How Long Does Viagra Stay in Your System? Plus 9 More Viagra FAQs
Key takeaways:
Viagra (sildenafil) is a prescription medication that treats erectile dysfunction (ED). It works by relaxing smooth muscles and arteries in your penis to help you achieve and maintain erections.
Viagra’s effects typically last for at least 4 hours. But it can stay in your system for up to 20 hours (close to a day).
Avoid taking Viagra at the same time as nitrates such as nitroglycerin (Nitrostat). This combination can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure.
Viagra is available as a lower-cost generic. GoodRx can help you save over 95% off the average retail price at certain pharmacies. Another option is using GoodRx Care Direct to get generic Viagra delivered directly to your door starting at $18 per month.
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Table of contents
Sexual health is an important part of well-being. Many television shows, movies, and podcasts openly discuss this topic. But in reality, addressing sexual health problems — such as erectile dysfunction (ED) — can sometimes feel uncomfortable.
Thankfully, many medications can manage ED. Viagra (sildenafil) is one popular medication that treats ED in adult men. It’s available as a prescription-only tablet in both brand and generic versions. The typical Viagra starting dose is 50 mg (1 tablet) by mouth 30 minutes to 4 hours before sex.
If you’re new to Viagra, it’s helpful to know how long it stays in your system and how to maximize its use. Knowing the answers to the top Viagra frequently asked questions can help you have a positive experience with the medication.
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1. How long does Viagra stay in your system?
As a general rule, it can take close to a day for Viagra to fully leave your body. This is related to the medication’s half-life. A medication’s half-life is an estimation of the time it takes for the starting dose to be lowered by half in your body.
Viagra’s half-life is about 4 hours, which is typically how long it’s effective for. It takes at least 4 to 5 half-lives for a medication to completely leave the body. So Viagra should be mostly gone after about 16 to 20 hours.
Good to know: Certain factors — such as age, other medications you’re taking, and health conditions you may have — can change how long Viagra stays in your system. For instance, it’s recommended for adults ages 65 and older to start with a lower 25 mg dose because it can linger in the body for longer.
2. For how long can you take Viagra?
There’s not a specific “end date” for taking Viagra. But there are some mixed results about how long Viagra is effective for. One study found Viagra’s effectiveness started to wear off after about 2 years of consistent use. But a different long-term study found that Viagra was still safe and effective after 4 years.
It’s best to have a conversation with your healthcare provider about how long you should take Viagra for. Tell them if you notice your Viagra not working as well as it used to. They may recommend switching to a different ED medication that you take every day, like Cialis.
3. How does Viagra work?
Viagra belongs to a group of medications called phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors. It works by helping nitric oxide — a natural chemical in the body — relax smooth muscles and widen blood vessels. This helps improve blood flow to your penis.
If you have more blood flow to the penis, you’re more likely to get and maintain a harder erection. Viagra typically starts to kick in within 30 minutes to 1 hour of taking it.
4. Does Viagra affect how long you last (premature ejaculation)?
While Viagra isn’t FDA approved to treat premature ejaculation, some studies suggest it may be helpful for this use. PDE5 inhibitors like Viagra could make you last a few minutes longer. Premature ejaculation happens when you ejaculate within 2 minutes of penetrative sex (or faster than you want to).
Taking Viagra in combination with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) — like sertraline (Zoloft) — may also help you last longer during sex. SSRIs raise serotonin levels which may help delay ejaculation time.
Training with the stop-start technique and/or the squeeze technique can also help.
5. Should you take Viagra instead of Cialis?
Not necessarily. Viagra and Cialis (tadalafil) are both effective ED medications. One isn’t better than the other. The best one for you may boil down to your personal preferences and insurance coverage.
If you’re planning to take an ED medication occasionally, Viagra is a good option to start with. Its effects last for about 4 to 8 hours at a time. For daily use, Cialis might be a better choice. Each Cialis dose is effective for up to 36 hours and allows you to be more spontaneous with sex.
Another difference between Viagra and Cialis is whether you need to take them with food. Viagra works better when it’s taken on an empty stomach. Food can delay the absorption of Viagra. You can take Cialis with or without food.
6. Will Viagra improve my sex drive?
No. Viagra won’t improve your libido (sex drive). You must be sexually aroused for Viagra to work.
Once you become aroused, Viagra enhances nitric oxide’s effects, increasing blood flow to your penis.
7. Are natural or over-the-counter Viagra alternatives available?
Technically, yes. But there’s limited information available about the safety and effectiveness of Viagra over-the-counter (OTC) alternatives.
