How Viagra Works
Since the debut of the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra (sildenafil) in 1998, millions of men have discovered how this medication can help treat the symptoms of erectile dysfunction. But while countless men around the world (and their partners) have experienced the clear benefits of Viagra in their sex lives, there’s not as much awareness of how the “little blue pill” actually works. What does Viagra really do in the human body? How fast does it work, and how long does it last? We decided to dig deeper and find out. If you’ve ever been curious about what Viagra can do, read on – you might be surprised at what you discover.
The manufacturers of Viagra recommend taking Viagra one hour before having sex. However, studies have suggested that it could start working even sooner than that. Some men were able to achieve an erection just 12 minutes after taking Viagra, although this wasn’t conclusively proven to be due to Viagra. And while the maximum concentration of sildenafil in the blood isn’t reached until about an hour after taking it (and is potentially delayed by an additional hour if taken with food), it took a median of 27 minutes (with a range of 12–70 minutes) for men taking sildenafil to begin experiencing erections. This was 23 minutes sooner than the median time of 50 minutes experienced by those who took a placebo.
The half-life of Viagra in the body is about four hours, meaning that every four hours after taking it, there’s only half as much of the drug left. However, even 10 to 12 hours after taking Viagra, men could still often achieve erections hard enough for penetration, though of a shorter duration. By 24 hours, all traces of Viagra in the blood are practically gone.
We’ve seen how quickly Viagra can work – but once it starts working, how long do erections typically last? In one study, an hour after taking Viagra, men reported being able to achieve erections lasting an average of 33 minutes. After eight hours, this decreased to 23 minutes, and by 12 hours, the mean duration of erections was reported to be 16 minutes. In comparison, men who took a placebo found that they experienced erections lasting an average of seven minutes – less than half as long as among men who had taken Viagra 12 hours ago. Even long after the window of 30 minutes to four hours recommended by the manufacturers of Viagra, the drug clearly still has possible beneficial effects on erectile function.
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