As is the case with all prescription drugs, Viagra, based on its active ingredient sildenafil is not appropriate for all patients. This is why consultations with a medical professional and taking certain precautions are necessary in order to ensure that your ED problems are treated not only efficiently, but also safely and with no side effects.

Although Viagra is undoubtedly the most popular impotence treatment of the present day, “the little blue pill” has many alternatives – so, if your doctor decides you shouldn’t be using this ED pill, it’s not the end of the world! Cialis, Levitra or some of the others might be what will do the trick for you.

What’s on this page?

I got the prescription, why should I care about precautions?

Even if Viagra is your preferred treatment and even if you got the green light from the doctor, it is still important to get familiar with the recommended precautions and potential side effects in order to minimize the chances of anything going wrong over the course of the treatment. Not to mention that it is important to notice the side effects as soon as they manifest in order to stop the treatment and prevent potential damage to your health.

Here, we will list some of the most important and generally agreed precautions and also some of the most common problems. In other words – if something does go wrong, it will probably be one of the things detailed in this article.

Viagra precautions

If you obtained your Viagra pills the legal way – with a prescription from a licenced medical professional, you should already be familiar with most of the precautions we mentioned here. And, you should already have mentioned all the potential problems and contraindications to your doctor, such as additional medication you might be using, current or past health conditions and allergies.

However, it is still important to have a list of what can go wrong at hand – it’s not that hard to let some potential issues slip your mind, so you need to pay extra attention to ensure that everything goes according to plan and without any avoidable issues.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into the most commonly recommended Viagra precautions.

Don’t mix Viagra and alcohol

I know what you might be thinking – if you’re taking Viagra, there are good chances that you drank a glass of wine some time before that, right? While enjoying a nice drink is often seen as a nice way to relax and unwind a bit, after which Viagra might come in handy, this combo isn’t really recommended.

Don’t get us wrong, a glass of wine or pint of beer probably won’t make much difference, but alcohol can interfere with Viagra in multiple ways. It has been shown to decrease the effectiveness of medication, while Viagra is known to exacerbate the symptoms of alcohol intoxication.

What’s more, with Viagra lowering down the blood pressure, the dizziness that can often be a result of that process can be further fuelled by intoxication which can make driving and operating machinery very dangerous. Which brings us to…

Don’t drive after taking Viagra (for the first time)

Due to its mechanism of action, common to Viagra and other PDE-5 inhibitors, a most common class of prescription-only ED pills, this drug can cause blood pressure to somewhat drop. By relaxing the smooth muscles, PDE-5 inhibitors allow certain blood vessels to expand. In terms of treating ED, this is a good thing, since it allows blood to flow into the penis, contributing to a strong and long-lasting erection.

However, this is bad news for those with naturally lower blood pressure. Considered to be a minor, yet relatively common side effect of Viagra, drop in blood pressure can cause dizziness, light-headedness and even fainting in those who are exceptionally sensitive to changes in blood pressure. Naturally, this is why driving after taking Viagra is not recommended.

On a more positive note, this side effect manifests in only a minor percentage of patients and is negligible for most of them. So, in practice, you should avoid driving when taking Viagra first time and see if you experience any of these difficulties. Just use your better judgement.

However, even if you had no problems with dizziness after taking Viagra, it is still recommended not to drive long distances.

You can take Viagra with food – just not with too much food

Some of you may not be into alcohol and Viagra mix, but a nice dinner prior to some action is something no one can complain about! As you will read in the official medicine leaflet, Viagra can be taken with food. However, if the meal is too large, there might be a slight delay in the onset of Viagra’s effects. On the other hand, if the food is very rich in fats, the effects might be somewhat diminished. Nothing to serious, but still an important fact to keep in mind!

Viagra is an impotence pill, not an aphrodisiac

This is probably the most common misconception there is about Viagra. Sildenafil was designed and patented with ED treatment in mind and its mechanism of action is aimed specifically at managing any physiological obstacles to gaining a strong and lasting erection, or more precisely, at contributing to the increased blood flow within the penis – which means, you still need sexual arousal for the erection to happen.

Even more importantly, this mechanism of action makes Viagra suitable and effective for men only. It’s mechanism of action has no effect whatsoever on a woman’s sex drive while its side effects and interactions with other drugs can be just as dangerous! Viagra hasn’t been approved for use in women and one should not ignore that.

What should I tell to the doctor?

During your consultations with a doctor that you will go through in order to obtain the prescription, you should be honest and completely open about current and previous medical problems and conditions, your ED problems, allergies and medications you might be taking at the moment (or have been in the past). Additionally, if you start taking any new medications during the course of the treatment, be sure to consult your doctor about whether it’s still safe to use Viagra.

What are the reasons for not getting a prescription?

There are several reasons why doctor might decide against giving you a prescription. For one, your problem shouldn’t be caused by some other medical condition or a physical injury. Likewise, the doctor will have to make sure that your condition isn’t emotional or psychological in nature. In other words, Viagra is successful in treating very specific cases of ED and shouldn’t be used otherwise.

The doctor may choose not to issue a prescription if you fall into risk category or if there are any additional contraindications. We will cover both of these cases below:

Risk groups

Viagra has been known to cause certain issues and side effect when used by patients belonging to one or more of the following categories:

  • Elderly men
  • Men with impaired liver function
  • Men affected by cardiovascular diseases
  • Men suffering from bleeding disorders (haemophilia)
  • Men with peptic ulcer
  • Men with physical abnormality to the penis

If you belong to any of the above-mentioned categories, the doctor might choose against issuing you a prescription.

Contraindications

There are several situations which could influence the doctor’s decision to not issue a prescription, at least temporary. It might happen if:

  • You recently head a heart attack or stroke
  • You have low blood pressure (hypotension)
  • You’re on nitrates therapy
  • You have liver problems
  • You have eye or vision issues
  • You are allergic to any of Viagra ingredients

Can you be allergic to Viagra?

It might sound odd at first glance, but the answer is yes – active ingredient of Viagra, sildenafil can cause severe allergic reaction. If this happens, you should contact emergency service immediately and not use the drug again. Some of the tell-tale symptoms of sildenafil allergy include:

  • Rash
  • Hives
  • Trouble breathing and swallowing
  • Swelling of the lips, throat or tongue

If you develop any of these symptoms, don’t ignore it, but call emergency services right away – sildenafil allergic reaction can be fatal and needs to be treated instantly.