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Adeel Arshad

Authored on 24 January 2024 by Adeel Arshad,

Reviewed 24 January 2024 by Dr Ruch Karunadasa.

Viagra Connect

Oral medication

Viagra Connect is an erectile dysfunction treatment which can be issued quickly by our pharmacists, without the need for a prescription.

Medication effect duration

Viagra Connect takes between 30-60 minutes to take effect and should last up to 4 hours. Sexual arousal is still required to achieve an erection.

Nutrition information for medication

It is best to take Viagra Connect on an empty stomach or with a low-fat meal, as fat has been shown to slow down its absorption. You should also avoid high amounts of alcohol and grapefruit juice which may affect absorption.

How does Viagra Connect work?

Viagra connect is simple to take, just consume a tablet about an hour before you intend to perform. It can take between 30-60 minutes to work. The active drug in Viagra Connect - Sildenafil works by relaxing blood vessels and allowing more blood to flow to allow for an erection. You’ll still need to be aroused for it to work.

If you have tried Viagra Connect and are not seeing the results you’d hoped for please seek guidance from your prescriber or GP.

How do I take Viagra Connect?

Viagra Connect is to be taken approximately 1 hour before sexual activity. Avoid consuming fatty foods as this can slow down absorption and lessen it’s effects.

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How long does Viagra Connect last?

Viagra Connect can last for up to 4 hours, so there is no rush once taken! You also don’t need to worry about having an unwanted erection, as it only works when combined with sexual arousal.

Is Viagra Connect the same as Viagra?

Both Viagra and Viagra Connect contain the same active ingredient sildenafil, however, Viagra Connect can be purchased without a prescription, whereas Viagra requires a prescription from a GP.

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How often can you use Viagra Connect?

Viagra Connect only takes effect when you’re sexually aroused and last approximately 4 hours. The maximum recommended dose is once per day.

What are the side effects for Viagra Connect?

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects although not everybody gets them. These side effects are usually mild to moderate and of a short duration.

Seek medical attention immediately if you experience any of the following serious side effects:

  • Chest pains: this occurs uncommonly. If this occurs before, during or after sexual activity: Get in a semi-sitting position and try to relax. Do NOT use nitrates to treat your chest pain.
  • A prolonged and sometimes painful erection lasting longer than 4 hours: this occurs rarely.
  • A sudden decrease or loss of vision: this occurs rarely.
  • An allergic reaction: this occurs uncommonly. Symptoms include sudden wheeziness, difficulty breathing or dizziness, swelling of the eyelids, face, lips or throat.
  • Serious skin reactions such as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Syndrome (TEN): this occurs rarely. Symptoms may include severe peeling and swelling of the skin, blistering of the mouth, genitals and around the eyes and fever.
  • Seizures or fits: this occurs rarely.

Other side effects:

Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)

  • Headache

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):

  • Nausea,
  • Indigestion,
  • Stuffy nose,
  • Dizziness
  • Facial flushing, hot flush (a sudden feeling of heat in your upper body)
  • Colour tinge to vision, blurred vision, visual disturbance

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):

  • Vomiting,
  • Upper abdominal pain,
  • Acid reflux (including heartburn),
  • Skin rash, pain in the arms or legs, nosebleed, feeling hot, feeling tired (fatigue)
  • Eye irritation, bloodshot eyes/red eyes, eye pain, seeing flashes of light, visual brightness, light sensitivity, watery eyes
  • Pounding heartbeat, rapid heartbeat
  • High blood pressure
  • Low blood pressure (typical signs are dizziness, fainting, blurred vision, nausea and tiredness)
  • Muscle pain, feeling sleepy, reduced sense of touch, vertigo, ringing in the ears
  • Dry mouth, blocked or stuffy sinuses, inflammation of the lining of the nose (can be experienced as runny nose, sneezing and stuffy nose)
  • Presence of blood in urine
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Special considerations when taking Viagra Connect:

Do not take Viagra Connect if you:

  • Do not have an erection problem
  • Take any nitrate medicine for chest pain or heart failure (see "Other medicines and Viagra Connect")
  • Take amyl nitrite, so called "poppers" as recreational drugs
  • Take riociguat (or other guanylate cyclase stimulators) for high blood pressure in the lungs (see "Other medicines and VIAGRA CONNECT")
  • Take ritonavir for the treatment of HIV (see "Other medicines and VIAGRA CONNECT")
  • Have a severe heart problem such as a recent heart attack or stroke (within the last 6 months), unstable angina (chest pain) or severe cardiac failure (reduced pumping capacity of the heart)
  • Have a severe liver problem
  • Have low blood pressure (below 90/50 mmHg) which can cause symptoms such as tiredness, dizziness, light-headedness, feeling sick, clammy skin, depression, loss of consciousness, or blurry vision
  • Have ever had severe vision loss because of nerve damage in the eyes, such as non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION); or have a rare inherited eye disease, such as retinitis pigmentosa (see "Warnings and precautions")
  • Have a deformed penis
  • Are a woman
  • Are under 18 years of age
  • Are allergic to sildenafil or any of the other ingredients of this medicine

Warnings and precautions:

You should schedule a health check-up with your doctor as soon as possible within the first 6 months of starting to use Viagra Connect to ensure that your erection problems are not caused by any serious health condition. Erectile dysfunction may be an early sign of:

  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol

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