Does Viagra make you horny? This is an important question, given that many prefer to be discreet about taking their erectile dysfunction (ED) drug.
It wouldn’t seem natural (although it would definitely be odd) if you have a raging erection even before foreplay even starts.
There’s no need to worry before taking your first pill, though. In this article, we’re going to answer that particular question, and we’ll also give you essential insights into how the medication works.
How Does It Facilitate Erections?
Viagra (sildenafil) works by blocking the action of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5), which is an enzyme that essentially prevents a penile erection. With PDE5 kept under control, the body can then synthesize more of the substance called cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP).
cGMP is the one responsible for increasing blood flow to the penis, particularly to the smooth muscles that comprise it. With blood ready and able to enter the male organ, erection can finally be achieved—assuming that there’s sexual stimulation involved (1).
This mechanism of action isn’t unique to Viagra. However, as most other ED medications target the enzyme above as well, they may be different in chemical structure, but they all have the same inhibitory effect.
How Long Does An Erection Last?
It depends from person to person and the dose of the drug taken. There are reports suggesting Viagra can stay active for up to 6 hours. Some studies even suggest it can help facilitate erections for up to 12 hours.
Now, this doesn’t mean your penis will stay erect for 6 hours or even 12 hours. It only means you should be capable of achieving an erection within a specific period.
It is dangerous for the penis to stay erect for hours. Long periods of erection can cause penile tissue damage—and this, in the worst cases, could lead to the complete loss of sexual potency (2).
On another note, expect an erection to occur as early as 12 minutes or as late as an hour after dosing. For many participants in one study, penetrative erection was achieved within 30 minutes (3).
What Is the Right Dose to Take?
Viagra is available in 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg doses. Patients, in most cases, are advised to start with 50 mg. If they aren’t able to achieve fully rigid erections with this dose, they are often given the signal to take 100 mg of the ED medication.
Caution should be taken for patients with severely compromised hepatic or renal function. These individuals generally have to start at the lowest possible dose (25 mg) for the sake of safety (4).
Interestingly, research data suggests that ethnicity and age do not affect the tolerability and effectiveness of Viagra (5, 6, 7).
So Does Viagra Make You Horny?
Now that you’ve become more familiar with the ED drug, you should be able to guess the answer to this question—and no, the drug won’t make you horny, not even in the slightest.
It can’t influence your libido in any way, given that the only thing it does is improve and support blood flow towards the penis. Again, sexual stimulation is still necessary for you to achieve a full erection.
There’s no need to worry about suddenly having an erection right after taking the drug. Also, you will still lose your erection after having an orgasm, but regaining it a few minutes after shouldn’t be too difficult as long as you’re in the mood again.
What Side Effects Can It Cause?
While ED medications won’t make you horny, they can trigger a few side effects. In the case of Viagra, the most common ones are flushing, headache, nasal congestion, and heartburn.
Note that if any of these occur while you’re on the drug, they will probably be mild and short-lived (8).
Rare side effects, on the other hand, include dyspepsia, rashes, abdominal pain, back pain, myalgia, blurring of vision, and low blood pressure (due to the drug’s vasodilatory effect).
Although this seems like a long list, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll experience all these adverse reactions. At most, you might encounter two minor ones each time you use the drug. Of course, there’s also the possibility of not experiencing any at all.
More Warnings and Precautions
Just for the sake of being thorough, and to prevent anyone from taking the drug without consulting their doctor, here are some warnings and precautions released by Pfizer:
- Preexisting Cardiovascular Diseases
Viagra should not be used, especially if the patient is prohibited from doing sexual activities because of cardiovascular risks.
- Prolonged Erection (Priapism)
There are infrequent reports involving these cases. Priapism is the condition where the erection lasts for more than 6 hours. Call your doctor immediately if this happens to you.
- Effects on Vision or the Eye
Seek immediate medical attention in the event of loss of vision.
- Sudden, Noticeable Hearing loss
This event may occur along with tinnitus and dizziness. Your doctor should make you stop using Viagra and other PDE5 inhibitors.
- Alpha-Blockers or Anti–Hypertensives
PDE5 inhibitors can enhance the effects of these drugs in lowering blood pressure. Hypotension, or low blood pressure, can be potentially fatal as it can lead to fainting and shock.
- New and Existing Cases of Bleeding
There have been reports of bleeding among users of Viagra. Keep in mind that the drug’s safety for patients with bleeding disorders has not yet been clinically established.
Does Viagra Boost Libido?
Despite being capable of helping you achieve and maintain an erection, the little blue pill isn’t capable of making you horny. And as you’ve learned, it does require sexual stimulation to give you an erection.
This is a good thing since there won’t be any surprises whenever you take the drug. You can be as discreet as you want, although it’s recommended to be open towards your partner when it comes to these matters.
Does Viagra make you horny? Now that you know the answer, you might be thinking of other important questions regarding ED. Just leave a message below, and we’ll do our best to give you the answers you need.
Originally posted 2022-07-15 05:14:00.