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If you combine Viagra with alcohol, you may experience more severe side effects. Additionally, it will become much harder to achieve and maintain an erection.” Although many men who take Viagra also enjoy drinking alcoholic beverages, doing so at the same time can impair your sexual performance.
Is It Dangerous To Combine Alcohol With Viagra?
Whether the combination of alcohol and sildenafil , the active ingredient in Viagra®, is harmful or dangerous depends primarily on the amount of alcohol and the existing pre-existing conditions . When consuming small amounts of alcohol, for example a small glass of beer, no major negative health effects are to be expected in combination with Viagra®. Nevertheless, even small amounts of alcohol should be avoided as far as possible while using Viagra® in order to completely rule out health risks.
Larger amounts of alcohol can negatively affect erectile function or the cardiovascular system. Erection-promoting drugs in general have a blood pressure- lowering effect – this can be further increased by the simultaneous consumption of alcohol. The result can be severe circulatory problems and heart palpitations .
If drugs or stimulants are also taken, the situation can even become life-threatening. Dangerous situations can also arise if you suffer from certain pre-existing conditions such as blood pressure disorders or heart disease.
How Does Alcohol Affect Viagra Side Effects?
Alcohol consumption can lead to a short-term reduction in blood pressure. Viagra can also lower blood pressure. There is a possibility that these blood pressure-lowering effects can even reinforce each other with the combination of Viagra and alcohol and thus become problematic. You should be particularly careful when getting up quickly from a sitting or lying position, as the blood pressure-lowering effect can lead to circulatory problems. In addition, men who consume Viagra and alcohol at the same time are more prone to headaches , dizziness and an increased heart rate.
Therefore, if you suffer from cardiovascular disease, you should definitely speak to a doctor before consuming Viagra and alcohol at the same time. You can find more information about the side effects of Viagra on our information page.
Can You Take Viagra Directly With Alcohol?
If possible, you should take Viagra with a large glass of water , as alcohol can affect the way the drug works. A moderate consumption of alcohol can in some cases have a positive effect on the ability to have an erection because it may be easier for men to relax. Nevertheless, doctors generally advise against alcohol consumption during treatment with Viagra. Larger amounts of alcohol damage the ability to have an erection and can lead to increased side effects such as circulatory problems.
How Does Alcohol Affect Potency?
Smaller amounts of alcohol are often perceived as sexually stimulating or disinhibiting and in some cases can even support an erection. Larger amounts of alcohol, on the other hand, have a numbing and depressant effect on the brain and are therefore exactly the opposite of the effect of Viagra.
Can Alcohol Cause Impotence?
Yes , with long-term and heavy alcohol consumption , alcohol also has a negative effect on potency and can lead to complete impotence . Alcohol not only damages the liver and the nervous system, but also leads to disorders in the production of sex hormones such as testosterone and thus impairs the libido and the ability to have an erection in several ways. Even supposedly small amounts, for example 1 beer or 1 glass of wine per day, can cause irreversible damage over years of consumption. In order to protect potency, it is therefore advisable to abstain from alcohol or at least to moderate alcohol consumption.
Source list
- Viagra® Prescribing Information (2020). Pfizer. http://labeling.pfizer.com/ShowLabeling.aspx?id=2455 , accessed 3/11/22.
- Marwa Noureldin, Jane Krause, Lulu Jin et al (2010). Drug-Alcohol Interactions: A Review of Three Therapeutic Classes. 2000 – 2018 Jobson Medical Information LLC. http://www.uspharmacist.com/content/d/feature/c/23857, accessed 6/27/22.
- Sildenafil. (accessed 3/7/22). Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a699015.html
- Jiann, B.-P. (accessed 3/4/22). Effect of Alcohol Consumption on the Risk of Erectile Dysfunction. Urological Science. 21 (4), 163-168. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1879522610600371
- University Health Network. (accessed 3/7/22). One Drink Of Red Wine Or Alcohol Is Relaxing To Circulation, But Two Drinks Are Stressful. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080212174615.htm
Isabel D White
Isabel led the Royal Marsden Hospital (London) psychosexual therapy service until 2019. She works in partnership with individuals & couples to explore physical, emotional & relationship factors that contribute to sexual difficulties after cancer. These include: low desire, erection, arousal or orgasmic difficulties, sexual pain & sexual avoidance. She adopts an integrative approach to personalized therapy using psychosexual therapy (sensate focus framework), biomedical management (erectile dysfunction medication & devices, menopause & vaginal health strategies, sexual aids) & psychoeducation.
