Viagra (sildenafil) is a popular medication used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). It helps men achieve and maintain an erection by increasing blood flow to the penis. But how long does Viagra stay in your system after taking it?
Factors That Affect How Long Sildenafil Stays In Your System
Many factors affect how long Viagra lasts in your body, including:
Dosage of Viagra
The amount of Viagra you take directly impacts how long it stays in your system. Viagra is available in doses of 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg. The higher the dosage, the longer Viagra takes to fully clear out of your body. For example, 25 mg Viagra may persist for about 2 to 5 hours, but 100 mg Viagra can last up to 8 hours. Therefore, the prescribed dosage you are taking is an important consideration for determining the duration of Viagra’s effects.
Age
As individuals age, the body’s metabolism slows down. This means it takes longer for medications like Viagra to be broken down and excreted from the body. Younger people have a faster metabolism, allowing Viagra to be cleared more rapidly. Older individuals over 65 years may find it takes longer for a dose of Viagra to fully leave their system. Age impacts the pharmacokinetics, which contributes to differences in duration of action.
Diet
Eating a substantial, high-fat meal before or after taking Viagra can delay its absorption and concentration peak levels in the bloodstream. This is because fat can substantially reduce the rate of stomach emptying and slow down drug absorption.
Eating light meals or fasting leads to quicker drug absorption and clearance from plasma. On the other hand, ingesting Viagra with food, especially foods high in fats, means it lingers in your system for a longer duration before elimination.
Alcohol
Alcohol is metabolized by the same liver enzymes that break down sildenafil, the active agent in Viagra. If taken together, alcohol competitively inhibits the metabolism of Viagra delaying its clearance from the body. In essence, alcohol prolongs the half-life of Viagra and the time it remains active in your system. Studies show that ingesting alcohol around the same time as Viagra increases its bioavailability by a median of 11%.
Medications
Certain prescription medications like erythromycin, ketoconazole, itraconazole, ritonavir, and cimetidine can reduce the breakdown of Viagra. The action of these drugs impacts the cytochrome P450 system, which is responsible for sildenafil metabolism.
When taken together with Viagra, these medications slow down its metabolism and elimination resulting in Viagra staying active in the body for longer periods. The duration is also prolonged if the doses for these drugs are high.
Psychological State
Mental health has implications, even on drug kinetics in the body. Anxiety, stress, and depression are known to affect how your body processes and breaks down Viagra.
For example, some studies indicate that depression (commonly associated with ED) can cause the liver to metabolize Viagra more slowly. This leads to extended clearance times for Viagra among men with depression. On the other hand, excitement on a special night may speed up the metabolism causing Viagra to exit your system faster.
Metabolism
Your basal metabolic rate influences how fast the substances you ingest – including Viagra – are broken down and utilized by cells or passed out of the body. People with higher BMR clear Viagra quicker while those with lower BMR metabolize Viagra more slowly leading to longer half-lives and activity periods. Genetic factors partly determine your metabolism, but lifestyle habits also matter.
How Long Does Viagra Take to Work?
After ingesting Viagra on an empty stomach, its active ingredient sildenafil takes 30 to 60 minutes (median of 60 minutes) to reach peak concentrations in your blood plasma. Absorption times run anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
However, you may not experience the results for up to 2 hours after taking Viagra. The medication takes its full effect once nitric oxide production has increased adequately to relax soft muscle tissues. Only then can you achieve a firm erection upon sexual stimulation.
Viagra’s effects, therefore, take some time become noticeable. The compound needs to build up sufficiently in your system first. But once peak levels manifest, clinical trials show it remains effective for the treatment of ED for up to 5 hours.
For example, in a 2002 study, Viagra produced erections hard enough for penetration in nearly 82% of men for up to 4 to 5 hours. This shows that while Viagra takes 30-120 minutes to work initially, its therapeutic effects last for several hours.
When to Take Viagra
- For best results, you should take Viagra about 30 minutes to 1 hour before the planned sexual act. This provides enough time for the medication to be absorbed into your system and stimulate an erection.
- Taking Viagra after a low-fat snack or light meal can slightly delay absorption but without reducing bioavailability since food does not largely affect how much Viagra enters your circulation.
- You should avoid taking Viagra with high-fat meals which can substantially reduce absorption – by over 50% in some cases. High fat levels trigger slower gastric emptying, which hinders sildenafil uptake.
- Only take Viagra when sexually stimulated or aroused. The drug relies on nitric oxide pathways triggered by sexual stimulation to work. It enhances erectile function and performance but cannot independently cause an erection.
In summary, Viagra usually remains active in your body for 2 to 8 hours depending on personal factors like age, dosage, diet, metabolic rate, and co-administered drugs. On average, it takes effect within an hour after ingesting a dose without food for the management of ED. Paying attention to the timing of your dose in relation to meals and sexual activity can help optimize results.
