Exact Answer: 4 – 6 Hours
Viagra is a brand name for a prescription drug that is approved to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). It contains the active drug sildenafil. Sildenafil, sold under the brand name Viagra is also useful in treating pulmonary arterial hypertension wherein there is high blood pressure affecting the lungs and heart. It is taken by mouth or injected into a vein.
Summary
ED which can be treated by Viagra can simply be described as impotence to an average person. In such a condition, there is either inability to get an erection or to maintain one, or both. This leads to an unsatisfactory sexual experience.
With ED, the nerves inside the body are unable to communicate properly with the brain and hence the blood doesn’t flow properly into the corpus cavernosum. By taking Viagra, walls of the blood vessels are relaxed and blood can flow more easily and freely through parts responsible for causing an erection.
How Long Does Viagra Last?
| Stages | Time |
| Viagra starts working | After 30 minutes |
| Viagra reaches the peak levels inside the body | After 60 – 120 minutes |
| Viagra lasts inside the body | Up to 4 – 6 hours |
Viagra (sildenafil) relaxes the muscles found in the walls of blood vessels and increases blood flow to particular areas of the body. This medication is only available with a doctor’s prescription.
Viagra should be strictly taken only when it is needed or when the doctor prescribes the person to take it. It is generally advised not to take Viagra more than once per day. This medication must be taken in exact dosages as prescribed, as taking it in larger or smaller amounts can give undesired results. Also, people must refrain from taking it longer than recommended.
Viagra is available in three strengths: 25mg, 50mg, and 100mg. A higher dosage will take a longer time to leave the body and vice versa.
It normally takes about 30 minutes to 1 hour for it to start working inside the body. Viagra lasts around 4 to 6 hours, but it might last for a longer or shorter time depending on the person taking it. The duration of Viagra lasting inside the body is heavily influenced by factors such as the amount of dosage, the body’s metabolism, and other external factors.
Why Does Viagra Last This Long?
When Viagra is taken as an oral pill, it has to first get absorbed from the stomach into the blood through which it can travel across the body. Studies prove that Viagra takes about 30 to 120 minutes to get absorbed in the blood. After approximately 4 hours, half of the Viagra gets broken down by the liver and from that time onwards, the effect on Viagra goes on decreasing inside the body.
Viagra may take longer than usual to work when one consumes it after having a fatty meal as fats slow down the absorption process which takes place inside the stomach.
Men over the age of 65 and men with liver disease or severe kidney disease may have longer effects from Viagra as their organs are not efficient to break down Viagra faster and hence can experience its effect for a longer duration than usual. For such people, the dosage of the medication needs to be lower.
Viagra works by increasing smooth muscle relaxation in the part called the corpus cavernosum. When it is stimulated, a substance called nitric oxide is released. In a series of steps, this nitric oxide gets metamorphosed into a substance called cGMP which causes smooth muscle relaxation and continuous blood flow. Viagra inhibits the breakdown of cGMP, which helps to treat erectile dysfunction by making the erection last longer and harder.
Hardness and duration of erections increase with an increased dose of Viagra. It must be remembered that the American Urological Association does not recommend Viagra as a treatment for premature ejaculation.
Conclusion
For treating ED specifically, Viagra is the well-known brand name version of the drug sildenafil.
Erectile dysfunction has many causes like anxiety, obesity, stress, diabetes, etc. Viagra is not a complete cure for it. It can help increase the blood supply to various parts of the body which is drastically reduced in conditions like ED.
In general, it takes about 30 minutes for Viagra to show noticeable effects. However, several factors like diet, underlying conditions, and much more can affect the amount of time Viagra takes to start working and the duration it lasts inside the body.
References
- https://www.nature.com/articles/3900714
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0898656809003878
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