How long does Viagra® (Sildenafil) work?

You've just paid the dinner bill when you suddenly realize you've forgotten to take your Viagra pill. It's a 30-minute walk to your apartment and the night is still young.

Can you still slip into the toilet or is it too late?

Sildenafil citrate - the active ingredient in the brand name Viagra® - is one of the most used and effective erectile dysfunction medications.

For many men, one tablet of sildenafil is sufficient to improve blood flow and helps a normal, easily sustained erection.

How long does it take for Viagra to work and how long does it work once it's in your body? Brand Viagra and generic sildenafil usually start to work quickly and last for a few hours.

However, there are a few factors that can influence the timing. We've discussed these below and explained what you need to know if you're prescribed Viagra as an erectile dysfunction treatment.

How long does it take for Viagra to work?

Is your stopwatch ready? Pill in hand? All right, here we go.

Usually, Viagra (and sildenafil) starts working within 30 to 60 minutes of taking it (if Viagra doesn't work, you have other problems).

This is usually enough time for the medication to be absorbed into your intestines, enter your bloodstream and have a noticeable effect.

However, the time it takes for Viagra to start working may vary depending on a variety of factors, from your own body's specific response to this medication to foods you ate shortly before or after taking it.

When taken on an empty stomach, Viagra usually starts to work quickly, as it allows the drug to enter your digestive system more quickly.

If you take Viagra or generic sildenafil with or just after a large, fatty meal, it may take a little longer to start working. Therefore, avoid a greasy meal when you are at work.

How long does Viagra work?

Viagra works for about four hours.

The technical explanation is that Viagra's half-life is four hours, which means it's still in your system after four hours, but not in high enough concentrations to keep producing endless erections.

The less technical explanation is that most men with erectile dysfunction who use Viagra can have and maintain an erection without problems about four hours after taking this medication.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that you're still in your refractory period after ejaculation - even if you're taking Viagra - which means you'll have to take a break if you want to have sex again.

Here's a big brain reminder for those of you who like to make bad decisions: a higher dose won't make you live any longer - although it can cause low blood pressure and potentially stop your heart - so don't try to intentionally overdose.

How long does Sildenafil work?

Sildenafil usually works for around four hours, giving you a large window of time where you can have sex with optimal erectile function.

This drug - a phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor - basically inhibits an enzyme in your blood vessels, causing those blood vessels to relax and dilate (open). This increases blood flow to your penis, causing you to have an erection.

The vasodilator effects of sildenafil also treat a type of hypertension called pulmonary arterial hypertension, which is high blood pressure in your lungs.

But we're here to watch your dick and not to control your other organs, so let's delve a little deeper into that. If you want to know more about Viagra and PE5 inhibitors, check out our blog about how Viagra works.

In a study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, men with ED who took sildenafil at a dosage of 100 mg were able to have an “adequate” erection four hours later - a finding that is consistent with sildenafil's four-hour half-life.

Of course, there is some leeway in this four-hour period.

Research suggests that sildenafil can give an erection after four hours, but that it is not as firm as the erection you get one hour after ingestion.

The active ingredient will continue to affect the blood vessels in your penis and increase blood flow - it just may not be enough for sexual activity.

For optimal results, it is therefore best to use sildenafil in such a way that you can have sex within a few hours of taking it and not after four hours, unless there is really no other option. Within an hour of the big event is ideal.

Factors that may affect how long Viagra lasts

Various factors can affect how long Viagra or generic sildenafil remains active in your body. These include:

• Your diet. Eating a large meal, especially one that is high in fat, can slow your body's absorption of sildenafil and prevent it from working quickly. It may also prolong the duration of action of sildenafil.
• Your age. Age can affect your body's ability to absorb medication. If you are over 65 or if you have liver and/or kidney problems, it may take longer for Viagra to start working and leave your body.
• Your alcohol consumption. Consuming a significant amount of alcohol can affect your sexual function and make it harder to maintain an erection. However, it is not clear whether alcohol affects the duration of sildenafil's effect.
• Your sildenafil dose. Although the half-life of sildenafil remains the same regardless of dosage, taking a larger dose of Viagra or generic sildenafil may cause you to experience slightly longer lasting effects.
• Your mental wellbeing. Several psychological factors may make treatment for erectile dysfunction less effective, including depression, stress, or feelings of anxiety about sexual performance.
• Your overall health. Some medical conditions, such as diabetes and multiple sclerosis (MS), can affect your erectile function and prevent medications such as sildenafil from being fully effective.
• Your use of other medications Certain medications, such as antidepressants, blood pressure medicines, antiandrogens, tranquilizers, and others, can make symptoms of ED more severe and may affect how long sildenafil works.

