Fildena (Viagra) is used to treat erectile dysfunction (impotence; inability to get or keep an erection) in men. Fildena (Revatio) is used to improve the ability to exercise in adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH; high blood pressure in the vessels carrying blood to the lungs, causing shortness of breath, dizziness, and tiredness).
Why Is Fildena Prescribed?
Children should not usually take Fildena, but in some cases, a doctor may decide that Fildena (Revatio) is the best medication to treat a child’s condition. Fildena is in a class of medications called phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors. Fildena treats erectile dysfunction by increasing blood flow to the penis during sexual stimulation. This increased blood flow can cause an erection. Fildena treats PAH by relaxing the blood vessels in the lungs to allow blood to flow easily.
If you are taking Fildena to treat erectile dysfunction, you should know that it does not cure erectile dysfunction or increase sexual desire. Fildena does not prevent pregnancy or the spread of sexually transmitted diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
How Should This Medicine Be Used?
Fildena comes as a tablet and suspension (liquid; Revatio only) to take by mouth.
If you are taking Fildena to treat erectile dysfunction, follow your doctor’s directions and the guidelines in this paragraph. Take Fildena as needed before sexual activity. The best time to take Fildena is about 1 hour before sexual activity, but you can take the medication any time from 4 hours to 30 minutes before sexual activity. Fildena usually should not be taken more than once every 24 hours. If you have certain health conditions or are taking certain medications, your doctor may tell you to take Fildena less often. You can take Fildena with or without food. However, if you take Fildena with a high-fat meal, it will take longer for the medication to start to work.
If you are taking Fildena to treat PAH, follow your doctor’s directions and the guidelines in this paragraph. You will probably take Fildena three times a day with or without food. Take Fildena at around the same times every day, and space your doses about 4 to 6 hours apart.
Directions
Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take Fildena exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Shake the liquid well for 10 seconds before each use to mix the medication evenly. Moreover, Use the oral syringe provided with your medication to measure and take your dose. Follow the manufacturer’s directions to use and clean the oral syringe. Do not mix the liquid with other medications or add anything to flavor the medication.
How To Take Fildena
If you are taking Fildena for erectile dysfunction, your doctor will probably start you on an average dose of Fildena and increase or decrease your dose depending on your response to the medication. Tell your doctor if Fildena is not working well or if you are experiencing side effects.
If you are taking Fildena for PAH, you should know that Fildena controls PAH but does not cure it. Continue to take Fildena even if you feel well. Do not stop taking Fildena without talking to your doctor.
Viagra vs. Generic Fildena
Viagra and generic Fildena work by increasing the level of blood flow to your penis, making it easier for you to get an erection.
Sildenafil, which is the active ingredient in both medications, belongs to a class of drugs called phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, or PDE5 inhibitors.
Sildenafil
As a PDE5 inhibitor, Sildenafil works by relaxing the muscle tissue that’s found inside the walls of your blood vessels, resulting in improved blood flow throughout many parts of your body.
Contrary to popular belief, drugs like Viagra and generic Fildena won’t cause you to randomly get hard on their own.
Instead, these medications work by making it easier to get an erection if you experience sexual stimulation.
Moreover, Fildena has been available since 1998, when it was approved by the FDA under the product name Viagra as a medication for erectile dysfunction.
Interestingly, Fildena was originally discovered while chemists at Pfizer were searching for a treatment for high blood pressure.
Vasodilation Effects
Thanks to its vasodilation effects, Fildena initially looked like a promising treatment for angina a form of chest pain but the results weren’t strong enough to be worth studying further.
In some cases, Fildena is still used today to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) a form of high blood pressure that can affect the arteries of the lungs.
Pfizer patented Fildena in 1996. Two years later, in March of 1998, the new medication, now called Viagra, received approval from the FDA and went on sale as a prescription medication used to treat erectile dysfunction.
Oral Medication
As the first oral medication for erectile dysfunction, Viagra became incredibly popular. Its blue color and diamond shape earned it the nickname of the “little blue pill” and large-scale TV ad campaigns made it a medication that just about everyone knew about. Pfizer’s patent on Viagra expired in 2012 for countries outside the US, allowing other brands to produce and market their own generic Viagra medications containing Fildena. Although Pfizer challenged the expired patent in the United States, Fildena has since become widely available as a generic medication and can be manufactured and marketed by a range of different companies.
Although some manufacturers may use their own brand name, most generic Fildena products are labeled simply as Fildena.
Viagra vs. Fildena Dosage
Today, Fildena is available in a variety of forms. It’s most commonly sold in tablet form, with a typical dosage of 20mg, 25mg, 50mg or 100mg.
It’s also available in the United States in liquid solution form.
Your healthcare provider will let you know the specific dosage of brand name Viagra or generic Fildena that you should use if you’re prescribed this medication.
Since brand name Viagra and generic Fildena, both contain the exact same active ingredient, you can expect identical results from a 25mg-100mg dose of Viagra (the typical dose used for erectile dysfunction) to the same dose of generic Fildena.