How effective is Viagra for treating erectile dysfunction?

Viagra, with its groundbreaking formulation in treating male impotence, has become a household name across the world. The Pfizer pill is found effective in almost 80 out of 100 men taking it for erectile dysfunction treatment. There is a neck-to-neck rivalry between Viagra and other prescription impotence drugs and when it comes to treating psychogenic impotence, the success rate of Viagra is higher than any other medicine within the category of PDE-5 (phosphodiesterase type-5) drugs.

Overcoming the initial challenge

On entering the commercial drug market in 1998, Viagra faced a major challenge which could potentially thwart its very purpose. Erectile dysfunction in the late 1990s was an embarrassing problem for all men. It still is, but on a medical level. Pfizer, the maker of Viagra, convinced a large number of targeted male customers that what they had been suffering from was nothing but a health condition and like any other major health condition, impotence is medically treatable. This created an astounding market response and brought about a level of comfort in men who had previously been shy in talking about their manhood problem. It then became easier for Viagra to substantiate the claims made by its maker.

What were the claims and how Viagra fulfilled them?

Pfizer experts launched Viagra saying that it could selectively inhibit the degrading action of PDE-5 enzymes and in doing so, could help maintain the levels of cGMP in the corpora cavernosa chambers of the penis. There are at least 11 types of PDE enzymes in the human body and sildenafil would only work on the type which is found primarily in the penis. As it turned out to be in the following years, Viagra lived up to the tremendous hype it created on entering the market. Its available dosage forms can cater to the need of nearly every man suffering from erection issues. The 50mg dosage is the most commonly recommended dosage to begin with for most men, while the strongest dosage is prescribed for men who can tolerate the high-dose sildenafil content. Dosing of Viagra is changeable, depending on how your body responds to the drug. Never switch to a lower dose to a higher one unless asked to do so by your doctor.

Can Viagra address the problem of low sexual desire?

No. Pfizer has made it very clear that Viagra can only regulate the genital response to erotic desire. It cannot produce a mental urge to have sex, so it should not be treated as an aphrodisiac. This is why you should never take Viagra for recreational use. If you do not have any physical problem acting as an obstacle to fulfilling your sexual desires, there should not be any valid reason for you to take Viagra.