Viagra FAQs

How does Viagra work? 

Viagra works by increasing blood flow to the penis, making it easier to get and maintain an erection hard enough for sex. Simply taking the Viagra tablet won’t give you an erection though. Viagra only works if you’re sexually stimulated, so you’ll need to be aroused in order for Viagra to help you get an erection. 

What are the strengths available?

There are three different strengths that Viagra tablets are available in: 25mg, 50mg and 100mg. If you’re using Viagra to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) for the first time then you’ll probably be prescribed a 50mg strength, which is the most commonly prescribed strength to treat ED. If this is unsuccessful in helping to treat your ED symptoms you may be prescribed 100mg tablets in the future or move on to a different treatment option. No matter what strength Viagra tablet you take, you should not take it more frequently than once per day. 

How long does it take for Viagra to work? 

Viagra’s active ingredient, sildenafil citrate, usually begins to work between 30 minutes and an hour after the tablet has been taken. Because of this, it’s recommended that men take Viagra around 30-60 minutes  before they plan to have sex. 

How long does Viagra last? 

You can expect Viagra’s effects to last between one and four hours after you’ve taken the tablet, but this doesn’t mean you’ll have an erection for the entire time. Within this timeframe you’ll find it easier to get an erection hard enough for sex, provided that you’re sexually stimulated. Your erection should go away after you’ve had sex.

If you ever have a painful erection that lasts four hours after taking Viagra (priapism) you should call 999  immediately, as this can cause permanent damage to your penis if not treated. 

Do I need a prescription to get Viagra?

Viagra is only available on prescription so you’ll first have to have a face-to-face consultation with your doctor or an online consultation through a provider such as the Boots Erectile Dysfunction Online Clinic. The consultation is used to make sure that Viagra is suitable for you.
If you opt to consider the Boots Erectile Dysfunction Online Clinic, one of our clinicians will review your answers and, if suitable, you’ll be able to pop into a local Boots store to pick your tablets up or get your tablets delivered to an address of your choice in discreet packaging (with free postage).

What is Viagra Connect? 

Viagra Connect is an ED treatment available to buy over the counter or online from pharmacies. You won’t need to get a prescription, but you’ll have to fill out a short, simple questionnaire either in person or online to make sure that the drug is suitable for you. Viagra Connect contains the same active ingredient as Viagra, sildenafil citrate, and works in the same way.  

Viagra Connect was made available from pharmacies after The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) granted the licence for Viagra Connect as a  pharmacy medicine, meaning that it is available over the counter to purchase from a pharmacy (subject to suitability assessment). One of the benefits of this is that by making a treatment for ED more widely available, men who might not otherwise seek help can treat their ED symptoms more easily. It also means that less people may now try to buy ED medicines from websites operating illegally. 

There are some differences between Viagra and Viagra Connect. One of these is that Viagra Connect is only available in a 50mg strength tablet, so if this doesn’t effectively treat your ED symptoms you may want to consider seeing your GP or use the Boots Erectile Dysfunction Online Clinic to access treatment with Viagra 100mg which requires a prescription. 

Is Viagra just for men?

The only people who can use Viagra (and Viagra Connect) are men aged 18 or over. You might’ve heard that Viagra increases sexual pleasure for women or improves their libido, but there’s no conclusive evidence to prove that this is true. There’s also no good evidence to prove that Viagra works for women with sexual problems.

How do I take Viagra?

The best way to take Viagra is on an empty stomach, around 30-60 minutes before you have sex. You can take Viagra after a meal, but’s its effects may take longer to work.

You should swallow the tablets whole with a glass of water. We recommend that you don’t drink grapefruit juice when taking Viagra, as this has been found to prevent the breakdown of the drug. Drinking excessive alcohol can temporarily impair your ability to get an erection. To get the maximum benefit from your medicine, you are advised not to drink large amounts of alcohol before sexual activity.

What are Viagra’s side effects? 

Viagra has a number of side effects, most of which are mild and usually short-lived in duration. The most common side effects of Viagra, which may affect up to one in 10 people, include: 
• Nausea
• Stuffy nose
• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Facial flushing
• Indigestion
• Colour tinge to your vision, blurred vision or visual disturbances
• Hot flush (symptoms include a sudden feeling of heat in your upper body)

You can find a full list of Viagra’s less common side effects by looking at the patient information leaflet.

Is it safe to access Viagra online? 

It depends where you’re looking. There are countless websites selling fake Viagra and other ED tablets. These are often sold illegally without a prescription or sold at a very low price to lure customers in, and may even be fraudulent websites set up to steal credit card details.  

If you’re considering Viagra to treat ED and would rather buy online, then the safest way to do so is to use online services from verified, reputable pharmacies, like the Boots Erectile Dysfunction Online Clinic. This way you can guarantee yourself peace of mind that you’re buying genuine licensed products that can help treat your ED symptoms. The same is true for Viagra Connect; you should only ever buy this medication from registered, trusted online pharmacies. 

Is Viagra the only treatment for erectile dysfunction? 

Whilst Viagra is perhaps the most well-known ED drug on the market, it’s far from being the only one. There are plenty of oral ED treatments available including Spedra, Cialis, Tadalafil and Levitra, and there’s also a range of other treatments that can help to treat the symptoms of ED.