Drugs based on sildenafil are vasodilators that act on the cavernous body, which is located in the human genitals. The drugs of this group showed the greatest effectiveness in the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men, as well as in the normalization of the natural response to sexual arousal. As a drug, sildenafil is also used to treat pulmonary hypertension. The most famous drug containing sildenafil, reviews of which are mostly positive, is Viagra. The rest of the tools are created using the same components, but are much cheaper. Such drugs are called generics.
The most frequently asked question by consumers of such products is where to buy sildenafil? After all, in network pharmacies and online stores there are a lot of stimulating and supportive drugs, as part ofwhich this substance is mentioned. Which ones really contain sildenafil? How much does each of these funds cost? Can women use these drugs? To all these questions, each consumer wants to hear a clear and extremely clear answer.
Preparations containing sildenafil - what's the difference?
Today, there are many drugs containing sildenafil on the Russian pharmaceutical market. Analogues, the price of which in some cases is somewhat lower than the well-known Viagra, are in great demand among buyers. The names of medicines do not always contain the name of the active substance. The following synonyms of sildenafil can be found in affordable sales: Viagra-LF, Silafil, Sildenafil with dapoxetine, Sildigra, Rusk, Sildenafil Ratiopharm, Edera, Tornetis, Revacio, "Cialis" and many others.
Different names of tablets does not mean that they belong to drugs with a different chemical composition. How, besides the names, do drugs containing sildenafil differ from each other? Price is the first thing any consumer pays attention to. The most expensive is the original "Viagra", patented in the last century. Cheaper analogues, which are produced in Poland, Ukraine, India and other countries, contain an absolutely identical amount of active ingredient. The lower cost is dueusing cheaper auxiliary components, as well as production conditions.
The most "pure" in terms of the content of impurities are the tablets "Sildenafil" produced in Croatia. The largest amount of various impurities is found in drugs produced by pharmaceutical companies in India. However, it should be taken into account that the number of foreign inclusions in the active substance practically does not affect the effectiveness of the drugs.
Composition of drugs
The main active ingredient of drugs similar to Viagra is sildenafil citrate at a dosage of 25, 50 or 100 mg per tablet. Additionally, each tablet contains excipients: lactose, titanium dioxide, triacetin and indigo carmine, which gives the tablets a characteristic blue color. Sildenafil tablets most often look like a light blue biconvex rhombus.
Analogues of "Viagra", or the so-called generics, produced by Indian pharmacists, can be in the form of tablets that do not require washing down or jelly with a variety of flavors. These forms of drugs are convenient to use, as they begin to be absorbed already in the oral cavity, which is why their action occurs much earlier than that of Viagra.
Pharmacological properties of Sildenafil
The pharmacological properties of preparations containing sildenafil are based on its ability to interact with natural enzymes that are directly involved in filling the blood of the penis, namely with cyclicguanosine monophosphate. This enzyme stabilizes the amount of nitric oxide, which maintains the vessels of the penis in an expanded state. Sildenafil prevents the breakdown of cGMP by other enzymes, making erections longer and more stable.
It should be noted that in the case of using the drug "Sildenafil" instructions for use warns of the need for sexual arousal, since the drug does not have the ability to independently initiate blood flow to the cavernous or cavernous bodies in the penis. That is why, in order to achieve a result, it is necessary to conduct sexual stimulation of a man, which will cause an erection. Lack of stimulation can mean no penile swelling at all.
Besides the male version, there are similar preparations for their partners. Sildenafil for women (manufactured under the names Womenra, Femalegra, Ladygra, Cenforce FM) is used as a therapeutic agent, the action of which is aimed at filling the pelvic organs with blood, which helps to increase the sensitivity of the genital organs. Due to this property, they increase the amount of vaginal lubrication, intensify and lengthen orgasm, and there is a tendency to prolonged sexual intercourse. Sildenafil for women is more potent, so in many cases no special stimulation is needed.
Drugs based on sildenafil are used to treat erectile dysfunction in men. Due to the fact that activethe substance effectively affects the blood vessels in the body, there are a number of indications and contraindications for its use.
Indications for use
The active substance is effective in organic, psychogenic or mixed types of disorders. The instructions for use advise taking sildenafil even in the absence of an erection due to age-related changes in the body. In addition, the remedy is active in case of weak erection caused by diseases such as obesity, metabolic disorders, including type 1 or type 2 diabetes, absence of the prostate gland due to its removal, back injury with spinal cord injury.
Contraindications for use
Regarding contraindications to the drug "Sildenafil", the instructions for use contain a fairly extensive list of diseases and concomitantly taken drugs, in which the use of the drug must be limited or excluded completely.
Complete withdrawal of the drug is necessary in such cases:
- Presence of diseases of the cardiovascular system - aortic stenosis, heart failure, angina pectoris, cardiomyopathy, as well as within 6 months after a heart attack or stroke.
