edex)
or yohimbine (Yocon, Yodoxin, others), without
first talking to your doctor.
Viagra side effects
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. 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 Viagra.
Stop using Viagra and call your doctor at
once if you have any of these serious side
effects:
-
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:
This is not a complete list of side effects
and others may occur. Tell your doctor about
any unusual or bothersome side effect.
What other drugs will affect Viagra?
Do not take Viagra if you are also using
a nitrate drug for chest pain or heart problems,
including nitroglycerin (Nitrostat, Nitrolingual,
Nitro-Dur, Nitro-Bid, Minitran, Deponit,
Transderm-Nitro), isosorbide dinitrate (Dilatrate-SR,
Isordil, Sorbitrate), and isosorbide mononitrate
(Imdur, ISMO, Monoket), or recreational drugs
such as amyl nitrate or nitrite ("poppers").
Before taking Viagra, tell your doctor about
all other medications you use for erectile
dysfunction, or if you are using any of the
following medications:
-
bosentan (Tracleer);
-
a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);
-
cimetidine (Tagamet, Tagamet HB);
-
an antibiotic such as erythromycin (E-Mycin,
Eryc, Ery-Tab) or clarithromycin (Biaxin);
-
doxazosin (Cardura), prazosin (Minipress),
Terazosin (Hytrin);
-
HIV medicines such as amprenavir (Agenerase),
tipranavir (Aptivus), darunavir (Prezista),
efavirenz (Sustiva), nevirapine (Viramune),
indinavir (Crixivan), saquinavir (Invirase,
Fortovase), lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra),
fosamprenavir (Lexiva), ritonavir (Norvir),
atazanavir (Reyataz), or nelfinavir (Viracept);
-
an antifungal medication such as itraconazole
(Sporanox) or ketoconazole (Nizoral);
-
carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenobarbital (Luminal),
or phenytoin (Dilantin); or
-
rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane) or rifabutin
(Mycobutin).
This list is not complete and there may be
other drugs that can interact with Viagra.
Tell your doctor about all the prescription
and over-the-counter medications you use.
This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal
products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors.
Do not start using a new medication without
telling your doctor.
Where can I get more information?
- Your pharmacist can provide more information
about Viagra.
What does my medication look like?
Sildenafil is available with a prescription
under the brand names Viagra and Revatio.
Other brand or generic formulations may also
be available. Ask your pharmacist any questions
you have about this medication, especially
if it is new to you.
-
Revatio 20 mg - white, film-coated round
tablets
-
Viagra 25 mg - blue, film-coated tablets
with a rounded-diamond shape
-
Viagra 50 mg - blue, film-coated tablets
with a rounded-diamond shape
-
Viagra 100 mg - blue, film-coated tablets
with a rounded-diamond shape
- 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.
- Every effort has been made to ensure that
the information provided by Cerner Multum,
Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date,
and complete, but no guarantee is made to
that effect. Drug information contained herein
may be time sensitive. Multum information
has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners
and consumers in the United States and therefore
Multum does not warrant that uses outside
of the United States are appropriate, unless
specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's
drug information does not endorse drugs,
diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's
drug information is an informational resource
designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners
in caring for their patients and/or to serve
consumers viewing this service as a supplement
to, and not a substitute for, the expertise,
skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare
practitioners. The absence of a warning for
a given drug or drug combination in no way
should be construed to indicate that the
drug or drug combination is safe, effective
or appropriate for any given patient. Multum
does not assume any responsibility for any
aspect of healthcare administered with the
aid of information Multum provides. The information
contained herein is not intended to cover
all possible uses, directions, precautions,
warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions,
or adverse effects. If you have questions
about the drugs you are taking, check with
your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2006 Cerner Multum, Inc.
Version: 6.05. Revision Date: 11/05/2007
10:00:34 AM.
