Label: SILDENAFIL- sildenafil tablet, film coated

No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. Sildenafil, sold under the brand name Viagra among white sildenafil tablets others, is a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension. [4][8] It is also sometimes used off-label for the treatment of certain symptoms in secondary Raynaud's phenomenon. [9] It is unclear if it is effective for treating sexual dysfunction in females.

12.1 Mechanism of Action

I suspect the effect is small, and the group for whom it can be safely applied is limited, but at least it’s a step in the right direction. My advice is to proceed with caution and follow the advice of the FDA to the letter on this one. Explore all non-drug options that can help you create a satisfying sex life — reduce stress, take care of your health, check with your physician on your medications and health status, and prioritize time for your relationship. Hope Ricciotti, MD, Editor at Large, Harvard Women's Health Watch As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. [8] It can be taken orally (swallowed by mouth), intravenously (injection into a vein), or through the sublingual route (dissolved under the tongue).

[8][10] Onset when taken orally is typically within twenty minutes and lasts for about two hours.

Overdose/Missed Dose

While there are several medications that improve sexual function in men (including Viagra, the most famous one), flibanserin is the first drug ever approved by the FDA to improve sexual function in women. Here are what I consider the relevant facts and data about flibanserin, and the advice I give my patients. First of all, it’s not a “pink Viagra.” Viagra (sildenafil) treats erectile dysfunction in men by improving blood flow to the penis by inhibiting the enzyme nitric oxide synthase. In contrast, flibanserin is thought to work by increasing the release of the neurotransmitter hormones dopamine and norepinephrine, while decreasing serotonin release in the area of the brain that regulates sexuality. Viagra is taken just before having sex, while flibanserin needs to be taken daily.

Other Medical Problems

Flibanserin is only approved for pre-menopausal women. It has been shown to slightly improve sexual satisfaction in some women (some more than others). The potential side effects include low blood pressure, nausea, and fainting. Women should not drink alcohol or use birth control pills while taking it because they can worsen the side effects. Of course, some women may decide these requirements and side effects are just not worth it, since they can be pretty big drawbacks for a drug designed to improve the sex lives of premenopausal women. Common side effects include headaches, heartburn, and flushed skin.

Drug Label Information

In my practice, women of all ages have questions and concerns about sex and sexuality. Most women seeing an Ob/Gyn do. These questions often come up right after a woman has a baby, during perimenopause, and later in life as well. Women’s sexuality is very complex, and is affected by brain chemistry, mood, relationships, medications, and health status (of both partners). As a physician, if a woman comes to me reporting concerns with sexuality, I start by assessing her physical and mental health (depression is a common cause of loss of interest in sex), and then check to see if she is on medications that can affect interest in sex.

Jet lag research

Common medication culprits are birth control pills, blood pressure pills, and antidepressants. If all of those seem to be okay, I then check on her stress level and her schedule. Often, I find that couples who are struggling with sexuality have not set aside any time and energy for their relationship. I ask, “If you and your partner were alone on a tropical island, and you had no worries or schedules, would you be interested in sex?” If the answer is yes, we work on strategies for prioritizing and carving out time for the relationship. If the answer is no, then I am left with the diagnosis of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (also known as HSDD). [8] Caution is advised in those with cardiovascular disease. [8] Rare but serious side effects include vision problems, hearing loss, and prolonged erection (priapism) that can lead to damage to the penis. [8] Sildenafil should not be taken by people on nitric oxide donors such as nitroglycerin, as this may result in a serious drop in blood pressure.

Adverse effects

I often try to send these couples to sex therapists, but these experts are few and far between, and are often expensive. In addition, many couples are too embarrassed to follow through. This subgroup of women with hypoactive sexual desire has been vexing to me because I have largely not been able to help them. They are typically in healthy relationships, and yet they have no desire, sex drive, or response to sexuality. I try to explore all options with these women; however, to date, there has not been a medical option.

What should I do if I miss a dose of sildenafil?

