Foods to avoid when taking Viagra
If you have been prescribed Viagra by the doctor, there are some foods you should avoid to improve the effectiveness of this medicine. Viagra is considered the best ED medicine to improve your sexual health and erectile function.
What is Viagra?
Though it is essential to know what foods should be avoided when taking Viagra, understanding the basics of Viagra is also vital.
Viagra is a brand-name prescription medicine that doctors commonly recommend to treat erectile dysfunction in men.
Erectile dysfunction is a sexual disorder in which a man is not able to get or maintain the erection required for sexual intercourse. Even after sexual stimulation, a man is not able to sustain an erection.
Viagra belongs to a class of medicines called Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors. This ED medicine works by preventing the PDE5 enzyme and makes it easy for the blood to flow smoothly into the blood vessels in male sexual organs. By increasing blood flow to the penis, it helps you to improve your sexual function. As a result, it becomes easy for men to get and maintain hard erections during sexual intercourse and combat erectile dysfunction.
Sildenafil is the active ingredient present in Viagra that is also effective in treating pulmonary hypertension.
Viagra is available in three different doses, including 25mg, 50mg, and 100mg. Usually, doctors start treatment of ED with a 50mg dosage that is taken one hour before the planned sexual activity.
Check the guide for Viagra Dosage
Like other medicines, Viagra pill can also have some side effects, including:
- Muscle aches
- Headache
- Numbness or tingling in the hands, arms, feet or legs
- Heartburn
- Nosebleeds
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Chest pain
- Allergic reactions
- Warm feeling or flushing after taking Viagra
Foods to avoid when taking Viagra
There are certain foods which should be avoided when taking the Viagra pill, based on your health and any existing condition.
High-fat meals
It is essential to know that absorption of Viagra is affected by consuming high-fat meals. When absorption of the active ingredient in Viagra, i.e., sildenafil citrate, is blocked by a high-fat meal. When you take Viagra with excessive fat food items, absorption of Viagra is delayed by about one hour.
If you plan to eat food before taking the Viagra pill, it is essential to have breakfast or lunch and give the body time to digest food. This makes it easy for the medicine to absorb in your bloodstream; you may take it on an empty stomach.
Grapefruit products
Drinking grapefruit juice might affect or delay the absorption of Viagra in your body. Grapefruit can obstruct an enzyme called CYP3A4, which stops Viagra from being absorbed in your gastrointestinal tract. Instead, the medicine passes the gut and goes into your bloodstream, which increases the effectiveness of Viagra.
However, if grapefruit juice is mixed with Viagra, it can cause some side effects such as low blood pressure, headaches, or flushing. It is advised to discuss with your healthcare provider about having grapefruit products and grapefruit juice when taking the Viagra pill.
Alcohol
Though there are no adverse effects or severe risks of combining alcohol and Viagra, your chance of experiencing mild side effects can increase. Alcohol consumption above the average amounts are more likely to develop headaches and flushing from Viagra than men who do not drink.
Know the specific interactions for Viagra.
Other Precautions to Take while using Viagra
Make sure to avoid possible drug interactions, especially do not take Viagra with nitrate-like blood pressure medication. If you have a high blood pressure problem, inform your doctor prior before you start taking Viagra.
Following the dosage prescribed to you, taking a higher dose of Viagra may increase the risk of side effects. Also, note that you should not take more than one dose within 24 hours as the effects of Viagra may remain on up to 24 hours on your body. So, taking a double dose may lead to the risk of double-dosing or overdosing.
A person having an allergy to Sildenafil or any inactive ingredient of Viagra should not take this ED pill.
Viagra is not approved for use in women or children; males above 18 years of age can use it only when advised by a doctor.
Patients with specific other medical problems must discuss with their doctor before taking Viagra. Using Viagra under some medical conditions can be unsafe, so be cautious and use it as suggested by an expert.
Summary
Therefore, Viagra is a popular medicine to treat erectile dysfunction disorder in men. Many foods interact with Viagra and make it less effective. Alcohol, high-fat foods and grapefruit products can alter the working mechanism of Viagra.
Before you start taking sexual medicine like Viagra pill, please consult a doctor because it is a prescription medicine. Also, discuss with your doctor the food items you should avoid during the treatment.
