Brother Liu is 49 years old this year, and he is a little powerless in sexual affairs, and he heard that "Viagra" has a very good effect on improving this aspect, so he went to the pharmacy to buy and take medicine by himself. When I started eating, the effect was really obvious, and my wife was also very satisfied with Brother Liu's performance.
But after taking it for a while, he found that when he didn't take the medicine, his ability was completely lost, and after taking the medicine, he felt that the effect was not as good as before, so he could only increase the dose, but he was worried that the drug had developed tolerance and did not dare to continue taking the medicine.
Faced with a dilemma, Brother Liu has been in distress.
1. Will long-term sildenafil become addictive and drug resistance?
Sildenafil, commonly known as "Viagra", is a first-line drug used clinically to treat erectile dysfunction in men. Essentially, it is a vasodilator drug, which selectively relaxes penile smooth muscles and dilates blood vessels by inhibiting the activity of phosphodiesterase type 5, so that blood flow to the penis is increased to achieve the purpose of erection.
Many patients with sexual dysfunction are worried that they will become dependent after taking sildenafil, and they will not be able to stop once they take it. Under normal circumstances, the drugs that produce dependence mostly act on the central nervous system, while sildenafil acts on the smooth muscle of penile blood vessels, which will not affect the central nervous system, and naturally there will be no dependence.
Sildenafil improves erectile dysfunction by improving vascular endothelial function and enhancing blood flow to the penis, without altering the physiological and structural functions of the body, therefore, it does not make symptoms worse after stopping the drug.
In addition to drug dependence, whether sildenafil is resistant is also a matter of great concern to many men.
From the perspective of mechanism of action, sildenafil does not make the body tolerate. The biological enzymes produced in the body are still the same as the original ones, and the blood vessels are still the same, and they will not be tolerated due to the increase in the number of doses.
Since sildenafil is not resistant, why is it that the same dose of the drug is taken, and the effect is obvious when you start taking it, but the effect is not good when you take it later?
This is mainly inseparable from two reasons, one is the psychological factor of the patient, many people cognitively think that the drug should be taken more and more in dose, so it will produce a "placebo" effect, and it feels ineffective when the dose is not increased. On the contrary, after adding the dosage, I feel that the effect becomes better because of the psychological effect;
The second is the further development of the disease, male sexual dysfunction is related to the lesions of blood vessels, nerves and multiple tissues and organs, and the management of risk factors is not done well, which will lead to the continuous aggravation of the disease, and then there will be a situation where the effect of small doses of drugs is not strong, and the amount of drugs needs to be increased to achieve the effect.
2. What is the difference between sildenaren domestic and imported?
I believe that people who have bought it know that the price of sildenafil imports is several times or even more than ten times different from the price of domestic production, the price of imported sildenafil is often dozens of yuan a piece, and the cheapest price of domestically sourced sildenafil may be less than three yuan a piece, the price difference between the two is so big, what is the difference?
1. The production cost of generic drugs is different from that of original drugs
Whether it is a generic drug or an original drug, the main ingredient is sildenafil, but there may be certain differences in manufacturing and quality control. According to the data of the State Drug Administration, the defect rate of imported drugs is 5~6%, and the domestic drug can reach more than 10%.
2. The production process and drug quality control are different
Every link in the production of imported drugs needs to go through strict and meticulous quality testing, and there are also high standards for quality control.
3. Drug price differences between different specifications
The minimum dose of sildenafil is 25mg and the highest is 100mg, and the price of different doses of drugs is naturally different.
Generally, the dosage of sildenafil made in mainland China is 25mg, and the imported one is 100mg, and the price gap between the drug will be more obvious under different doses, in fact, the gap between the two is generally about 6~10 times.
4. How to choose between domestic and imported?
The domestic drug has also passed the consistency test with the original drug, and the quality will still be guaranteed to a certain extent. Taking domestic or imported drugs mainly considers one's own economic situation, and it is natural to choose imported drugs under the premise of economic allowability. If the economic conditions do not allow it, it is also possible to take domestic naturals.
3. To take sildenafil safely, these 4 things must be understood
Some patients with erectile dysfunction do not achieve the expected results after taking sildenafil, which makes them doubt not only the effectiveness of the drug. The reason why it is ineffective is likely to be caused by the improper way of taking the drug, and mastering these things is the best way to make the drug work best.
1. Adverse reactions after taking the drug
Common adverse reactions include dizziness, headache, nasal congestion and gastrointestinal discomfort, etc., and most people's adverse reactions are relatively mild and can be tolerated by the body. But be careful not to drink too much alcohol while taking the medicine.
2. There are requirements for the time of taking medicine
After oral administration of sildenafil, the drug will be quickly absorbed by the body and take effect, generally it can exert its effect in 30 minutes, and the peak blood concentration will be reached within 1~2 hours. Men can take the medicine 30 minutes before intercourse, the time is inconvenient, and it can also be relaxed to 4 hours, but the effect of taking the medicine 1 hour in advance is better.
3. Pay attention to the dosage of medication
The recommended dose for most patients is 50 mg, which can be increased to 100 mg or reduced to 25 mg depending on the patient's condition, with the drug taken up to once a day.
4. There are contraindications for people taking medicine
Patients with severe heart failure and myocardial infarction cannot tolerate normal sexual intercourse, and naturally cannot take sildenafil; In addition, patients taking nitrates should not take the medication, as it may lead to fatal hypotension.
Under the premise of indications, taking sildenafil can have a good relieving effect. However, it is not recommended for men to self-medicate on a daily basis, and they must follow the doctor's instructions when taking the medicine to avoid unnecessary risks to their health caused by improper medication.
Resources:
[1] "The Hidden Words of the "Man" of Sildenafil. Division of Pharmacy, Five Hospitals of CUHK 2023-10-30
[2] "Sildenafil, a domestic drug of less than three yuan and an imported drug of dozens of yuan, how big is the gap?" 》. 10 Sugar Man Street 2023-07-12
[3] "These 5 Things You Must Know Before Eating Sildenafil". People's Medicine 2023-07-07
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