History of Viagra

Three Pfizer employees converged in 1991, Andrew Bell, Dr David Brown and Dr Nicholas Terrett and discovered that certain chemical compounds were useful in treating heart problems. In 1991, Nicholas Terrett was named in the British patent for Sildenafil (trade named Viagra) as a heart medicine which stemmed him the label as the father of Viagra.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent on October 5, 1993 for Viagra to Pfizer, Inc. The patent displays the trademark name Viagra® and lists Andrew S. Bell, et. al. the inventor(s) of the drug. Pfizer claims there was not enough room on the patent application to name all of the inventors, so only the department heads were given.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Viagra On March 27, 1998. This milestone represented the first pill to treat ED

Viagra Ingredients

Viagra contains the active ingredient Sildenafil Citrate. Other inactive ingredients include microcrystalline cellulose, anhydrous dibasic calcium phosphate, croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate, hypromellose, titanium dioxide, lactose, triacetin, and FD & C Blue #2 aluminum lake.

The recommended dose for Viagra is 50 mg, and the physician may adjust this dose to 100 mg or 25 mg, depending on the patient. Be sure to have regular check ups when first taking Viagra. This will provide the desired outcome by adjusting the medication accordingly.

Viagra has grown in popularity by the nick name “the little blue pill” due to its shape and color. The diamond-shaped pill has a blue film coating covering a white crystalline powder inside. This design allows for increased absorption time, so much so, that in as little as 30 minutes, the effects of the pill can be seen. If Viagra is taken with a high fat meal, the rate of absorption could be decreased up to 60 minutes. Viagra can also be taken up to 4 hours before sexual activity.

In clinical FDA studies, erection improvements were reported up to 82% of the time. This improvement measures the level of firmness, frequency, and maintenance of erections, level of desire, frequency of orgasm, and overall satisfaction and enjoyment of intercourse, resulting in increased relationship satisfaction.

Viagra Side Effects

As with any medication, Viagra has some identified side effects. Common side effects include headache, upset stomach, flushing, urinary tract infection, stuffy or runny nose, and diarrhea. You may experience one or more of these side effects and discuss them with your doctor as soon as possible. Other uncommon side effects could include priapism or an erection that won’t go away, vision changes up to and including difficulty determining between colors blue and green, blurry vision, and NAION or non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.

Essentially, NAION is a sudden loss of eyesight due to a significant decrease in blood flow to the optic nerve. Another uncommon side effect is experiencing a sudden extreme drop in blood pressure and a decrease or loss of hearing. In some instances, hearing loss was accompanied by dizziness. These side effects are rare and you should seek medical attention immediately if you experience any of these or other abnormal feelings and sensations. Your doctor and pharmacist can discuss any questions you may have about your specific usage of Viagra.

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