Sildenafil Tablets

Erectile Dysfunction Doctor Service

Sildenafil film-coated tablet is a generic viagra tablet, a medicine which is indicated to treat erectile dysfunction and help to achieve or maintain a penile erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance.

This tablet contains the same active ingredient as viagra, sildenafil citrate, which increases the blood flow to the penis to help men get an erection. Sildenafil's active ingredient is part of a group of medications called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors. It treats erectile dysfunction by relaxing the blood vessels in your penis, making it easier for blood to flow to the area. This makes it easier for your penis to get the blood flow it needs to become erect and stay erect.

Sildenafil is a reliable and affordable treatment and analyses show two-thirds of men have improved erections after taking this tablet.

Sildenafil starts working within an hour of taking it, and lasts for up to 4-6 hours.  In order for Sildenafil to be effective, sexual stimulation is required. Taking sildenafil alone will not cause an erection. You need to be aroused for it to work.

Sildenafil is a treatment for adult men.

• Sildenafil is not indicated for individuals below 18 years of age. Do not take sildenafil if you are under the age of 18
• Sildenafil is not indicated for use by women

What Is Erectile Dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction is something that most men will experience at some point in their lives. While this can be a short-term condition caused by things like alcohol, stress, or tiredness, some men will experience erectile dysfunction over a longer period of time. This can be due to a physical or emotional cause.

What Causes Erectile Dysfunction?

Small blood vessels supply the penis, and when a man is sexually aroused, an increase in blood flow into the penis causes the penis to stiffen. Erectile dysfunction can happen if these vessels are blocked in any way. Because the vessels are so thin, blockages can occur easily.

Things like smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes and lack of exercise can all have an effect on these blood vessels. Erectile dysfunction symptoms could also be down to emotional or psychological causes, such as anxiety or depression. Sometimes erectile dysfunction may be a side effect of being on certain medication.

Health Issues can also contribute to erectile dysfunction. Circulation problems can mean blood struggles to reach the penis and problems like hormonal imbalances, groin injuries, or low mood have also been known to have an effect on a man’s ability to achieve an erection.

If you’ve regularly been experiencing erectile dysfunction, please speak to a pharmacist or your GP.

What Is Sildenafil?

Sildenafil is a prescription medicine used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). You will not get an erection just by taking this medicine. Sildenafil helps a man with ED get and keep an erection only when he is sexually stimulated.

How Long Will It Take For Sildenafil To Work?

Sildenafil usually starts to work within 30-60 minutes. And you only take it when you need it. Sildenafil can be taken with or without food. If you take Sildenafil after a high-fat meal (such as a cheeseburger and french fries), it may take a little longer to start working.

How Long Does Sildenafil Last?

The effects of Sildenafil may be noticeable for up to 4 hours after taking your dose. 

Does Sildenafil Work For Women?

Sildenafil and Viagra are licensed treatments for men. Women cannot take this treatment and it may be dangerous to use.

What Is The Difference Between Sildenafil and Viagra?

Sildenafil is the generic form of the better known branded drug Viagra. This means that both medications contain exactly the same active ingredient.

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. 

• Do not use it, if you are allergic to any of the ingredients.
• For a full list of side effects, please read the patient information leaflet.

The side effects reported in association with the use of Sildenafil are usually mild to moderate and of a short duration.

If you experience any of the following serious side effects stop taking Sildenafil and seek medical help immediately:

An allergic reaction. Symptoms include sudden wheezing, difficulty in breathing or dizziness, swelling of the eyelids, face, lips or throat.

Chest pains. If this occurs during or after intercourse:

• Get in a semi-sitting position and try to relax.
• Do not use nitrates to treat your chest pain.

Prolonged and sometimes painful erections. If you have an erection which lasts for more than 4 hours, you should contact a doctor immediately.