If you are prescribed Viagra or generic sildenafil and you are worried that it won't work as long as it should, it's important to tell your healthcare provider.

They may suggest adjusting your dosage or making other changes to how you use your medication.

Can you make Viagra last longer?

Because you can't change the half-life of Viagra, there's no easy way to make this medication work longer once it's in your body.

However, there are several things you can do after taking Viagra to make sure it's as effective as possible:

• Take sildenafil or Viagra as prescribed. Make sure you follow your healthcare provider's instructions carefully and take Viagra or generic sildenafil at the prescribed dose.
• Avoid high-fat meals. As you already know, eating a high-fat meal can affect the time it takes for Viagra to start working and reduce its effectiveness.
• Don't drink alcohol. It is better not to drink alcohol while taking Viagra, as it can have a negative effect on your sexual performance.
• Take it easy and relax. Try to create a relaxed atmosphere before sex to prevent feelings of stress, anxiety or general concerns affecting your sex life.

Can Viagra Have Lasting Effects?

Assuming it is used properly, Viagra does not cause any lasting side effects. It stops working after four hours and has no long-term adverse effects on your body.

As we said above, the half-life of sildenafil is approximately four hours, which means it takes a total of four hours for the amount of sildenafil in your blood to decrease by 50 percent.

This means that a typical dose of Viagra or generic sildenafil stays “in your body” about one day after ingestion, although in a small amount that has no noticeable effects on your health.

Eventually, Viagra will no longer be present in your bloodstream or tissue and will no longer have an effect in your body.

Of course, like most medications, PDE5 inhibitors such as Viagra come with a number of side effects that you should watch out for:

• Common side effects include flu-like symptoms, headache, and dizziness.
• Serious side effects such as a prolonged erection (or priapism) and chest pain are risks of ED treatment. If you have an erection that lasts longer than four hours after taking the blue pill, seek immediate medical attention.

To prevent negative interactions with other medications, do not take Viagra with nitroglycerin or other nitrates, or with beta blockers.

For more information, see our guide to the possible side effects of Viagra.

Viagra half-life vs. other ED medications

While Viagra is the most popular drug to treat ED, it is certainly not the only treatment option in its category. Other commonly used medications to treat ED include Cialis®, Levitra®, and Stendra®, all of which have the same positive effects as Viagra.

• Cialis (tadalafil) provides significantly longer ED relief per dose than Viagra. A dose of Cialis usually works within 60 minutes, but it can also work within 30 minutes. It can last for up to 36 hours.
• Levitra (vardenafil), on the other hand, has a similar half-life to Viagra. Levitra contains vardenafil and it may take about 60 minutes to start working. Once absorbed by your body, the effect usually lasts around four to five hours.
• Stendra (avanafil) is one of the newcomers to ED drugs. It has a terminal half-life of five hours - slightly longer than Viagra - which means you can generally expect a normal dose of Stendra to provide relief from ED for five hours.
  
  Stendra also starts to work quickly: some men experience an improved erection after just 15 minutes.

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How long does Viagra work?

How long does Viagra work? Assuming you take it without food or with a small low-fat meal, you can expect Viagra to start working after about an hour and provide relief from ED around four hours.

We've just spent this entire article answering that question, so we won't repeat ourselves again. What we will do is leave a cheat sheet with the most important tips:

• Viagra doesn't make you stiff without sexual stimulation - it helps blood flow to your penis, but this process only starts when you get excited.
• If Viagra does not work effectively for you, it is best to let your healthcare provider know as soon as possible. You may need to change your Viagra dosage or make other changes to how you use your medication.
• The story of the permanent damage to the penis is a story that most men are familiar with, and yes, it is true.
• If you're looking for long-term erectile dysfunction relief, a longer-acting medication such as tadalafil maybe your best choice.
• Over-the-counter supplements are not a safe alternative to FDA-approved ED medications. Learn more in our guide to gas station sex pills.

We offer a variety of FDA-approved ED medications online, including Viagra and generic sildenafil.

To get started, consider participating in an online erectile dysfunction consultation to talk to a licensed healthcare provider and learn more about your options.

Oh, and Siri? Set a reminder in 30 minutes.