Viagra Connect® Side Effects Guide
If you’re one of the more than 150 million worldwide with erectile dysfunction (ED), you’ve likely looked into using medication to make it easier to develop an erection and improve your ability to have sexual activity.
Viagra Connect® is sold over the counter without a prescription, making it a convenient option for treating ED.
Like other treatments for erectile dysfunction, Viagra Connect is safe and effective for most men when it’s used as directed. However, it does have the potential to cause several adverse effects, including some that may affect your quality of life.
Viagra Connect can also interact with other drugs, making it important to be aware of the risk of drug interactions before using this medication as a treatment for erectile dysfunction.
Below, we’ve explained what Viagra Connect is, as well as the side effects you may experience while using this erectile dysfunction medication.
We’ve also discussed other safety issues to be aware of while using Viagra Connect, from drug interactions to medical conditions that may make this treatment less than ideal for you.
Finally, we’ve shared a few other effective treatments for ED that you may want to consider for better erections, sexual performance and satisfaction in bed.
What is Viagra Connect?
Viagra Connect is an over-the-counter version of Viagra that’s available in the UK. Each tablet of the “little blue pill”, as it’s known, contains 50mg of sildenafil, which is the exact same active ingredient that’s used in the prescription version of Viagra®.
50mg of sildenafil is the recommended dose for most men with ED, meaning Viagra Connect is often a good “first option” if you’re starting to experience erectile dysfunction.
Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra Connect, is a PDE5 inhibitor that improves your ability to get an erection by dilating the blood vessels that provide blood flow to your penis.1
Healthy erections are all about strong blood flow. When you experience sexual stimulation, the nerves in and around your penis communicate with your brain and vascular system, causing a sudden increase in blood flow to the erectile tissue inside your penis.2
As blood flows into this tissue, your penis becomes larger and firmer, allowing you to penetrate your partner and engage in sexual intercourse.3
ED often occurs when physical issues, such as heart disease or high blood pressure, affect the blood vessels that supply your penis.4
It can also develop as a result of psychological issues, such as feelings of anxiety about sex or depression.5 Our guide to the causes of erectile dysfunction goes into more detail about these issues, as well as the effects that they can have on your sexual performance.
While Viagra Connect doesn’t treat these underlying conditions, it can make getting and staying hard easier even if you have an existing health condition that can cause ED.
Common Side Effects of Viagra Connect
Because of the way Viagra Connect and generic sildenafil work in your body, these medications can cause side effects.
Most side effects of Viagra Connect are mild, and it’s uncommon for them to extend beyond the one to four hours in which the medication is active. It’s also rare for side effects to be so severe that they prevent men with ED from using Viagra Connect or similar medications effectively.
Below, we’ve discussed the common side effects of Viagra Connect, regular Viagra and generic versions of sildenafil.
Headache
Headaches are the most common side effect of Viagra Connect. According to clinical trials that were performed as part of the FDA approval process for Viagra, 21 percent of men with ED who used Viagra at a dosage of 50mg developed headaches.6
In comparison, only seven percent of men in the placebo group reported headaches during the same treatment period.7
Headaches are a common side effect of all oral medications for ED, meaning you may also get this side effect if you use tadalafil (the active ingredient in Cialis®) or other types of medication to improve your erections.
Facial Flushing
Viagra Connect can cause flushing — redness that may affect your face and other areas of your body.8 Flushing is the second most common adverse effect of Viagra Connect, with 19 percent of men reporting this issue in clinical trials.9
Dyspepsia (Indigestion)
Dyspepsia, which refers to discomfort or pain that occurs in your abdomen, affects nine percent of men who use Viagra Connect.10 If you’re prone to dyspepsia, you may feel bloated or like you have a stomach ache after using this medication.
Abnormal Vision
All sildenafil citrate drugs, including Viagra Connect, have the potential to produce vision issues, including blurred vision, changes in your perception of colour and increased sensitivity to light.11
According to clinical trial data, approximately two percent of men who use Viagra Connect have vision-related issues.12
It’s important to talk to your healthcare provider if you notice severe vision issues while using Viagra Connect or other medications that contain sildenafil, such as abrupt loss of vision or vision problems that don’t improve as this medication leaves your body.