Stop taking Sildenafil and see your doctor straight away if you get some or all of the following symptoms:

• A sudden decrease or loss of vision.
• Serious skin reactions.
• Symptoms may include severe peeling and swelling of the skin, blistering of the mouth, genitals and around the eyes, fever.
• Seizures or fits.

You should not use Sildenafil with any other oral or local treatments for erectile dysfunction.

You should not use Sildenafil with treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) containing sildenafil or any other PDE5 inhibitors.

• You should not take Sildenafil if you do not have erectile dysfunction.
• You should not take Sildenafil if you are a woman.

Special considerations for patients with kidney or liver problems

• You should tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems. Your doctor may decide on a lower dose for you.

Children and adolescents

• Sildenafil should not be given to individuals under the age of 18.

Other medicines and Sildenafil

• Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.
  Sildenafil tablets may interfere with some medicines, especially those used to treat chest pain. In the event of a medical emergency, you should tell your doctor or pharmacist that you have taken Sildenafil and when you did.
• Do not take Sildenafil with other medicines unless your doctor tells you that you can.
  You should not take Sildenafil if you are taking medicines called nitrates as the combination of these medicines may lead to a dangerous fall in your blood pressure.
• You should not take Sildenafil if you are using any of the medicines known as nitric oxide donors such as amyl nitrite (“poppers”) as the combination may also lead to a dangerous fall in your blood pressure. 

A medical history and physical examination should be undertaken to diagnose erectile dysfunction and determine potential underlying causes, before pharmacological treatment is considered.

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, our Rightdose pharmacists or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.

You can help to make medicines safer by reporting any side-effects to the Yellow Card Scheme at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.

Before taking any medication, it is important to read the Patient Information Leaflet. You can find information leaflets for your medicines by typing them into the search bar at medicines.org, or by contacting us.

Patient Information Leaflet Sildenafil Film-coated Tablets

Sildenafil should not be given to individuals under the age of 18. 

What you need to know before you take Sildenafil

Do not take Sildenafil:

• If you are allergic to sildenafil or any of the other ingredients of this medicine 
  If you are taking medicines called nitrates, the combination may lead to a dangerous fall in your blood pressure.

Tell your doctor:

• If you have a severe heart or liver problem.
• If you have recently had a stroke or a heart attack, or if you have low blood pressure.
• If you have certain rare inherited eye diseases (such as retinitis pigmentosa).
• If you have ever had loss of vision due to non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION)
• If you are taking any of these medicines which are often given for relief of angina pectoris (or “chest pain”).
• If you are using any of the medicines known as nitric oxide donors such as amyl nitrite (“poppers”) as the combination may also lead to a dangerous fall in your blood pressure.
• If you are taking riociguat. This drug is used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (i.e., high blood pressure in the lungs) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility

Sildenafil is not indicated for use by women. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Driving and using machines

Sildenafil may have a minor influence on the ability to drive and use machines. As dizziness and altered vision were reported in clinical trials with sildenafil, patients should be aware of how they react to Sildenafil, before driving or operating machinery.

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

How to store Sildenafil

This medicinal product does not require any special storage conditions.

• Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the original packaging after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
• Store in a cool, dry place. Do not store above 30°C.
• Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.

Before using any medication, it is important to read the Patient Information Leaflet. You can find information leaflets for your medicines by typing them into the search bar at medicines.org, or by contacting us.

Whichever erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment you are prescribed, always use this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

Directions:

The recommended starting dose is 50 mg. You should not take Sildenafil more than once a day.

You will need to be sexually stimulated for sildenafil to work, just as you would to obtain an erection without taking this medication.

• Take Sildenafil one hour before you plan to have sex. For erectile dysfunction, it's best to take Sildenafil on an empty stomach. It may take longer to work if you take it with a heavy meal.
• Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water.
• Do not take Sildenafil more than once every 24 hours.
• For the best results, avoid eating heavy meals or drinking alcohol before using Sildenafil.
• You may need to take Sildenafil on up to 8 times (on different days) before you see the full effect.

