Viagra is a safe and effective treatment for ED. But as the saying goes, you can have too much of a good thing — and Viagra is no exception. Unless a health professional has explicitly told you otherwise, you should not take two Viagra or more within 24 hours.
There are a couple reasons why you might be wondering if you can double your Viagra dosage. Perhaps your usual dose isn’t working, or perhaps you’re having intercourse more than once a day (in which case, good for you!).
Unfortunately though, taking Viagra twice a day can be dangerous, and in some cases, it can lead to some pretty serious side effects. For this reason, you should never, ever take more than your prescribed dosage of Viagra within a 24-hour period.
The good news? If Viagra isn’t working for you or if you’d like to be able to get an erection more than once a day, there are some alternatives.
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Can You Take 2 Viagra Pills at Once?
First, some background on this ED treatment.
Viagra — and its generic, sildenafil — is used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) and is considered an effective and safe medication for most men with ED. Sildenafil is also the active ingredient in Revatio, a drug used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension.
But before you start using Viagra, it’s important to understand what Viagra does, how it works and whether it can help you — and why you should only take two Viagra at the same time if your healthcare provider explicitly says you can.
Sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra, is a PDE5 inhibitor. Phosphodiesterase type 5 is an enzyme that’s found in the smooth muscle cells of blood vessels and helps regulate blood flow.
When you take sildenafil, it stops PDE5 from working properly. As a result, blood can flow more easily into the tissues, leading to a hard on. PDE5 inhibitors can also be used to treat PE, although they aren’t specifically FDA approved for that purpose.
For the treatment of ED, you take Viagra shortly before the activity — usually, at least 30 minutes to one hour before intercourse.
Clinical trials show that Viagra can be very effective and safe when used in the right dosage. That said, there’s no one “right” Viagra dosage for everyone, and yours may be 25 mg, 50 mg or 100 mg.
When deciding which dosage to prescribe, your healthcare provider will consider several factors, including:
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Your medical history and current medical conditions
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Any medications you’re currently taking
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The severity of your ED
Usually, 50 mg is typically the starting dose, which means it’s what a healthcare provider will prescribe for you at first. But if you only have mild ED or if you experience uncomfortable side effects using the 50 mg tablets, they might prescribe a lower dose.
If your 50 mg dose doesn’t work, you might be wondering if you can take two 50 mg Viagra in one day. No — not unless your healthcare provider says that’s okay.
But if you’re still experiencing ED with a 50 mg dose, your provider will typically prescribe the 100 mg Viagra pills instead. In rare cases (say, if the 100 mg pills are out of stock), they might suggest taking two 50 mg pills instead.
But as a general rule, you should never, ever increase your dosage without medical supervision. We’ll cover why in the next section.
It’s especially important not to take two 100 mg tablets. Doses higher than 100 mg aren’t necessarily more effective at treating ED, but they can increase your risk of side effects.
(Related: What Foods Will Help You Get Hard?)
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What Happens If You Take Viagra Twice In One Day?
If you’ve taken two Viagra in one day — accidentally or on purpose — you might experience some intense adverse effects.
The side effects of Viagra are dose-dependent. This basically means that your risk of side effects increases as your dose increases.
Tolerability changes from person to person, so while one person might be able to handle a 100 mg tablet without issues, another person might get side effects from using a 25 mg dose.
The most common side effects are mild and transient, meaning they fade as the medication wears off. But still — they can be pretty unpleasant, especially if you were planning a steamy session with your partner.
The most common sildenafil side effects include:
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Headaches
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Back pain
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Muscle aches
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Nasal congestion
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Dizziness
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Facial flushing
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Indigestion/heartburn
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Nausea
Typically, you can cope with these side effects by resting and using over-the-counter drugs. They will eventually pass, so they’re not the end of the world — but they’re definitely going to kill the mood.
If you’ve taken two Viagra in one day, you probably don’t need to rush off to the emergency room. But pay attention to your body.