Nasal Congestion
Viagra Connect can affect your nasal passages, causing you to develop cold-like symptoms like a stuffy nose or runny nose. These issues occur in approximately four percent of men who take Viagra Connect or prescription Viagra at a dosage of 50mg.13
Back Pain
Approximately four percent of men who use Viagra Connect report feelings of pain or discomfort in the back.14 However, it’s worth noting that research suggests this symptom is also common in men in general, with two percent of men given a placebo reporting back pain in clinical trials.15
Myalgia
Viagra Connect may cause myalgia, or muscle aches and pains. Myalgia was reported by two percent of men with erectile dysfunction who used Viagra at a dosage of 50mg in clinical trials conducted as part of the medication’s FDA approval process.16
Nausea
Nausea — a feeling of uneasiness in your stomach and a need to vomit — is a common adverse effect of many over-the-counter medications, and Viagra Connect is no exception.
In clinical trials, three percent of men reported feeling nauseous after taking Viagra at a dosage of 50mg.17 Eating a bland diet while you use Viagra Connect and drinking plenty of clear liquids may help reduce the severity of nausea if you’re prone to this side effect.18
Dizziness
A small percentage of men report feeling dizzy after taking Viagra Connect. In clinical trials, four percent of men who used Viagra at a dosage of 50mg experienced dizziness, compared to two percent of men who received a non-therapeutic placebo.19
Rash
Approximately two percent of men who use Viagra Connect develop a skin rash. This may occur as the result of a hypersensitivity reaction — a stronger-than-normal immunologic response to an ingredient in this medication.20
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How to Use Viagra Connect Safely
Most side effects of Viagra Connect are mild and temporary. It’s uncommon for issues to last for longer than the four hours in which Viagra Connect stays active in your body, and it’s especially uncommon for side effects to cause men with ED to stop using Viagra or similar medicines.
However, Viagra can also cause some more severe, uncommon side effects that you should be aware of before using this medication.
These include allergic reactions, changes in your blood pressure levels and prolonged, painful erections referred to as priapism.21
It’s important to seek medical help if you develop severe side effects after using Viagra. Issues such as priapism are a serious medical emergency, as a prolonged, painful erection can cause damage to the tissue inside your penis.22
If you have been diagnosed with an existing health condition, including a cardiovascular issue, any eye condition, a previous allergic reaction to medication ingredients, a blood cell condition or similar, make sure to tell your clinician before using Viagra Connect or similar medication.23
It’s also important to inform your clinician if you have heart failure, have previously suffered a heart attack or stroke or if you take medication to treat any kind of health condition.24
It’s particularly important to inform your pharmacist or healthcare provider if you use nitrate medications or other medicines to treat high blood pressure, angina (chest pain) or other conditions linked to your heart health.
Finally, make sure to inform your clinician about any recreational drugs you use, including any “poppers” that contain amyl nitrate of similar ingredients.
These medications and substances may interact with Viagra Connect and cause severe drug interaction effects when used at the same time.25
Our full guide to the side effects of Viagra goes into more detail about how you can use Viagra Connect and similar medications safely.
Other Options for Treating Erectile Dysfunction
Viagra Connect is a highly effective ED medication, and the fact that it’s sold over the counter makes it the most convenient option available for enjoying improved erections and better sex.
However, it’s not the only option that’s available if you’re one of the millions of UK-based men affected by erectile dysfunction.
Other options include generic sildenafil, which is the active ingredient in Viagra Connect, and tadalafil, the active ingredient in the long-lasting erectile dysfunction treatment Cialis®.
Using a generic drug to treat ED offers numerous advantages. The first is that generic products offer better value for money than brand-name medicines, meaning you’ll spend less to treat ED over the long term.
The second is that generic sildenafil pills are available in a range of dosages, from 25mg all the way up to 100mg, meaning you can adjust your dosage if you’re prone to adverse effects or still find it hard to get and maintain an erection after using 50mg of Viagra Connect.
We offer sildenafil, tadalafil and daily-use tadalafil online, following a consultation with a clinician who will determine if a prescription is appropriate for you.
The Bottom Line on Viagra Connect Side Effects
Viagra Connect is a safe, effective medication for the treatment of ED in most men. However, as with all medications, it can cause side effects.
Most side effects of Viagra Connect are mild, and it’s uncommon for these issues to last beyond this medication’s four-hour duration of action. Put simply, if you develop a side effect after taking Viagra Connect, it should gradually fade away as the medication stops working.
If you get severe, persistent or bothersome side effects from Viagra Connect, seek medical help or talk to your healthcare provider as soon as you can. They may suggest adjusting your dosage or changing to an alternative treatment for ED.
We offer a range of erectile dysfunction medications online, including generic ED drugs that can be taken on a daily basis for more predictable side effects and results.
Interested in learning more about what it’s like to use Viagra Connect? Our full guide to what to expect from ED medication goes into more detail about common treatments for ED, from onset of action timing to how long each medication lasts as an erectile dysfunction treatment.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment or medication.