What’s covered?
How long does Viagra last?
The famous 'blue pill' is among the most popular erectile dysfunction treatments.
Most adult men, in some way or the other, are worried about their timing during sex. The average duration of 10-15 minutes may not be satisfactory for many. Moreover, some people may find it impossible to maintain an already achieved erection. So, what's the solution?
Viagra, the most prescribed drug for erectile dysfunction
Viagra and other erectile dysfunction medications increase blood flow in the blood vessels of the penis. Viagra (active ingredient, sildenafil) is the first and the most prescribed medicine for erectile dysfunction (ED). Since it is the oldest drug being used, the data about its efficacy, safety, duration of action and side effects is relatively developed.
It is known to be highly safe and effective for the purpose, as an earlier study published in Urology noted that nearly 95% of people were satisfied with the results.
Here at Welzo, we offer several ED medications, including Viagra. To order Viagra, visit our product page here.
How long does Viagra last?
Let's understand how it works and for how long.
The duration of a drug depends upon many factors, including,
- Dosage of the pill
- The renal clearance rate,
- The rate of hepatic metabolism
If a person has no renal and hepatic issues (along with other diseases), they will metabolize and excrete the drug at the right time, i.e., 2-3 hours. However, if renal clearance or hepatic metabolism is slow, the duration can last up to 4-8 hours. In some patients, several metabolic factors can lead to a prolonged and painful erection known as priapism which can become a medical emergency and need to be treated. Such a situation can develop when the drug does eliminate from the body on time.
What does the research say about its duration?
Viagra is an FDA-approved drug. Over time, large studies have highlighted its usefulness and duration of action. Its effects can last several hours after taking Viagra; however, the drug will not be eliminated from the blood for several more hours.
Do any scientific investigations support this claim? Different research has produced different and often overlapping results about the efficacy and duration of action. Let's go through some of them.
The onset of erection and duration with 50mg pill
The erectile dysfunction medications do not work instantaneously. They will take some time to act, and the effects will last for hours. Please note that this drug will not produce sexual arousal. The erection, however, needed to be achieved through sexual arousal.
An earlier study in 2002 by Eardly and his colleagues found that the onset of an erection started after 27 minutes (12-70 minutes range) of taking the 50 mg pill. Most (82%) of the subjects reported the onset of erection within 45 minutes. The results, however, were dependent on the visual sexual stimulation and delayed stimulation tends to lower the time for the start of erection. The study reported that the drug's effects lasted at least 4 hours.
A very recent review published in the International Research of Impotence Research found that along with the treatment of ED, it is also effective for treating premature ejaculation (PE). Another study also reported that 60% of people with PE showed improvement with Viagra (50 mg).
Higher the dose, the longer the duration of action (100mg pill)
The higher amount of the drug will take more time to be eliminated from the body. So, the effects will last longer.
A study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that erection can be achieved for up to 12 hours (in ED patients) with 100 mg of sildenafil. However, the duration of erections was lowered as the time between taking the drug and sexual stimulation increased, and the erection lasted for only 8 minutes after 12 hours of dosing.
The duration of erection after 1 hour of taking the drug was 26 minutes.
Similarly, another study published in European Urology noted that successful intercourse was reported by 97% of the subjects after 1 hour of taking 100 mg of sildenafil citrate. In comparison, the percentage was lowered to 74% after 12 hours of taking the dose. The study, however, was reported on ED patients.
We can summarize the results of the above studies in the table as follows;
Time after taking the dose |
Without Viagra (people with ED) |
Duration of action with Viagra |
1 hour |
<3 minutes |
26 minutes |
8 hours |
<3 minutes |
11 minutes |
12 hours |
<3 minutes |
5-8 minutes |
Time varies from person to person
Biology is never the same for two people, even if they are of the same age, height and weight. Remember that duration is not constant and is variable for different men. Please note that it can’t prevent the loss of erection after orgasm. After orgasm, there will be a refractory period (duration depends on age and varies from 15 minutes to 20 hours) during which a person will not be able to achieve erection.
As noted by earlier studies, the effects lasted up to 12 hours, but the average for most middle-aged people is 2-3 hours.
How to make Viagra last longer?
How can you manipulate the timing? You can lower the dose or increase the timing from dosing to sexual stimulation. But what if the highest amount in the market doesn't produce enough timing for you? The following tips and practices can help you to stimulate sexual timing.
Healthy and well-balanced diet
A balanced diet containing vegetables, fruits, whole grains and less saturated fats can help enormously. Reduce the salt intake to not more than 6g per day and reduce the weekly takeaways. Grapefruit juice can alter the pharmacokinetics of the drug. So, it is advised to stop using it 2-3 days before taking the medication.
It doesn't cause any harm if taken with food. However, some foods can lower their absorption. It is best to take Viagra on an empty stomach.
Reduce the alcohol intake
Reducing the daily pints of alcohol can help you and can reduce the effectiveness of Viagra. If you cannot eliminate its use, try to limit it to 1-2 units of alcohol per day.
Regular exercise
Regular exercise can help you to manage stress as stress can spoil your sexual experience. Exercise can help you to achieve better weight and good heart health, thus a more pronounced increase in the blood flow towards the penis.
Quit smoking
It would be another complex issue to tackle for some people. However, it can harm your heart health and reduce the blood flow to the penis, thus lowering the quality of erection. Leaving or gradually reducing it is essential if you are more concerned about your sexual health than addictions.
Consider your age
It is wise to expect less from your body as your age advances beyond 40. At age 65 or more, your body will metabolize the drug slower, so its effects will remain for a longer duration. But, the erections will be of poor quality. Expecting your body to give you hours of erection past 60 is too much.
Dosage
Three ordinary doses available are 25mg, 50mg and 100mg. Higher dosages will be more effective, but don't exceed the maximum allowed dose recommended by the physician.
Taking other drugs
Some other drugs can decrease the metabolism of sildenafil in the body. So, the effects will last longer. Consult the physician if you are taking medications for other diseases.
Can you take more pills to increase the duration?
It is not recommended to take any more pills within 24 hours. Although the effects may last for only up to 12 hours, it is wise to wait for 24 hours as it will be eliminated within this time.
Taking more pills within 24 hours can build unsafe levels of the drug in your blood, exposing you more to dangerous side effects, e.g., priapism. For the same reason, combining Viagra with other ED drugs is not recommended.
Conclusion
Viagra is used to treat erectile dysfunction. Viagra can last up to 12 hours, but the average duration is 2-3 hours. This duration, however, depends upon the physiological health and dosage of the drug. The excessive dose can increase the time but exposes you to dangerous side effects. It is a good practice to limit yourself to the prescribed dose and use other healthy methods to improve the timing in bed.
Seek professional medical advice in difficult situations, e.g., very high or shallow blood pressure, painful erection etc.
At Welzo, we have more information about erectile dysfunction and its treatment. Click here to visit our information page.
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