- Visual disorders - ischemic optic neuropathy, retinitis pigmentosa and other retinal pathologies.
- Complex liver diseases - hepatitis, cirrhosis.
- Low blood pressure (within 90/50 mmHg) or high (more than 170/100 mmHg).
- Intolerance to sildenafil orother components that make up medicines.
- Sildenafil should not be taken with drugs such as Nitroglycerin, Vasotropin, Molsidomin, Erythromycin, Clarithromycin, Nefazodone, Iloprost.
Relative contraindications to the use of drugs containing sildenafil, instructions for use calls the following conditions:
- Diseases of the hematopoietic system and circulatory organs - leukemia, thrombocytopenia, sickle cell anemia.
- Penile deformity - Peyronie's syndrome and angulation.
- Peptic ulcer of the gastrointestinal tract in the acute stage.
How to take sildenafil for erectile dysfunction
Preparations containing sildenafil, the instruction recommends taking orally with a sufficient amount of liquid. The dosage at the first intake of drugs based on this active substance should be 50 mg. Depending on the reaction of the body during subsequent doses, it is possible to adjust the dose of sildenafil up or down. It should be borne in mind that the maximum dose that is safe is 100 mg.
Take Sildenafil instruction advises an hour before the intended sexual intercourse. A single dose of 25, 50 or 100 mg of the drug is considered possible in all age groups, starting from 18 years. It is not recommended to independently increase the dosage of drugs for personsin old age and experiencing an age-related decrease in muscle tone of the whole body.
Depending on the metabolism and on the existing concomitant diseases, there is a regimen for taking sildenafil, which provides for adjusting the dose of the drug for one dose. In case of impaired renal function with a glomerular filtration rate not exceeding 30 ml per minute, the maximum allowable dose of sildenafil 25 mg is recommended. With functional disorders in the liver and gallbladder, the maximum allowable single dose of the drug should not exceed 25 mg.
When taking drugs containing sildenafil, instructions for use, reviews indicate that this absolutely does not affect the ability to drive a car and other means of increased danger. In very rare cases, users have experienced color vision problems and a slight drop in blood pressure. These side effects occur in most cases when the recommended dose of the drug is exceeded or after the first dose of the drug.
If there is a noticeable deterioration in the state of hearing or vision (partial or complete deafness, noise and ringing in the ears lasting for several hours after using the remedy), you must stop taking sildenafil.
Rules for taking Sildenafil for pulmonary hypertension
As a drug, sildenafil can be used for any form of pulmonary hypertension. It is recommended to take the drug three times a day, the dosage of the drug is 25 mg for each dose. Breaks betweentaking each tablet should be at least 6 hours. This treatment regimen is effective in the treatment of pulmonary vascular hypertension at any age.
Regarding contraindications and restrictions to taking the drug "Sildenafil", the instruction says that with existing disorders of the urinary and digestive organs, it is shown to reduce the daily dose of the drug to 50 mg, dividing it into two doses.
Co-administration of sildenafil with other drugs
Like any other drugs, it is recommended to take sildenafil separately from other drugs, since if incompatible drugs are simultaneously ingested, a person may experience a far from positive reaction.
There are several groups of drugs, when interacting with which drugs based on sildenafil can change their properties. Taking antacids, antidepressants, diuretics, and antihypertensive drugs together with sildenafil has little or no negative effect on the body. With the simultaneous administration of sildenafil with adrenoblockers, a decrease in blood pressure to critically low levels may occur. In addition, the drug sildenafil enhances the effect of "heart" drugs such as nitroglycerin and sodium nitroprusside. With their simultaneous use with antibiotics of the tetracycline and erythromycin groups, an increase in the time of action of sildenafil is observed.
Side effects of taking Sildenafil
The development of side effects of drugs based on sildenafil citrate directly depends onthe accepted dose. Side effects are usually mild to moderate, and signs and symptoms of various disorders resolve on their own, without the use of any therapeutic agents.
| Organs and organ systems | Frequency | Symptoms and signs |
| Nervous system and sense organs | Often | General weakness, dizziness, headache, tinnitus, sleep disturbances, photosensitivity |
| Infrequently | Migraine, paresthesia, hypoesthesia, weakened reflexes, hemorrhage in the eye, pain in the ears and eye sockets | |
| Rare | Deafness, cataract, tremor, neuralgia, syncope, xerophthalmia | |
| Cardiovascular system and hemostasis | Often | Palpitations, tachycardia, anemia, leukopenia |
| Infrequently | Arterial or orthostatic hypotension, ischemia | |
| Rare | Thrombosis, cardiac arrest, heart failure | |
| Gastrointestinal tract | Often | Dry mouth, nausea |
| Infrequently | Stomatitis, gingivitis, glossitis, gastritis, colitis | |
| Rare | Rectal bleeding, esophagitis, dysphagia | |
| Urinary system | Often | Frequent urination, genital edema |
| Infrequently | Anorgasmia, cystitis, ejaculation disorder | |
| Rare | Urinary incontinence, gynecomastia | |
| Skin | Often | Skin rashes and itching, sweating, various types of dermatitis |
| Infrequently | Herpes simplex, edema and hyperemia | |
| Rare | Allergic reaction, ulceration |
In order to avoid the occurrence of excessively intense reactions to the use of medicines containing sildenafil, manufacturers provide all the necessary data on the dosage, which is unsafe to exceed.
