Low Dose Sildenafil (AKA Viagra®) for Women

How should sildenafil for women be used?

Sildenafil comes as a tablet to be taken orally. Standard prescription is usually 1 tablet taken daily for the time period recommended by the prescribing provider. Sildenafil usually should not be taken more than once every 24 hours. If you have certain health conditions or are taking certain medications, your doctor may modify your prescription. You can take sildenafil with or without food. Tell your doctor if sildenafil is not working well or if you are experiencing side effects.

What special precautions should I follow?

Before taking sildenafil, tell your doctor if you are allergic to sildenafil, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in sildenafil products. Other precautions:

• Do not take sildenafil if you are taking or have recently taken riociguat (Adempas) or nitrates (medications for chest pain) such as isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil), isosorbide mononitrate (Monoket), and nitroglycerin (Minitran, Nitro-Dur, Nitromist, Nitrostat, others). Nitrates come as tablets, sublingual (under the tongue) tablets, sprays, patches, pastes, and ointments. Ask your doctor if you are not sure whether any of your medications contain nitrates.
• Do not take street drugs containing nitrates such as amyl nitrate and butyl nitrate (‘poppers’) while taking sildenafil.
• Tell your doctor what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, and nutritional supplements you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: alpha blockers, antifungals, anticoagulants (‘blood thinners’), barbiturates, beta blockers, HIV protease inhibitors, medications for high blood pressure, medications for seizures. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects. Many other medications may also interact with sildenafil, so be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking.
• Tell your doctor what herbal products you are taking or plan to take, especially St. John’s wort.
• Tell your doctor if you smoke and if you have recently lost a large amount of body fluids (dehydration). This can happen if you are sick with fever, diarrhea, or vomiting; sweat a lot; or do not drink enough liquids. Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD; blockage of veins in the lungs); a stomach ulcer; heart, kidney, or liver disease; a heart attack; an irregular heartbeat; a stroke; chest pain; high or low blood pressure; high cholesterol; a bleeding disorder; blood circulation problems; blood cell problems such as sickle cell anemia (a disease of the red blood cells), multiple myeloma (cancer of the plasma cells), or leukemia (cancer of the white blood cells), or diabetes. Also tell your doctor if you or any of your family members have or have ever had an eye disease such as retinitis pigmentosa (an inherited eye condition that causes loss of vision) or if you have ever had sudden severe vision loss, especially if you were told that the vision loss was caused by a blockage of blood flow to the nerves that help you see.
• iI you are taking sildenafil, tell your prescribing doctor if you have ever been advised by a healthcare professional to avoid sexual activity for medical reasons or if you have ever experienced chest pain during sexual activity. Sexual activity may be a strain on your heart, especially if you have heart disease. If you experience chest pain, dizziness, or nausea during sexual activity, call your doctor immediately and avoid sexual activity until your doctor tells you otherwise.
• Tell all your healthcare providers that you are taking sildenafil. If you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking sildenafil. If you ever need emergency medical treatment for a heart problem, the healthcare providers who treat you will need to know when you last took sildenafil.
• Talk to your doctor about eating grapefruit and drinking grapefruit juice while taking this medicine.

What side effects can low dose sildenafil cause?

Although rare, especially in low dose form, Sildenafil may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away or you experience any new symptoms, even if not on this list:

• headache
• heartburn
• diarrhea
• flushing (feeling of warmth)
• nosebleeds
• difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• numbness, burning, or tingling in the arms, hands, feet, or legs
• muscle aches
• changes in color vision (seeing a blue tinge on objects or having difficulty telling the difference between blue and green)
• sensitivity to light

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• blurred vision or changes in vision
• sudden decrease or loss of hearing or ringing in the ears
• dizziness or lightheadedness
• fainting
• chest pain
• worsening shortness of breath
• erection that is painful or lasts longer than 4 hours
• itching or burning during urination
• rash

What should I know about storage and disposal of sildenafil?

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Children should not take sildenafil. Store the tablets at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Store the suspension at room temperature or in a refrigerator, but do not freeze it.

It is important that you continue to see your regular medical doctor for your usual routine health maintenance. We are not replacing your medical doctor.  Note that Sildenafil does not prevent pregnancy or the spread of sexually transmitted diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

If you would like to see if Sildenafil (AKA Viagra® for women) is right for you, book an appointment with the sexual health specialists at Balanced Medical Solutions.