Viagra

There have been precisely 739,065 (don’t quote us on that) jokes made about Viagra on television. But that’s not what we’re here for today. Sexual dysfunction is a serious issue that can affect teenagers and adults alike. So, before you go popping those blue pills, it’s important to know what’s going into your body.

A young man is sitting at a desk on his laptop. He looks focused. He is researching viagra. This is a wide-angle image.

What is viagra?

Launched by Pfizer in 1998, Viagra, the trade name for sildenafil citrate, is a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction (known as impotence, or erectile dysfunction). Taken in pill form, it works by promoting the flow of blood to the penis during arousal. It’s what’s known as a PDE5 inhibitor because it can affect blood flow in the body. Let’s be clear – It’s not an aphrodisiac. It won’t just give you wood; you need to be turned on for the drug to be effective.

What are the effects of taking Viagra?

Here’s just a few of them: 

  • It’s a simple alternative to other impotence treatments (such as injections, vacuum flasks and penile implants – which can be off-putting for obvious reasons)
  • It helps impotent males achieve harder erections for longer durations
  • People take it a single blue Viagra pill and effects kick in 30 minutes later.
  • It can enable users to get hard any time for up to four hours (with sexual stimulation).

What are the risks of taking Viagra?

Although it can be pretty useful, there are some unpleasant side-effects to generic viagra:

  • Some users report temporary side effects, ranging from headaches to flushed skin, stomach upsets, blurred vision and muscle ache. See your GP if problems persist
  • Viagra relaxes the muscles in blood vessels, thus increasing blood flow potential. This means it isn’t recommended for impotence sufferers with cardiovascular problems
  • Combining drugs is always dangerous. Using it with other nitrate drugs such as poppers is especially risky as it can lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Even using cocaine and Viagra can get pretty risky. If you wanna get informed about mixing drugs, read our article here.

The law and Viagra:

Here’s a few things you need to know about the Bobbies on the beat: 

  • Viagra can only be obtained legally in the UK by prescription from your GP, except in a few rare circumstances where pharmacies (sometimes even online pharmacies) have obtained the right to sell it.
  • The drug is widely available on the internet. But beware, drugs sold online could be out of date or fake – only take prescription drugs without supervision from a medical practitioner. To find out more about prescription drugs sold online, click here. 
  • UK law prohibits possession of Viagra for the purposes of selling it.

Slang names:

Blue, bluey, Mr Blue.

Similar prescription drugs:

Viagra is the first – and most well-known – ed treatment in pill form, but other brands to treat ed are emerging on the market such as Cialis and Levitra.

If you’re planning to take it

Be aware that physical impotence tends to affect older males. Men in their teens or twenties who can’t get it up may find the cause is psychological, such as stress or performance anxiety – see our article for help. This means if there’s no physical problem, Viagra won’t make a difference. Instead of helping, it’ll just give you high blood pressure, potentially heart disease and a bunch of other medical conditions.

Some recreational drugs have erection-killing properties, such as cocaine and speed, while ecstasy users may feel loved up but unable to perform. It’s not advisable to take the blue viagra pills to counter such effects as the drugs may have a conflicting impact on body-temperature control, heart rate and blood pressure. So basically, don’t mix your cocaine and viagra guys.

 

Next Steps

  • FRANK offers friendly, confidential advice on all things drugs-related. Call now on 0300 123 6600
  • Chat about this subject on our Discussion Boards.

Tags:

drug sex

By Nishika Melwani

Updated on 01-Sep-2021