It’s important to be cautious of OTC products that claim to treat ED. The FDA has issued warnings that these products may contain hidden ingredients that could be dangerous to your health. In fact, one FDA study found that over 300 ED products contained ingredients not listed on the label.
That being said, L-arginine is an oral supplement that may help with mild to moderate ED. It’s an amino acid that can also be found in your diet through foods such as red meat and dairy. Your body changes L-arginine into nitric oxide, which improves blood flow.
But L-arginine does have side effects you should be aware of. Diarrhea and low blood pressure are two potential issues. And if you have kidney disease or experienced a heart attack recently, it’s best to avoid L-arginine. Your healthcare provider can tell you more about the safety of OTC products marketed for ED.
8. Viagra for women: can they take Viagra too?
Sometimes. Viagra isn’t FDA approved for women, but it’s sometimes prescribed as an off-label treatment.
Some research suggests that Viagra tablets may benefit women who struggle with arousal or orgasm. In fact, the North American Menopause Society mentions PDE-5 inhibitors as off-label treatments for women with arousal problems in their online sexual health resource.
There may be another Viagra option in the near future. Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, is currently enrolled in a phase 2 study as a topical cream for premenopausal women with arousal difficulties. Initial results suggest enhanced sexual function with sildenafil cream.
For premenopausal women, there are two FDA-approved medications to help with low sex drive: Addyi (flibanserin) and Vyleesi (bremelanotide). You should speak with your healthcare provider if you want to learn about more options or resources that can help improve your sexual health.
9. Who shouldn’t take Viagra?
There are a few situations when you should avoid taking Viagra. One is if you’re allergic to the medication. Certain Viagra interactions are also dangerous.
For instance, nitrates like nitroglycerin (Nitrostat) and isosorbide mononitrate (Monoket) pose serious issues with Viagra. Both nitrates and Viagra widen blood vessels. You may develop severe hypotension (low blood pressure) if you take them together. Viagra’s labeling recommends avoiding this combination altogether. If you take Viagra, separate your doses from nitrates by at least 24 hours. Guanylate cyclase stimulators like Adempas (riociguat) have a similar interaction with Viagra.
Your provider may also recommend avoiding Viagra if you have certain health conditions. They’ll be hesitant to prescribe it if you’ve had a heart attack or stroke within the last 6 months. Taking Viagra if you have these heart conditions could be dangerous, as they could cause blood pressure and heart changes. Eye health is another precaution. Viagra can cause vision issues, such as color changes and blurred vision.
10. Are there ways to save on Viagra?
There are ways to save on Viagra, with or without prescription insurance. It’s available as both a brand-name and generic medication.
Save with GoodRx. GoodRx can help you save over 95% off the average retail price of the generic version. Generic Viagra's price at certain pharmacies is as low as $14.10 with a free GoodRx discount.
Save with GoodRx Care Direct. Get generic Viagra delivered directly to your door starting at $18 per month.
Save with a copay savings card. If you have commercial insurance, you may be eligible to save up to 50% off your copay for Viagra using a savings card from the manufacturer.
The bottom line
Viagra is a PDE5 inhibitor that treats ED. It’s typically effective for 4 to 8 hours at a time, but it can stay in your system for up to 20 hours. Certain factors — such as older age — can make Viagra stay in your body for longer. This timeframe is especially important to keep in mind if you’re taking interacting medications, such as nitrates or Adempas (riociguat).
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References
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ClinicalTrials.gov. (2021). Multi-center study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sildenafil cream (3.6%) in premenopausal patients with Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (RESPOND).
Daré Bioscience. (2023). Daré Bioscience announces positive topline data from the exploratory phase 2b RESPOND study of sildenafil cream, 3.6% in women with female sexual arousal disorder. Globe Newswire.
ECI Pharmaceuticals, LLC. (2023). Tadalafil - tadalafil tablet, film coated [package insert].
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MedlinePlus. (2021). L-arginine.
North American Menopause Society. (n.d.). Effective treatments for sexual problems.
Panchatsharam, P. K., et al. (2022). Physiology, erection. StatPearls.
Rhim, H. C., et al. (2019). The potential role of arginine supplements on erectile dysfunction: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Shindel, A. W., et al. (2020). Disorders of ejaculation: An AUA/SMSNA guideline. American Urological Association.
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Virani, S. S., et al. (2023). 2023 AHA/ACC/ACCP/ASPC/NLA/PCNA guideline for the management of patients with chronic coronary disease: A report of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology joint committee on clinical practice guidelines. Circulation.
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