What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking sildenafil?
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Do not take sildenafil if you are using a nitrate drug for chest pain or heart problems. Nitrates include nitroglycerin (Nitrostat, Nitrolingual, Nitro-Dur, Nitro-Bid, Minitran, Deponit, Transderm-Nitro, others), isosorbide dinitrate (Dilatrate-SR, Isordil, Sorbitrate), and isosorbide mononitrate (Imdur, ISMO, Monoket). Nitrates are also found in some recreational drugs such as amyl
nitrate or nitrite (”poppers”).
Before taking sildenafil, tell your doctor if you:
» have a physical deformity of the penis such as Peyronie’s
disease;
» have a condition that could lead to prolonged and painful erections, such as a tumor of the bone marrow, sickle cell anemia, or leukemia; or
» are taking another medicine to treat impotence, such as alprostadil (Caverject, Muse, Edex) or yohimbine (Yocon, odoxin, others).
You may not be able to take sildenafil, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.
Although sildenafil is not indicated for use by women, it is in the FDA pregnancy category B. This means that sildenafil is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Sildenafil should not be taken by women.
It is not known whether sildenafil passes into breast milk. Sildenafil should not be taken by women.
If you are over 65 years of age, you may be more likely to experience side effects from sildenafil. Your doctor may prescribe a lower dose of this medication.