Sildenafil reviews
Reviews of sildenafil are mostly positive, but the drug is not considered by experts as a panacea for any erectile dysfunction. A positive effect was achieved in 80% of patients taking sildenafil. The price of drugs in this group also caused a lot of positive feedback. A wide selection of Viagra analogues allows people with an average or low income to purchase drugs. The largest number of respondents named "Sildenafil North Star" as the most affordable remedy, reviews ofwhose effectiveness cannot be called negative.
Sildenafil received the most positive feedback from men who used it as a safety net, as they felt insecure in their own abilities. The effect, according to them, lasted at least 4 hours after taking the drug, and a stable erection occurred in everyone in different ways - from 30 minutes to an hour after taking the pill. Isolated cases of unstable erection have been noted after taking the recommended initial dose of 25 mg. However, after repeated use of an additional dose of 25 mg, a persistent erection was initiated for 4-5 hours.
In addition to other phenomena that affect the potency of drugs containing sildenafil, instructions for use, the price of which satisfied consumers completely, there are many other aspects of evaluating the effectiveness of the drug. For example, reviews about the compatibility of the drug with alcohol are not so unambiguous. About 50% of the men surveyed noted the absence of a negative effect of moderate doses of alcohol on the effectiveness of the drug, approximately the same number of men noticed a weakening of erection. In addition, the achievement of the maximum effect in more than half of the men was delayed due to the "jamming" of the product with a large amount of fatty foods.
Regarding the occurrence of side effects, men in the reviews of sildenafil most often mentioned a slight headache and redness of the face. In addition, half of the respondents noted the appearance of nasal congestion and minor nosebleeds. However, this did not become a reason for refusing to use sildenafil, since the effect of it pays for these minor inconveniences.
From women who took sildenafil (instructions for use, the price for the majority are quite acceptable and understandable), both extremely positive and sharply negative reviews were received. About 48% of the interviewed representatives of the weaker sex were satisfied with the effect of the drug, however, they noted that after some time after taking it, they had abdominal pain and stool disorder.
Drug cost
Very significant variation in prices for medicines from the group of sildenafil-containing drugs is due to the country in which the drug was produced. If for the original Viagra, which includes sildenafil, the price in most pharmacies is about 800 rubles per 100 mg tablet, then analogues can be purchased several times cheaper. Sometimes the difference in the cost of such drugs reaches several hundred rubles. Regarding preparations containing sildenafil: how much each of them costs can be seen in the following table.
| Drug name (manufacturer), number of tablets per package | Dose, mg | Cost, rub. |
| "Viagra" (Pfizer), 1 pc | 25 | 380–510 |
| 50 | 630–670 | |
| 100 | 720–850 | |
| "Viagra" (Pfizer), 4 pieces | 50 | 2250–2380 |
| 100 | 2580–2893 | |
| "Sildenafil" (PLIVA HRVATSKA D. O. O.), 1 pc | 50 | 188–225 |
| 100 | 268–288 | |
| "Sildenafil" (PLIVA HRVATSKA D. O. O.), 4 pcs | 50 | 498–590 |
| 100 | 760–825 |
Regarding the quality and effectiveness of other drugs that include sildenafil, reviews indicate a slight difference with the original. Despite the less pronounced effect, generics are popular with many, as they are more affordable.
Where to buy sildenafil-based drugs?
There are two options for buying sildenafil: through online stores and in regular pharmacies. Whichever method you choose, there is a danger of acquiring a fake, especially for online pharmacies, since the usual pharmacy points can independently check the quality of drugs after receiving complaints from customers. That is why it is important to check the information regarding the seller before making a purchase. To do this, just pay attention to the "reviews" section on the Internet resource where the product is sold, or searchinformation on various forums.
Today, it is possible to send the purchased medicine for examination, where the exact composition of the drug will be established, as well as information regarding its safety for the consumer will be announced. To do this, you need to purchase a minimum amount of funds in any pharmacy and contact the laboratory. The analysis is carried out within a day, a maximum of two. If the quality of the drug is confirmed, you can purchase a drug based on sildenafil at the same pharmacy.
