Q. Is sildenafil banned in India?
No, sildenafil is not banned in India and is available only on a doctor's prescription.
Q. Is sildenafil an over the counter product?
No, sildenafil is not an over-the-counter product. You can buy it when it is prescribed by a doctor.
Q. Is sildenafil a blood thinner?
No, sildenafil is not a blood thinner. It belongs to a group of medicines called phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Q. Can I take sildenafil for premature ejaculation?
Sildenafil is not known to have any beneficial effects of treating premature ejaculation. It is used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Q. Can I take sildenafil for the rest of my life?
Sildenafil is a prescription drug and should only be taken for the duration as advised by your doctor.
Q. Can I take sildenafil in my twenties?
Yes, sildenafil can be taken in the twenties. It is approved for use in adult men above the age of 18 who have erectile dysfunction. It should be taken after consulting a doctor and strictly as advised.
Q. Can I take sildenafil tablet with food?
Sildenafil tablet can be taken with food. However, a high-fat diet should be avoided as that can slow the absorption (time to reach the blood) of sildenafil and it may take a much longer time to show its effect.
Q. Can I take sildenafil with dapoxetine?
Yes, sildenafil can be safely taken with dapoxetine. Sildenafil is useful for treating erectile dysfunction and dapoxetine is for premature ejaculation. A fixed dose combination of these medicines is available which is useful in patients suffering from both erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. No drug-drug interactions or any harmful effects have been reported when they are used together.
Q. Can I take sildenafil with warfarin?
Sildenafil can be taken with warfarin, no significant drug interactions have been seen between the two. However, there have been some clinical reports of penile fracture in patients using sildenafil with warfarin. Inform your doctor before taking the two drugs together.
Q. Can I take sildenafil if I am also having high blood pressure?
Sildenafil can be taken in patients with high blood pressure. However, if you are taking medicines for high blood pressure, taking sildenafil along with them can cause a significant fall in blood pressure which could be harmful. Sildenafil is absolutely contraindicated in patients taking nitrates. Inform your doctor before taking them together.
Q. Can I take sildenafil with lisinopril?
Yes, Sildenafil can be taken with lisinopril. However, there could be an excessive fall in blood pressure when taken together and you can experience symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, flushing, headache, or an increased heart rate. So, special caution must be taken when taking both the drugs together and inform your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms.
Q. Can I take sildenafil with ramipril?
Yes, Sildenafil can be taken with ramipril. However, there could be an excessive fall in blood pressure when taken together and you can experience symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, flushing, headache, or an increased heart rate. So, special caution must be taken when taking both the drugs together and inform your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms.
Q. Can I take sildenafil with beta blockers?
Yes, Sildenafil can be taken with beta-blockers. However, there could be an excessive fall in blood pressure when taken together and you can experience symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, flushing, headache, or an increased heart rate. So, special caution must be taken when taking both the drugs together and inform your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms.
Q. Can I take sildenafil with amlodipine?
Yes, Sildenafil can be taken with amlodipine. However, there could be an excessive fall in blood pressure when taken together and you can experience symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, flushing, headache, or an increased heart rate. So, special caution must be taken when taking both the drugs together and inform your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms.
Q. Does sildenafil affect fertility?
No, sildenafil is not known to affect fertility. It is used only for erectile dysfunction. For treatment of any fertility-related problems, please consult a doctor.
Q. Does sildenafil affect sperm?
Sildenafil is not known to affect sperm (number or movement of sperms). It is a drug which is used for erectile dysfunction.
Q. Does sildenafil increase blood pressure?
No, sildenafil is not associated with an increase in blood pressure. It can cause a decrease in blood pressure especially if taken with other blood-pressure-lowering medications. Please consult your doctor before taking sildenafil with any other medicine.
Q. Does sildenafil delay ejaculation?
No, sildenafil is not known to affect ejaculation.
Q. Does sildenafil expire?
Sildenafil like any other medicine has an expiry date and should not be used beyond the date mentioned on the package.
Q. How long will sildenafil stay in my system?
After oral administration of sildenafil, it stays in the system for 4 hours and its effect will be for 4 to 6 hours (up to a maximum of 12 hours).
Q. How many times can I take sildenafil in a day and when does it start to work?
Sildenafil is to be taken only one time in a day before the sexual activity. It starts to work within 30-60 minutes after taking it and can be taken maximum upto 4 hours before the sexual activity.
Q. Why does sildenafil cause a fall in blood pressure (hypotension)?
Sildenafil has the property of relaxing the smooth muscle of the blood vessels and widening them which can cause a fall in blood pressure (hypotension). So, when used with blood pressure lowering drugs or nitrates, it can cause a severe fall in blood pressure, which could be fatal. Sildenafil should not be taken if you are taking nitrates for chest pain or you have a history of heart attack or stroke in the past six months.
Q. What are sildenafil sublingual tablets?
Sublingual tablets are kept under the tongue or between the cheek and the gum. They dissolve on their own, get absorbed and act very fast as they directly reach the blood stream without going through the gut and liver, unlike other tablets which are swallowed with water. Sildenafil sublingual tablets start to work within 15 minutes compared to oral tablets which take almost 30 minutes to 1 hour to achieve the same effect. These should not be chewed, crushed or swallowed.