If Sildenafil does not help you to get an erection, or if your erection does not last long enough for you to complete sexual intercourse you should tell your doctor or pharmacist.

Based on efficacy and tolerability, the dose may be increased to 100mg or decreased to 25mg. The maximum recommended dose is 100 mg. The maximum recommended dosing frequency is once per day. 

Do not take Sildenafil film-coated tablets in combination with Sildenafil orodispersible tablets.

What if I forget to take it?

Never take an extra dose to make up for a forgotten one. Never take 2 doses at the same time. 
If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you.

If you take more Sildenafil than you should:

You may experience an increase in side effects and their severity. Doses above 100 mg do not increase the efficacy.

• You should not take more tablets than your doctor tells you to. Contact your doctor if you take more tablets than you should.

Taking too much Sildenafil by accident can cause unpleasant side effects, such as:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Indigestion
• Blocked nose
• Altered vision

Talk to your doctor if you have taken too much Sildenafil and you're worried about these side effects.

Sildenafil with food, drink and alcohol

• Sildenafil can be taken with or without food. However, you may find that Sildenafil takes longer to start working if you take it with a heavy meal.
• Drinking alcohol can temporarily impair your ability to get an erection. To get the maximum benefit from your medicine, you are advised not to drink excessive amounts of alcohol before taking Sildenafil.

Sildenafil contains lactose

Sildenafil film-coated tablets contain lactose monohydrate. If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, such as lactose, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.
Sildenafil contains sodium

This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per each tablet, that is to say essentially sodium-free.

Warnings and Precautions

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Sildenafil.

Sildenafil should not be given to women or to individuals under the age of 18.

Tell your doctor

• If you have sickle cell anaemia (an abnormality of red blood cells), leukaemia (cancer of blood cells), multiple myeloma (cancer of bone marrow).
• If you have a deformity of your penis or Peyronie’s Disease.
• If you have problems with your heart. Your doctor should carefully check whether your heart can take the additional strain of having sex.
• If you currently have a stomach ulcer, or a bleeding problem (such as haemophilia).
• If you experience sudden decrease or loss of vision, stop taking Sildenafil and contact your doctor immediately.

You should tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems. Your doctor may decide on a lower dose for you.

You should not use Sildenafil with any other oral or local treatments for erectile dysfunction.

• You should not use Sildenafil with treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) containing sildenafil or any other PDE5 inhibitors.
• You should not take Sildenafil if you do not have erectile dysfunction.

Ingredients:

The active substance is sildenafil. Each film-coated tablet contains 25 mg Sildenafil (as sildenafil citrate).

Each film-coated tablet contains 50 mg Sildenafil (as sildenafil citrate). Each film-coated tablet contains 100 mg Sildenafil (as sildenafil citrate).

The other ingredients are

Tablet core: Calcium hydrogen phosphate anhydrous, cellulose microcrystalline, croscarmellose sodium, silica colloidal anhydrous, magnesium stearate.

Tablet coat: Lactose monohydrate, hypromellose 15cP, titanium dioxide (E171), triacetin.

What Sildenafil looks like and contents of the pack

Sildenafil 25 mg film-coated tablets white to off-white, round (7.1 mm diameter), biconvex film coated tablets debossed with “SL” on one side and 25 on the other side.

Sildenafil 50 mg film-coated tablets white to off-white, round (9.6 mm diameter), biconvex film-coated tablets debossed with “SL” on one side and 50 on the other side.

Sildenafil 100 mg film-coated tablets white to off-white, round (11.2 mm diameter), biconvex film-coated tablets debossed with “SL” on one side and 100 on the other side.

Sildenafil film-coated tablets are available in blisters and HDPE bottle packs.

Different Manufacturers

As Sildenafil is a generic medication, there are multiple manufacturers of the same drug. This means you may see differences in packaging and even the colour of tablet from prescription to prescription. All manufacturers must meet MHRA standards, and so you can be confident the medication you receive contains exactly the same amount of active ingredient as any other.