Health, Diet, Fitness | Weight Loss | ED Treatments

Since it was approved by the FDA in March 1998, the drug sildenafil citrate, sold under the brand name Viagra, has become immensely popular among men suffering from erectile dysfunction (ED or impotence). Manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, Viagra is the first pill approved for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in the US, and is available by prescription only. Millions of men who have experienced difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection have turned to Viagra for assistance. By helping increase blood flow to the penis, Viagra has helped men of all ages achieve longer and harder erections, resulting in improved sexual performance and satisfaction.

Yet despite the impressive results that many men (and their partners) have reported after using Viagra and its growing reputation as the sexual “wonder drug,” it is important to recognize that Viagra is not for everyone.

Is Viagra For You?

* Viagra is recommended exclusively for the treatment of male impotence, also known as erectile dysfunction. The best way to know for sure whether you have this condition is to consult with a qualified, licensed physician.

* Since Viagra is prescribed specifically for the treatment of ED, it is not recommended for recreational use. Men who have not experienced erectile dysfunction should not take Viagra.

* Similarly, Viagra should not be taken as an aphrodisiac, or to increase sexual desire. There is no scientific or medical evidence to suggest the Viagra stimulates sexual desire. And because some men who take Viagra may experience side effects, the drug should be used with care and under proper medical supervision.

* Viagra is not recommended for men who are already taking another drug to treat their erectile dysfunction, or for those who are undergoing some other form of treatment to improve their erections.

* Men who take any medicine containing nitrates should NEVER take Viagra, since taking the two in combination with one another could result in a dangerous drop in blood pressure. Nitroglycerin, a medicine commonly prescribed in the treatment of chest pain, is an example of a drug that contains nitrates.

* Some recreational drugs, like amyl nitrate (aka poppers) also contain nitrates. Men who take recreational drugs that contain nitrates should NEVER take Viagra.

* While it’s really common sense, it is worth mentioning that men should not take Viagra if they do not intend to have sex within a few hours of taking the drug. Viagra typically takes effect within about one hour, and it lasts for four hours, on average.

* Men who have recently suffered a stroke or heart attack are generally not recommended to take Viagra. Similarly, anyone who has been advised not to engage in sexual intercourse because of cardiovascular risk should not take the drug.

* Men who suffer from low blood pressure, also known as hypotension, shouldn’t take Viagra.

* Men who are taking a protease inhibitor for the treatment of HIV or for any other reason can take Viagra, but their dosage may need to be adjusted.

Possible Viagra Side Effects To Consider

If your physician determines that you have some level of erectile dysfunction and that Viagra may help your condition, you should be aware of the possible side effects you may experience after taking the drug, some more common than others:

* The most commonly reported side effects from taking Viagra are headache, upset stomach, sneezing, flushing and mild (temporary) visual changes.

* Rare, but more serious side effects of using Viagra have included: prolonged erections (lasting more than four hours), irregular heartbeat, stroke, heart attack and sudden death. With many of the rare, heart-related side effects, the patients were later determined to have had already-existing heart problems.

The best way to know whether Viagra is right for the treatment of your erectile dysfunction is to consult with a physician.

If you’re like most email users, your inbox is regularly inundated with generic Viagra messages bearing subject lines like: “Shirley Evans! Add 2 inches to your p*nis with discount V*agra!”

“Ejaculate like a porn star, real Viagra” or some such nonsense.

This type of spam has become so bad that the Pfizer Viagra website now hosts a page of information warning visitors about fake generic Viagra and discount Viagra.

FACT: There is no such thing as generic Viagra, since Pfizer still holds the patent on the drug for a few more years.

So if you get emails or see ads that promote either generic Viagra or discount Viagra or cheap Viagra, you’re looking at a fake, illegal product. It isn’t an alternative to Viagra, isn’t FDA approved, isn’t manufactured and dispensed in the US, and isn’t safe to take.

How to Recognize Fake Generic Viagra

Hopefully, you’ll never actually purchase fake discount Viagra. But if you do come across it, here’s what to watch for:

* Fake pills may look different. They may be the wrong size, shape or color. Real Viagra pills are diamond shaped and blue, with the word “Pfizer” on one side and the dosage on the other.

* Real Pfizer Viagra does not come in soft tabs nor are the pills dissolvable.

* Real Pfizer Viagra pills are not scored in the middle and are not meant to be cut in half.

* Real Pfizer Viagra comes only in hard, unscored tablets of 25mg, 50mg, or 100mg.

Generic Viagra Spam

The best clue that you’re being sold illegal generic Viagra is also the easiest one to spot. If you get an email you didn’t ask for from someone you don’t know trying to sell you Viagra, it’s spam. And that’s a good indicator they aren’t pushing genuine Pfizer Viagra.

Respectable online and offline pharmacies only communicate with customers who want to hear from them… people who have signed up at their website or made contact directly with the company.

Price is another good clue. Generic Viagra is often sold at a few dollars a tablet. Pfizer Viagra is more costly because years of research went into developing it, the product works and you can trust it not to harm you if taken correctly. Not so with the “discount Viagra” being plugged online. Generic Viagra Websites

If you do a Google search on “generic Viagra”, the search engine will return some 3 million results pages. Visit a few of them and you’ll notice slick designs and fancy graphics that make the sites appear legitimate.

But look closer. Read the copy. You’ll find it rife with sloppy, convoluted language, spelling and grammar mistakes, and falsehoods. Example:

“Best thing about generic viagra is that everything right from chemical proposition, effect, and the way this tablet is use is same as stated in Brand Viagra.” A Word About Discount Viagra of The Herbal Sort

Another common myth doing the rounds is that there is a herbal Viagra that treats impotence. In fact, there are many herbal aphrodisiacs (such as yohimbe) that are supposed to help turn you on. But there simply is no herbal product that does what Viagra does for men.

So, in the new Wild West known as the Internet, it pays to keep alert and skeptical about drug claims (and prices) that seem too good to be true. When it comes to generic Viagra, they always are.