Sildenafil citrate is a drug prescribed to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer initially developed sildenafil as a treatment for hypertension, or high blood pressure, and angina pectoris, which is chest pain associated with chronic heart disease.
While sildenafil fell short of researchers’ expectations as an effective treatment for both conditions throughout their study, they found a silver lining: Pfizer unexpectedly discovered that the drug improved ED symptoms in patients.
In particular, sildenafil helped them experience more frequent and sustained erections, allowing them to participate in and enjoy sexual intercourse.
Pfizer eventually patented and marketed the drug under the universally-recognized brand name Viagra, while the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its use in 1998.
In 2005, the FDA approved sildenafil as a treatment for PAH, a type of hypertension affecting both males and females. To distinguish itself as a new medication for PAH, Pfizer marketed and sold the drug to PAH patients as Revatio.
Meanwhile, in 2020, Pfizer’s patent on sildenafil expired, which allowed pharmaceutical companies to manufacture and distribute generic sildenafil. Pfizer began producing and marketing generic sildenafil three years before its patent expired in 2017.
Generic sildenafil is chemically identical to its more expensive branded counterparts Viagra and Revatio while being as much as 90% more affordable. Consequently, the market for consumers greatly expanded with the advent of generic sildenafil, which made the marriage-saving drug much more affordable and widely accessible.
Sildenafil 101: A Quick Rundown of the Basics
- Sildenafil is part of a category of medications known as phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors. Sildenafil requires a prescription and comes in tablet form.
- PDE5 inhibitors like sildenafil work by blocking the PDE5 enzyme, which relaxes the smooth muscles of your vascular system to relax and increase blood flow in certain parts of your body while reducing blood pressure.
- Sildenafil has been sold as a generic medication since 2017. It has also been marketed as Viagra® or Revatio® by Pfizer.
- Sildenafil is primarily used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) symptoms and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a type of hypertension affecting the blood vessels inside the lungs.
- Sildenafil is one of several prescription medicines available for treating ED. Other meditations include tadalafil (marketed as Cialis®), vardenafil (sold as Levitra®), and avanafil (marketed as Stendra®).
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What’s the difference between sildenafil and branded Viagra®?
While Viagra® is universally known as the “little blue pill,” generic sildenafil is usually sold by Pfizer’s competitors as a little white pill. Only the appearance is different – everything else, as far as effectiveness and how it works, is exactly the same.
Apart from the differences between the color, the brand names, and the packaging, generic sildenafil and branded Viagra® are the same exact medicine. There are no chemical differences between branded and generic sildenafil.
Therefore, all things being equal, and assuming that the same dosage is followed, you should expect the same effects from a generic sildenafil tablet as you would from branded Viagra®.
If you’re switching from branded to generic sildenafil, make sure that you purchase tablets with the same dosage as prescribed by your doctor.
Be that as it may, there is one key difference between branded Viagra® and generic sildenafil that you will have noticed immediately: the price.
A single tablet of Viagra® can set you back up to $60 to $70 a pop. Meanwhile, generic sildenafil ranges from as little as under $1 to $10 a tablet, depending on manufacturer and dosage.
Does Generic Sildenafil Work as Well as Branded Sildenafil (Viagra®)?
Generic sildenafil, as we have mentioned earlier, possesses the same active ingredient as branded Viagra® does. Moreover, generic sildenafil is mandated by none other than the law to work in the same way in the body as branded sildenafil does.
That said, if cost and accessibility are essential to you, generic sildenafil is way better than branded Viagra® since you can buy it at as much as a 90% markdown of the cost of Pfizer’s branded drug – without any differences as far as their effects and their active ingredients are concerned.
How Long Does It Take Before Sildenafil Takes Effect?
For patients with erectile dysfunction, generic sildenafil usually begins to kick in within 30 minutes after consuming it. Generic sildenafil continues to work for up to 4 hours, although its effects tend to start tapering off after peaking after 2 hours.
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Possible Side Effects of Sildenafil
Since generic sildenafil and Viagra® have the same active ingredient and are marketed under a range of doses, both medicines may cause a homogenous range of side effects, such as the following:
- Heartburn, indigestion, or acid reflux
- Headaches
- Nasal congestion
- Nosebleeds
- Skin flushing or redness
- Increased light sensitivity
- Diarrhea
- Muscle pains and aches
- Numbness, or a burning or tingling sensation in your arms, legs, hands, or feet
- Changes in color perception, such as seeing a constant blue tinge on objects or difficulty distinguishing between the colors green and blue
The good thing is that most of these side effects are temporary and can be expected to subside once the medication is metabolized and expelled from the body.
In some rare exceptions, generic sildenafil and its branded counterpart, Viagra®, may cause severe complications, such as a persistent, often painful erection lasting over 4 hours called priapism, chest pain, dizziness, or sudden loss of vision.
If you experience any severe side effects from generic and branded sildenafil, consult your doctor and seek medical advice immediately.
Both generic sildenafil and Viagra® may interact with other medications you are taking, such as nitrates, alpha-blockers, and other drugs used to treat cardiovascular disease, heart disease, or hypertension.
Using sildenafil and such antihypertensives and drugs to treat heart disease can cause you to experience extremely low blood pressure levels.
Therefore, if you have been prescribed any other medicines, it’s of paramount importance to let your doctor or healthcare provider know about it before taking either generic sildenafil or Viagra® altogether.