Seek immediate medical help if you think you’re experiencing one of these rare but serious side effects:
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Hearing issues
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Visual changes (like blurred vision and changes in color vision)
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Allergic reactions
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Hypotension (low blood pressure)
You might also experience adverse effects if you combine Viagra with certain medications — which is another reason why it’s important only to take Viagra if it’s prescribed to you. Common drugs that can interact with sildenafil include nitrates, alpha blockers and high blood pressure meds.
While these side effects are uncommon, you’re more likely to experience them if you double your Viagra dose. Increasing your dose could also increase the severity of these side effects.
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Alternatives to Taking Viagra Twice in One Day
Taking two Viagra in one day is clearly not a good idea, but if your regular dose isn’t doing the trick, what should you do to manage ED instead? Depending on your reasons for wanting to double your dose, there are some safer alternatives.
(Related: The Best ED Pills for Men)
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Taking Two Viagra To Boost Effectiveness
Is Viagra not working as well as you’d hoped? First, make sure you’re using your sildenafil correctly, and read our guide on how to take Viagra for the best results.
If you want to double your dose to improve its effectiveness, you first need to clear it with a healthcare provider. But — and this is a big but — doubling your dosage isn’t necessarily going to make you doubly as hard.
Viagra can be pretty effective at treating ED, but it isn’t a silver bullet. Whether sildenafil works or not depends on the cause of your ED.
For example, psychological ED is a thing, which means anxiety, depression, stress or performance anxiety can all affect your performance. In this case, Viagra won’t necessarily help — but in-person or online therapy might make a big difference.
Another potential issue is low sex drive. Even if you take Viagra, you still need stimulation in order to get hard. If you have a low libido and struggle to get aroused, you might need to chat with a medical expert to explore the causes (which may also be psychological).
If neither of these is the cause of your ED but Viagra still isn’t giving you the results you hoped for, consider asking your healthcare provider if you can try another ED medication. Other PDE5 inhibitors, like Stendra (avanafil), may work better for you.
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Taking Two Viagra So That You Can Get Aroused Twice
Maybe you’re in a new relationship, and you can’t keep your hands off each other. Maybe you’re planning a romantic weekend away. Or maybe you’re just a super lucky guy.
No matter why you’re having intercourse more than once in one day, we’re stoked for you! But there’s a much safer and more convenient alternative to taking two Viagra in a day.
Tadalafil (also known by the brand name Cialis) may be prescribed to use on an as-needed basis. But more importantly for your purposes, it can also be taken as a once-a-day pill that improves your overall function.
If you’re prescribed the once-a-day, everyday tadalafil dosage, there’s no need to take another pill before round two, allowing for more spontaneity.
Although you can take certain doses of tadalafil once every 24 hours, it’s been nicknamed the “weekend pill” since it can be effective for around 36 hours. Pretty impressive!
Another option is our hard mints chewable ED meds, which combine FDA-approved erectile dysfunction treatments in safe, effective doses. Depending on which hard mint you’re prescribed, you can either use them once a day or on an as-needed basis, as directed by your provider.
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The Bottom Line on Double Dosing Viagra
Unless a doctor or another healthcare professional specifically advises you to do so, please don’t double your dose of sildenafil. It’s just not worth the risk.
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You may experience worse side effects. More Viagra means more risk of adverse events, like headaches and dizziness. Serious side effects, like priapism and vision issues, are also more common with higher Viagra doses.
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Get medical advice before trying a higher dose. If your current dose of Viagra is not working as you expected, discuss it with your healthcare provider. If it’s safe to do so, they might increase your dosage.
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There are many treatment options. If Viagra doesn’t seem to be doing anything for you, there are other ED treatments. Depending on the root cause of your ED, lifestyle changes and therapy might also make a significant difference.
To learn more about potential ED treatments, check out this blog post on natural tips for treating ED and this guide to the most common ED treatments.
While arming yourself with knowledge is great, it’s no replacement for personalized medical attention. If you need help, we can connect you with a licensed healthcare professional.
This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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