One in four men prescribed with sildenafil or Viagra® reported experiencing varying degrees of headaches as the erectile dysfunction (ED) drug’s most common side effect. You might have experienced them yourself in the past. Why are sildenafil-induced headaches a common side effect? Let’s find out.
How does sildenafil (Viagra®) work?
Before we go any further, it’s important to understand how sildenafil – the active ingredient in and generic name of Viagra® – is a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor. PDE5 inhibitors work by facilitating greater blood flow through dilating blood vessels and relaxing penile smooth muscle. This enhances blood flow throughout the body, particularly into the penis’ soft tissues. The latter produces and keeps an erection firm.
When the penis is fully erect, it can hold over seven times its flaccid blood volume – and this substantial increase in blood circulation can affect the rest of your body.
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For instance, one of sildenafil’s most common side effects is flushing, or the result of excess blood circulating in a patch of skin. Blood vessels in it widen to allow blood flow, leading to a reddening or blushing effect on your skin.
These same changes in blood circulation are what cause sildenafil (or Viagra®) induced headaches.
Just like when your skin flushes, too much blood flow to the brain can cause blood vessels in and around it to open up. When they begin to dilate, they may come into contact with the surrounding nerves. These nerves may send messages to your brain, letting it know that your face and head are experiencing pain.
Likewise, it’s entirely possible that PDE5 inhibitors like sildenafil (Viagra®), tadalafil (Cialis®), and vardenafil (Levitra®) could have too much blood sent away from your brain to the rest of your body. This decrease in blood circulation in the brain can also cause headaches.
Basically, when the balance of blood flow to your brain changes when it increases or decreases, it may cause headaches.
Fortunately, headaches caused by sildenafil or Viagra® should only linger for as long as the active ingredient remains in your system. And while sildenafil can stay in the bloodstream for up to 24 hours, its effects are felt only for the first six hours at most. Its effects may subside in even less time based on your metabolism, age, and sildenafil dose.
Sildenafil-induced headaches: Treatment options
The intensity of your sildenafil-induced headache should wear off as the effects of the drug subside. However, this process can take up to four to six hours for some individuals.
Want to shake off that Viagra® hangover the morning after? Try these:
- Hydrate yourself. Dehydration is a common cause of headaches, such as hangovers. And, even if your headaches aren’t caused by dehydration, drinking adequate amounts of water can help lessen headache intensity. Moreover, drinking more water can help hasten your body’s filtration systems and help expel the sildenafil faster.
- Take an OTC headache medicine. Thus far, there haven’t been any adverse interactions linked to taking sildenafil and analgesics like paracetamol, ibuprofen, or aspirin. Taking a regular dose of these non-prescription pain relievers shouldn’t produce any adverse effects in otherwise healthy adults.
- Take caffeine. Caffeinated beverages such as soda, tea, or coffee can help neutralize your headaches. Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it can help constrict your blood vessels. Doing so can help reduce the widening of the blood vessels in the brain that produce headaches.
- Turn the lights down low. Bright lights such as fluorescent screens and lights can exacerbate headache pain by triggering certain nerves in the brain. Dimming the lights or turning them off as much as possible can prevent the headache from worsening.
Is it possible to prevent headaches arising from sildenafil (Viagra®) use?
There is no single way to prevent a sildenafil headache from coming on. The good news is that this side effect only affects 25% of men who take the drug.
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That said, there are several ways you can try to reduce the severity of potential side effects, such as the following:
- Taking lower doses. You might very well be taking too much sildenafil causing your headaches. The most commonly prescribed sildenafil dosage is 50 mg, but this could vary depending on the severity of a patient’s ED symptoms. Consult your doctor about going on a lower dose of sildenafil and see if it helps reduce the frequency of your headaches.`
- Eat a light meal before taking it. For best effects, sildenafil is generally taken on an empty stomach. However, if you’re experiencing headaches, you might want to take a light meal 30 minutes to an hour before taking sildenafil. Your body might not just be used to the effects of sildenafil. Taking a light meal may help your body metabolize the active ingredient longer, which in turn may help reduce side effects.
- Experiment with other PDE5 inhibitors. Sildenafil (Viagra®) is just one of several ED drugs. If you’re getting headaches with sildenafil, ask your doctor about trying other PDE5 inhibitors like vardenafil (Levitra®) or tadalafil (Cialis®). These drugs, while having the same effect, are composed of different chemical formulas that may help reduce the severity of your side effects.
The final word on Viagra®-induced headaches
Approximately 25% of men who try sildenafil (Viagra®) will experience headaches as a side effect of how the drug works. The good thing is that the headache should subside after the sildenafil is flushed out of your system, which may however take one to four hours.
Sildenafil (Viagra®) doesn’t have any interactions with the most common OTC headache medicines, which means you can treat headaches caused by sildenafil as you would a regular headache.
If your headaches worsen or increase in frequency every time you take sildenafil or Viagra®, consult your doctor if sildenafil is still suitable for you. Your doctor might suggest lowering your dose or putting you on an alternative PDE5 inhibitor. Otherwise, your doctor may put you on further tests to determine if you have an undiagnosed medical condition that might be causing the headaches.
