Key takeaways:
Viagra (sildenafil) is an effective medication for treating erectile dysfunction (ED), but one of its most common side effects is headache.
Headaches from Viagra can depend on your dose. The medication comes in 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg tablets. Higher doses may increase your risk of developing a headache.
Switching medications, lowering your dose, and taking pain medications are all potential ways to manage headaches from Viagra.
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Erectile dysfunction (ED) occurs when you have trouble getting or keeping an erection for sex. Fortunately, many effective ED treatments, such as Viagra (sildenafil), are available for use.
Viagra works well for people with ED and can last for several hours. But one of the most common side effects of taking Viagra is a headache.
Here, we’ll talk about why medications like Viagra can cause headaches, the type of headaches they can cause, and if you can lessen or stop this pain.
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Why does Viagra cause headaches?
Headaches aren’t always caused by direct pain in your head. They can also happen when signals from your blood vessels or nerves reach your brain. These signals can alter blood flow and certain brain chemicals, which sometimes trigger headaches. Viagra can cause these kinds of changes, which is why some people get headaches while taking it.
For example, Viagra works in part by increasing the effects of nitric oxide (NO), a substance your body produces to relax blood vessels and improve blood flow. While this action is important for how the medication works, it may also play a role in causing headaches.
That said, researchers still don’t know the full story on why Viagra and similar medications sometimes lead to headaches.
What types of headaches can medications like Viagra cause?
About 1 in 4 people who take Viagra experience headaches. These headaches are sometimes experienced as migraines. A migraine is a complicated type of headache that can be caused by a trigger — like a medication — and can last up to several hours or even days.
One difference between migraines and other headaches is that migraines often have warning signs. For example, a person may feel a migraine coming on before they feel the pain or throbbing in their head — this is called an aura. An aura is like a warning sign. A common aura symptom is visual changes.
Another type of headache you may experience while taking Viagra is called a cluster headache. Cluster headaches often last a few hours, and you may also feel the symptoms in your eyes and ears. If you take Viagra, you might experience cluster headaches off and on for one week or as long as many months. Cluster headaches tend to be more painful than migraines.
How do medications like Viagra work?
Viagra belongs to a group of medications called phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors. These medications work by blocking PDE5, which is an enzyme (protein) made by your body. Blocking PDE5 allows blood to flow through the soft tissue of your penis. This causes an erection.
What are other examples of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors?
Viagra isn’t the only PDE5 inhibitor that’s available. Other PDE5 inhibitors used to treat ED include Cialis (tadalafil), vardenafil, and Stendra (avanafil).
Some PDE5 inhibitors also treat other health conditions. For example, sildenafil (Revatio) and tadalafil (Adcirca, Alyq) can treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). PAH is a serious health condition that raises the blood pressure in your heart and lungs and can lead to heart failure. Cialis can treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH can cause urinary problems, especially for older men.
How long do Viagra headaches last?
It depends. The type of headache you experience from taking Viagra can affect how long your headaches last. A migraine can last a few hours to days. A cluster headache can last anywhere from 15 minutes to 3 hours. A cluster headache can come and go for years.
Headaches from Viagra can also depend on the dose taken. Viagra comes in 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg tablets. The higher your dose, the greater your chances of developing a headache.
Can you stop a Viagra headache?
In many cases, yes. There are different ways you can help lessen or stop pain caused by a headache due to taking Viagra.
How can you reduce the side effects of medications like Viagra?
Using a different medication can be helpful.
If you have a history of cluster headaches, it’s recommended to talk with a healthcare professional about switching to a low dose of another medication used for ED — like vardenafil or Cialis. Cluster headaches may be less common in people taking Cialis and vardenafil. However, more research is needed to confirm if this is true.
For example, in one case, a man taking Viagra experienced cluster headaches. He was able to treat these symptoms by taking naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn) and switching to vardenafil.
Can I take Viagra or a similar medication with Advil or Tylenol?
A healthcare professional may suggest taking an over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication if you experience headaches while taking Viagra. OTC pain medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and naproxen can sometimes help. They also don’t interact with Viagra.
Keep in mind: It’s not recommended to take headache medications more often than directed. Taking these medications too frequently can cause more intense headaches that occur more often — especially if you have migraines.
Frequently asked questions
In addition to headaches, Viagra can cause side effects such as flushing, upset stomach, and dizziness. A stuffy nose, nosebleeds, and minor vision changes are also possible. More serious issues can happen too, but they’re rare overall.
Most people don’t experience long-term side effects when taking Viagra as prescribed. Rare but serious risks include vision or hearing loss, very low blood pressure, and prolonged erections (priapism). When used occasionally as directed, Viagra typically doesn’t lead to permanent health changes.
Most side effects of Viagra are temporary and go away within a few hours. Common ones — such as headache, flushing, and stomach upset — usually improve without treatment. If mild effects don’t go away or get worse, a healthcare professional may recommend adjusting the dose or switching medications. Rare but serious reactions, such as vision or hearing loss or priapism, generally warrant emergency medical care.
In addition to headaches, Viagra can cause side effects such as flushing, upset stomach, and dizziness. A stuffy nose, nosebleeds, and minor vision changes are also possible. More serious issues can happen too, but they’re rare overall.
Most people don’t experience long-term side effects when taking Viagra as prescribed. Rare but serious risks include vision or hearing loss, very low blood pressure, and prolonged erections (priapism). When used occasionally as directed, Viagra typically doesn’t lead to permanent health changes.
Most side effects of Viagra are temporary and go away within a few hours. Common ones — such as headache, flushing, and stomach upset — usually improve without treatment. If mild effects don’t go away or get worse, a healthcare professional may recommend adjusting the dose or switching medications. Rare but serious reactions, such as vision or hearing loss or priapism, generally warrant emergency medical care.
The bottom line
If you experience erectile dysfunction (ED), Viagra (sildenafil) is an effective treatment option to consider. But a headache is one of the most common side effects you may experience while taking Viagra. Strategies to help lower your risk of headache include reducing your dose, switching to another ED medication, or taking an over-the-counter pain medication. It’s recommended to talk to a healthcare professional about what your best option(s) may be.
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References
American Lung Association. (n.d.). Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
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Dhaliwal, A., et al. (2021). PDE5 Inhibitors. StatPearls.
Kruuse, C., et al. (2002). The phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor sildenafil has no effect on cerebral blood flow or blood velocity, but nevertheless induces headache in healthy subjects. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism.
Kruuse, C., et al. (2003). Migraine can be induced by sildenafil without changes in middle cerebral artery diameter. Brain.
Lin, G., et al. (2014). Sildenafil can induce the onset of a cluster headache bout. Canadian Urological Association Journal.
MedlinePlus. (2021). Migraine.
Moreira, S. G., Jr., et al. (2000). Side-effect profile of sildenafil citrate (Viagra) in clinical practice. Urology.
News in Health. (2014). Headache pain. National Institutes of Health.
NuCare Pharmaceuticals. (2024). Sildenafil- sildenafil tablet, film coated [package insert].
