Viagra Connect
8 x 50 mg tablets
Recommended alternative: Sildenafil
How to use Viagra Connect
Get in the mood
Take the pill
Enjoy
A note from our doctor
How it works
Quick questionnaire
Free next-day delivery
Clinician support
Frequently asked
Erectile dysfunction – or ED – is the condition in which men struggle to achieve or sustain an erection for long enough to have sex. It can strike men of all ages, and can be caused by a range of different physical and psychological causes – from performance anxiety to cardiovascular disease. While, sadly, a number of men keep the problem to themselves, there’s no need, as ED can be treated.
Viagra Connect works thanks to its active ingredient, Sildenafil Citrate. This is a medicinal agent known as a PDE5 inhibitor, which encourages blood flow within the penis. It does this by targeting the enzyme, phosphodiesterase 5, that is responsible for smooth muscle contraction in the blood vessels supplying your penis. By improving blood flow in the area where you need it, the better the chances of an erection.
Viagra gets to work 30-60 minutes after you have popped the pill – and your best chance of an erection comes usually after an hour. Yet, there’s no rush. Viagra remains effective up to 4-5 hours after you have taken it, giving you plenty of time to enjoy its benefits. Be aware that these timings differ if you’ve eaten a big meal of fatty food. This tends to slow the drug’s absorption into your system.
Viagra has a reputation for being a well-tolerated and effective treatment for ED – and it’s a reputation that is deserved. Sildenafil has been shown in trials to be effective in about 80% of men – and it routinely outperforms other options of erectile dysfunction medication. However, every man is different. If it is not effective the first time, we recommend you try 8 separate occasions before choosing other options.
Yes. Options for the treatment of erectile dysfunction include other PDE5 inhibitors such as Tadalafil, a drug often sold under the brand name Cialis. It works in the same way, but the drug has a longer half-life – meaning that it can be effective for up to 36 hours. As such, it gives you a little more flexibility on when you can expect an erection and less need to plan sex within a specific 4-5 hour window. Other ED treatments include penile injections and vacuum devices, which are not quite so easy or user friendly.
Side effects of Viagra Connect
If present at all, the side effects of Viagra Connect are usually mild and temporary. The most common side effects are headache, flushing, indigestion, nasal congestion, dizziness, nausea, hot flushes, and vision changes (such as having a blue colour tinge, or blurred vision).
These should go away pretty quickly. If they don’t, however, seek the advice of a healthcare professional. If you’ve had a persistent erection, lasting longer than 2 hours, it’s time to seek urgent help. Priapism – an erection that is painful and just won’t go away – is an infamous, but very rare, side effect of Viagra. If you are experiencing one, you should go to your local A&E department immediately.
Who shouldn't take Viagra Connect?
Viagra is for the use of adult men experiencing ED only. Women, men under 18, or men who are not experiencing ED simply should not use it.
This also applies to men for whom sexual activity may be inadvisable. It includes men:
- whose doctor has advised that they are not fit enough for any physical and/or sexual activity.
- who feel very breathless or experience chest pain with light or moderate physical activity, such as walking briskly for 20 minutes or climbing two flights of stairs.
- who have had a recent (6 months) acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or stroke
These are not the only men that should be wary. Those who have any of the following should speak to a clinician before taking Viagra Connect:
- Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients.
- Anatomical deformation of the penis (such as angulation, cavernosal fibrosis or Peyronie's disease).
- Loss of vision in one eye because of non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) or known hereditary degenerative retinal disorders such as retinitis pigmentosa.
- Galactose intolerance, Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption.
- Previously diagnosed hepatic disease or severe renal impairment.
- Sickle cell anaemia, multiple myeloma or leukaemia.
- Any bleeding issues (e.g. haemophilia) or that have active stomach ulcers.
Which drug interactions should you be aware of?
Finally, Sildenafil is known to interact with certain other medications. If you are on any of these, please let us – or your healthcare provider – know.
- Nitrates (nicorandil or other nitric oxide donors e.g. glyceryl trinitrate, isosorbide mononitrate or isosorbide dinitrate) for chest pain.
- ‘Poppers’ for recreational purposes (e.g. amyl nitrite), or any recreational stimulant drugs such as cocaine or mdma.
- Riociguat or other guanylate cyclase stimulators for lung problems.
- Ritonavir (for HIV infection).
- CYP3A4 inhibitors, e.g. saquinavir (to treat HIV infection), cimetidine (a heartburn treatment), itraconazole or ketoconazole (to treat fungal infections), erythromycin or rifampicin (antibiotics) or diltiazem (for high blood pressure).
- Alpha-blockers, such as alfuzosin, doxazosin or tamsulosin, which are medicines to treat urinary problems due to enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia) or occasionally to treat high blood pressure.
- Other treatments for ED. Too many PDE5 inhibitors in your system increases the chances of side effects.