The approval of flibanserin took many years, and followed two prior rejections by the FDA because it was thought that the side effects were too strong for the modest benefit in sexual function. In the most recent FDA review, the drug’s sponsor presented additional safety data that showed the absence of next-day driving impairments, a comparison of flibanserin’s side effects alongside other products already approved by the FDA, and an analysis confirming that the side effects were more pronounced when flibanserin was taken with alcohol. Controversy arose because only two of the 25 volunteers for the alcohol study were women. To add to the controversy, an advocacy group who wanted flibanserin approved, called “Even sildenafil 50g the Score,” suggested there was gender bias in the FDA review process. One big worry many people have, myself included, is the potential for flibanserin to be used off-label, meaning that it could be used in a broader population of women for whom it wasn’t approved. Sildenafil acts by blocking phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5), an enzyme that promotes breakdown of cGMP, which regulates blood flow in the penis. [8] It requires sexual arousal to work, and does not by itself cause or increase sexual arousal. [8] It also results in dilation of the blood vessels in the lungs. Pfizer originally discovered the medication in 1989 while looking for a treatment for angina. [11] It was approved for medical use in the United States and in the European Union in 1998. [5][8][11][12] In 2023, it was the 151st most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 3 million prescriptions. [13][14] It is available as a generic medication. [15][16] In the United Kingdom, it is available as a pharmacy medicine. The primary indication of sildenafil is treatment of erectile dysfunction (inability to sustain a satisfactory erection to complete sexual intercourse).

• Side effects may include dizziness, nasal congestion, or upset stomach.
• Alcohol can reduce the effectiveness of sildenafil.
• If an erection lasts more than 4 hours, seek medical help.
• The pink pill is sometimes used recreationally, which is risky.
• Do not take the pill if you have severe heart issues.
• Always check for medical hash compatibility before use.

Its use is now one of the standard treatments for erectile dysfunction, including for males with diabetes mellitus. Tentative evidence suggests that sildenafil may help males who experience antidepressant-induced erectile dysfunction. While sildenafil improves some markers of disease in people with pulmonary arterial hypertension, it does not appear to affect the risk of death or serious side effects.

• Sildenafil pink pill may be contraindicated for some health conditions.
• Always inform your doctor of current medications before use.
• It can cause side effects like dizziness or stomach upset.
• Combining it with other ED medications is dangerous.
• Sildenafil should be taken on an empty stomach for best results.
• The medication is not a hormone and does not alter testosterone.

Sildenafil and other PDE5 inhibitors are used off-label to alleviate vasospasm and treat severe ischemia and ulcers in fingers and toes for people with secondary Raynaud's phenomenon;[9][21] these drugs have moderate efficacy for reducing the frequency and duration of vasospastic episodes. [9] As of 2016,[update] their role more generally in Raynaud's was not clear. Sildenafil has shown some potential for improving exercise performance at high altitudes.

• Pink sildenafil pills are sometimes counterfeit or substandard.
• Buy from reputable sources to avoid fake products.
• Consult a doctor before starting sildenafil therapy.
• It is not recommended for women or children.
• Common side effects are mild but can include nasal congestion.
• Do not take multiple pills at once to avoid overdose.

However, its overall efficacy is not clear.

• Sildenafil works by inhibiting PDE5 enzyme activity.
• The pink pill typically lasts 4 to 6 hours.
• It’s essential to follow prescribed dosage instructions.
• Off-label uses include pulmonary hypertension treatment.
• The pill should be stored in a cool, dry place.
• Generic versions of sildenafil are usually cheaper.

Sildenafil has been studied for high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), but its use is currently not recommended for that indication. In clinical trials, the most common adverse effects of sildenafil use included headache, flushing, indigestion, nasal congestion, and impaired vision, including photophobia and blurred vision.

Potential Side Effects:

For example, this population could include older women, those with medical issues, and those combining its use with alcohol or birth control pills. Use of flibanserin by women in any of these categories can increase the risk and severity of side effects. Another worry is whether the modest improvement in sexual function is really worth the potential risk of side effects. My plan is to discuss this with women who might benefit from it, and let them decide. Who am I to be the final arbiter of what is important for a woman’s quality of life?

Related medical questions

A healthy physician and patient relationship should allow for this type of discussion and joint decision-making. I welcome these conversations and this controversy. Female sexual dysfunction is an important unmet medical need and deserves appropriate research and treatment options. The problem of hypoactive sexual desire and arousal, especially for women, is real. Whether flibanserin will help the subgroup of women for whom it is appropriate, and the degree to which it improves sexual function, remains to be seen. [4] Some sildenafil users have complained of seeing everything tinted blue (cyanopsia). [24] This cyanopsia can be explained because sildenafil, while selective for PDE5, does have some affinity for PDE6, which is the phosphodiesterase found in the retina. Patients thus taking the drug may experience colorvision abnormalities.

Some complained of blurriness and loss of peripheral vision. In July 2005, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated labeling for tadalafil (Cialis), vardenafil (Levitra), and sildenafil (Viagra) to reflect a small number of post-marketing reports of sudden vision loss, while acknowledging that "...it is not possible to determine whether these oral medicines for erectile dysfunction were the cause of the loss of eyesight or whether the problem is related to other factors such as high blood pressure or diabetes, or to a combination of these problems.