Q. Is sildenafil safe to use in patients with diabetes?
Yes, sildenafil is safe to use in patients with diabetes. Diabetes is one most common causes of erectile dysfunction and is commonly reported by these patients. Long standing diabetes mellitus can damage the nerves in the body (neuropathy) including the nerves of the penis. It also harden and narrow the blood vessels which decreases the blood flow to the penis causing erectile dysfunction. Sildenafil is seen to be beneficial in treating erectile dysfunction (ED) in patients with diabetes mellitus.
Q. Why is the use of sildenafil contraindicated with nitrates?
Use of sildenafil is not recommended in patients taking nitrates (organic nitrates or organic nitrites) as their combined use can cause a severe fall in blood pressure, which can also result in death. It is advisable to keep a time gap of 24 hours between the intake of sildenafil and any nitrate substance.
Q. Can women use sildenafil?
Sildenafil is indicated for use in women for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, it is not recommended in women of childbearing age group.
Q. What are the serious side effects of sildenafil?
Sildenafil can cause serious side effects like heart attack, sudden cardiac death, abnormal heart beat and bleeding in the brain tissues that can cause temporary or permanent brain damage. A patient can have chest pain during the intercourse and if this occurs, try to relax in a semi-sitting position and do not use any nitrate to relieve the chest pain. Rarely a sudden loss in vision and serious allergic skin reactions with fever, peeling and swelling of the skin, blistering of the mouth, genitals and around the eyes can occur.
Q. What is the difference between sildenafil and lodenafil?
Both sildenafil and lodenafil are phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors and are used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Sildenafil is also used in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in lower doses. Sildenafil is more effective and more potent than lodenafil which is relatively a newer molecule. There is not much data available on the side effects of lodenafil as of now.
Q. Can I take sildenafil for treating piles (hemorrhoids)?
No, sildenafil is not indicated for the treatment of piles (hemorrhoids). Rather, its use has been reported to cause piles (hemorrhoids).
Q. Where is sildenafil absorbed?
Sildenafil undergoes rapid absorption in the intestine. However, only 40% of the drug reaches the blood in its active form because of its breakdown in the gut wall and liver before reaching there.
Q. Is sildenafil also given by injectable route (intravenous/IV) route?
Sildenafil can be given by intravenous (i.v.) route in the management of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and not in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). The injectable form is used in those patients who are unable to take the drug orally.
Q. Can sildenafil be taken with losartan?
Yes, sildenafil can be taken along with losartan. However, there could be an excessive fall in blood pressure when taken together and you can experience symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, flushing, headache, or an increased heart rate. So, special caution must be taken when taking both the drugs together and inform your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms.
Q. Can I take sildenafil with paracetamol?
Yes, sildenafil can be taken with paracetamol. No drug-drug interactions or any harmful effects have been reported when they are used together.
Q. Can I take sildenafil with aspirin?
Yes, sildenafil can be taken with aspirin. No drug-drug interactions or any harmful effects have been reported when they are used together.
Q. Does sildenafil increase the level of testosterone?
Yes, sildenafil can increase the testosterone levels. It has a direct effect on the testes which increases the blood testosterone levels.
Q. Does sildenafil cause persistent and painful erection of the penis (priapism)?
Sildenafil and other drugs used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction have been seen to cause prolonged erections and persistent and painful erection of the penis(priapism). In case the erection persists for more than 4 hours, immediately seek medical attention. If it is not treated immediately, penile tissue damage and permanent loss of potency can occur.
Q. Can sildenafil be taken with itraconazole?
Sildenafil can be taken with itraconzole, however, a dose adjustment would be needed before taking them together. Sildenafil is metabolized (degraded) by an enzyme known as CYP3A4. Itraconazole decreases the working of this enzyme causing increased blood levels of sildenafil and higher chances of having side effects.
Q. Is sildenafil better than tadalafil?
Both sildenafil and tadalafil belong to the same group of drugs called phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors, used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension. However, tadalafil has a slow onset of action with less efficacy but works for a much longer time and is safer than sildenafil.
Q. Can I take sildenafil with tadalafil?
Both tadalafil and sildenafil are phosphodiesterase inhibitors and act by dilating the blood vessels. Using them together would not give any additional benefit, rather they may cause a severe fall in blood pressure and a prolonged painful erection. Therefore, these two drugs should not be taken together.
Q. What is the benefit of taking sildenafil with finasteride?
Yes, sildenafil can be taken along with finasteride. This combination is beneficial in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Finasteride is also known to cause erectile dysfunction as one of its side effects and sildenafil can be used for the treatment of this problem along with finasteride.
Q. Can I take Sildenafil with Tamsulosin?
Special caution needs to be taken when Sildenafil is taken along with Tamsulosin. Both are known to decrease blood pressure and can also cause orthostatic hypotension (fall in blood pressure when standing from a sitting position). So, when taken together they can cause a severe fall in blood pressure which can be harmful.
