Viagra Oral - SILDENAFIL 20 MG TABLET

Uses

Sildenafil is used to treat high blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary arterial hypertension) by blocking a certain enzyme (phosphodiesterase-PDE5) in the body. Sildenafil works by relaxing the blood vessels in the lungs and the rest of the body.

Decreasing blood pressure in the lungs allows the heart and lungs to work better and improves your ability to exercise.

OTHER USES:
This section contains uses of this drug that are not listed in the approved professional labeling for the drug but that may be prescribed by your health care professional. Use this drug for a condition that is listed in this section only if it has been so prescribed by your health care professional.

Sildenafil is also available in other strengths for treating erectile dysfunction in males. Do not substitute one form of this drug for the other.

How to use Viagra Oral

This drug is taken by mouth with or without food, usually 3 times daily or as directed by your doctor.

Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, take it at the same times each day.

Limit the amount of grapefruit you may eat or drink (less than one quart a day) while being treated with this medication unless your doctor directs you otherwise. Grapefruit may increase the amount of sildenafil in your bloodstream. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to therapy. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.

Inform your doctor if your condition does not improve or if it worsens.

Before taking sildenafil, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: sickle cell anemia, bleeding disorders, blood system cancers (e.g., leukemia or myeloma), very high or low blood pressure, a severe loss of body water (dehydration), history of painful/prolonged erection (priapism), eye problems (e.g., retina diseases like retinitis pigmentosa), heart problems (e.g., heart attack or serious arrhythmia in the past 6 months, heart failure, coronary artery disease with unstable angina, aortic stenosis, idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis), kidney disease, liver disease, fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), penis conditions (e.g., angulation, fibrosis/scarring, Peyronie's disease), active stomach ulcers, stroke in the past 6 months.

This drug may make you dizzy or cause vision changes; use caution while engaging in activities requiring alertness and clear vision such as driving or using machinery. Limit alcoholic beverages.

To minimize dizziness and lightheadedness, get up slowly when rising from a sitting or lying position.

Do not take this medicine with any other product that contains sildenafil or other similar medications for erectile dysfunction (e.g., tadalafil, vardenafil).

Caution is advised when using this drug in the elderly because they may be more sensitive to the effects of the drug, especially dizziness.

During pregnancy, sildenafil should be used only when clearly needed. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.

It is not known if this medication passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Overdose

If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US national poison hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly. Symptoms of overdose may include severe dizziness, fainting, painful/prolonged erection.

NOTES:

Do not share this medication with others.

MISSED DOSE:

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

STORAGE:

Store at room temperature at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Brief storage between 59-86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) is permitted. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.

Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

Headache, flushing, stomach upset, heartburn, nosebleeds, diarrhea, dizziness, or lightheadedness may occur. Vision changes such as increased sensitivity to light, blurred vision, or trouble telling blue and green colors apart may also occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.

Rarely, a sudden loss of eyesight in one or both eyes (NAION) may occur. This may or may not be due to sildenafil. If this serious problem occurs, seek immediate medical attention. You have a slightly greater chance of developing this serious eye problem if you have heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, certain other eye problems ("crowded disk"), or high blood pressure, or if you smoke or are over 50.

For males, in the unlikely event you have a painful or prolonged erection lasting 4 or more hours, stop using this drug and seek immediate medical attention, or permanent problems could occur.

Rarely, sildenafil may cause sudden hearing problems, or ringing in the ears. Seek immediate medical attention if these effects occur.

A serious allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction include: rash, itching, unusual swelling, severe dizziness, trouble breathing.

This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

See also How to Use section.

Your healthcare professionals (e.g., doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.

This drug should not be used with the following medications because very serious (possibly fatal) interactions may occur: nitrates (e.g., nitroglycerin, isosorbide), medications for erectile dysfunction (e.g., PDE5 inhibitors such as tadalafil), certain recreational drugs ("poppers") containing amyl/butyl nitrite.

If you are currently using any of these medications, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting sildenafil.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription products you may use, especially of: alpha blocker medication (e.g., doxazosin, prazosin, terazosin), bosentan, high blood pressure medicines (e.g., beta blockers such as propranolol/atenolol, calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine), nitroprusside (or any "nitric oxide donor" drugs), drugs affecting liver enzymes that remove sildenafil from your body (e.g., anticonvulsants such as carbamazepine/phenobarbital/phenytoin, azole antifungals such as ketoconazole/itraconazole, macrolide antibiotics such as erythromycin, rifamycins such as rifampin/rifabutin, protease inhibitors such as ritonavir/saquinavir, delavirdine), warfarin.

This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.