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Common uses
• Sildenafil relaxes muscles and increases blood flow to particular areas of the body.
• Sildenafil under the name Kamagra is used to treat erectile dysfunction (impotence) in men. Another brand of sildenafil is Revatio, which is used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension and improve exercise capacity in men and women.
• Sildenafil may also be used for purposes other than those listed here.
Before using
Do not take sildenafil if you are also using a nitrate drug for chest pain or heart problems. This includes nitroglycerin (Nitrostat, Nitrolingual, Nitro-Dur, Nitro-Bid, and others), isosorbide dinitrate (Dilatrate-SR, Isordil, Sorbitrate), and isosorbide mononitrate (Imdur, ISMo, Monoket). Nitrates are also found in some recreational drugs such as amyl nitrate or nitrite ("poppers"). Taking sildenafil with a nitrate medicine can cause a serious decrease in blood pressure, leading to fainting, stroke, or heart attack.
A small number of patients have had a sudden loss of eyesight after taking sildenafil. This type of vision loss is caused by decreased blood flow to the optic nerve of the eye. It is not clear whether sildenafil is the actual cause of such vision loss. Sudden vision loss with sildenafil use has occurred most often in people with heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or certain pre-existing eye problems, and in those who smoke or are over 50 years old.
Before taking sildenafil, tell your doctor if you have:
• heart disease or heart rhythm problems;
• a recent history (in the past 6 months) of a heart attack, stroke, or heart rhythm disorder;
• congestive heart failure;
• high or low blood pressure;
• coronary artery disease;
• liver disease;
• kidney disease;
• a blood cell disorder such as sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma, or leukemia;
• a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia;
• a stomach ulcer;
• retinitis pigmentosa (an inherited condition of the eye);
• a physical deformity of the penis (such as Peyronie's disease); or
• if you have been told you should not have sexual intercourse for health reasons.
If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use sildenafil or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.
FDA pregnancy category B: This medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not use sildenafil without telling your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
It is not known if sildenafil passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Directions
Take each dose with a full glass of water.
Avoid taking High-fat food before taking Kamagra as it may cause the medicine to take more time to start working.
Sildenafil is usually taken only when needed, 30 - 90 minutes before sexual activity. The medication can help achieve an erection when sexual stimulation occurs. An erection will not occur just by taking a pill.
Do not take sildenafil more than once a day. Allow 24 hours to pass between doses.
Store this medication at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
Cautions
Do not take this medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to it or are allergic to any ingredient in this product. This medicine may rarely cause dizziness or vision changes. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do anythind else that could be dangerous until you know how you react to this medicine. Using this medicine alone, with other medicines, or with alcohol may lessen your ability to drive or to perform other potentially dangerous tasks. To minimize dizziness or lightheadness, sit up or stand slowly when rising from a seated or lying position. Alcohol may increase your risk for side effects, including headache, dizziness, or lightheadedness. Avoid excessive amounts of alcohol when using this medicine.
Do not exceed the recommended doze without checking with your doctor. Rarely, this medicine may change heart rhythm, especially if taken with other medicines that can change the heart rhythm. This change in heart rhythm can result in serious, rarely fatal, irregular heartbeats. Ask your doctor for more information and if you should stop taking any of your other medicines to reduce the risk of this side effect.
Caution is advised when using this medicine in the eldery because they may be more sensitive to the side effects of this medicine. This medicine should not be used in women or children.
Do not take this medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to it in the past or to any other ingredient that is found in it.
This medicine may cause dizziness or vision changes. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how you react to this medicine. Using this medicine alone, with other medicines, or with alcohol may lessen your ability to drive or to perform other potentially dangerous tasks. To minimize dizziness or lightheadedness, sit up or stand slowly when rising from a seated or lying position.
Your dose is based on your medical condition, response to therapy, and the other medicines you are taking. Do not exceed the recommended dose without checking with your doctor. Caution is advised when using this medicine in the elderly because they may be more sensitive to the side effects of this medicine. This medicine should not be used in women or children.
Possible side effects
Serious side effects of this medicine include severe abdominal pain, fever, severe nausea and vomiting, unusual bleeding or bruising, watery or bloody diarrhea, yellow skin or eyes, or skin rash and itching. Individuals should tell a doctor if they have any of these side effects.
other side effects may not be serious and may lessen or disappear with continued use of the medicine. Less serious side effects of this medicine include diarrhea, headache, nausea and vomiting, and change in taste. Individuals should tell a doctor if these side effects continue or are bothersome.
If you take too much
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Symptoms of a sildenafil overdose may include chest pain, nausea, irregular heartbeat, and feeling light-headed or fainting.
Additional information
Avoid drinking alcohol, which can increase some of the side effects of sildenafil.
Avoid using other medicines to treat impotence, such as alprostadil (Caverject, Muse, Edex) or yohimbine (Yocon, Yodoxin, others), without first talking to your doctor.
Drug interactions
Drug interactions can result in unwanted side effects or prevent a medicine from doing its job. Some medicines or medical conditions may interact with this medicine. Inform your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and over-the-counter medicine that you are taking.
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