Viagra, also known by its generic name sildenafil, is a vasodilator used to treat erectile dysfunction in men. It can also be used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension, a condition characterized by high blood pressure between the heart and lungs, in both men and women. Generally, it is taken by mouth, but can also be taken by injection. Both require a prescription from a doctor and should not be taken with alcohol, as there can be serious issues with these two substances interacting.

Buy Viagra over the counter in South Africa

How Viagra works

Viagra treats erectile dysfunction through the inhibition of phosphodiesterase type-5. Phosphodiesterase type-5, when it works too quickly, causes the erection to either fail or not last as long as necessary. In layman’s terms, Viagra works by relaxing the blood vessels in the penis and allowing blood to flow more easily, thus enabling an erection. However, Viagra alone will not cause an erection and instead works to maintain an erection when the penis experiences sexual stimulation. Viagra does work in 99.99% of cases. In addition, Viagra does not affect any other elements of the sexual experiences. It does not work to increase sexual desire, does nothing to prevent against STDs, or prevent pregnancy. This medicine should be used 1 hour before sex begins, as it will need this long to take effect and work correctly. When used to encourage erections, this medicine should not be taken more than once a day, and users must allow at least 24 hours between doses. When taken to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension, it can be taken three times a day at intervals of 3 to 4 hours. It should not be taken in conjunction with quite a few other medicines, and anyone interested should check with their doctor before using it, just to make sure that there will be as few difficulties as possible.

Viagra side effects

Viagra does cause a wide array of side effects, some of which can be quite dangerous. Any signs of an allergic reaction, including itching, swelling, hives, tingling, breathing difficulties, and chest tightness, should be reported to one’s doctor as soon as they are noticed. Other side effects that necessitate an immediate call to a doctor include fainting, loss of vision, hearing loss, dizziness, severe headaches, a painful or extremely prolonged erection, and chest pain. Other side effects, which are less dangerous, include normal headaches, stuffy or runny nose, redness or warmth in the upper torso, nosebleeds, and nausea.

Generic Viagra over the counter

In South Africa, contrary to many places in the world, generic Viagra can be bought over the counter, and without a prescription from a doctor. The patent for Viagra, held by Pfizer, ran out in May of 2014 and resulted in a huge drop in price as generic Viagra began selling at 200 ZAR for 4 tablets of 100mg each. These packets had been selling between 800 ZAR and 1000 ZAR before the price drop. However, Viagra does face some significant competition from Cialis, which offers three days of erection assistance, in comparison to Viagra’s few hours. This also helped quite a few men in treatment for cancer, which can cause significant erectile dysfunction. The new generic will also save many men from taking chances with more sketchy but cheaper online drugs.

Alexander Pretorius

Medical Practitioner (General Practice) with postgraduate diplomas in Cape Town. My special interest is erectile dysfunction.