Are erectile dysfunction medicines dangerous?

There are several types of erectile dysfunction medicine available. It's safe for most people to take medicines like sildenafil (Viagra) or tadalafil (Cialis) to treat erectile dysfunction every day, as long as they follow the recommended dose of one tablet per day. These medicines should only be used for the period of time your GP or pharmacist recommends.^1,2

This is important because the length of time you take an erectile dysfunction medicine for could impact your health. Although no harmful effects have been reported from taking sildenafil for a long time², long-term use of tadalafil is not recommended.¹

When used correctly, erectile dysfunction medicines are generally safe to use.

Although some people won’t experience side effects, erectile dysfunction treatments – like any other medicines – can cause them. Side effects can include:

• Headaches
• Feeling sick
• Hot flushes, including facial flushing
• Indigestion
• A colour tinge to your vision or blurred vision
• A stuffy nose
• Dizziness.^1,2

Your GP or pharmacist will give you advice on how to use the medicine. However, it is important to read the patient information leaflet before you take your medicine.

You should tell your GP or pharmacist if t you experience any concerning side effects, or any side effects that do not go away, or you’d like to try a different medication.²

Serious side effects when taking ED medications are rare. They occur in fewer than 1 in 100 cases.²

Serious side effects include:

• Chest pains – if this happens during or after sex, sit up gently and try to relax
• An erection that lasts longer than 4 hours
• Painful erections
• A sudden decrease or loss of vision
• Seizures.^1,2

If you experience any of these side effects, stop taking the medication immediately and contact your GP or 111 for urgent advice and support.^1,2

If you have a health condition as well as erectile dysfunction, you should discuss it with your healthcare professional before taking erectile dysfunction medication.

Erectile dysfunction medication works by widening your blood vessels which lowers your blood pressure. This makes it potentially dangerous if someone has, or is recovering from, a condition, such as:

• Angina – this is because having sex may make angina pain worse. It may also mean you can’t receive certain heart medication (nitrates) to treat angina as when the two drugs interact, it can cause low blood pressure.
• Low blood pressure – taking erectile dysfunction medication with low blood pressure can make your blood pressure drop to a dangerous level.
• Stroke or a heart attack – after a stroke or heart attack your heart may not be strong enough to manage the additional strain of having sex.³
• Allergy to the medication.
• A serious liver condition.
• Vision loss due to reduced blood flow to the eye.^1,2

You should always check with your healthcare professional if you have or are recovering from a condition whether you are fit enough to be able to have sex.

If your condition still enables you to have sex but stops you from taking erectile dysfunction medication, there are other non-medical options available. Vacuum pumps are devices that increases blood flow to the penis which then creates an erection.⁴

Erectile dysfunction medication becomes dangerous when they are taken with recreational drugs such as poppers (amyl nitrate), MDMA, cocaine or LSD. This is because the interaction the erectile dysfunction medication has with the recreational drugs in your body can have damaging effects .⁵

Sildenafil has not been tested with recreational drugs extensively, so it’s not clear what impact it could have on your health.

If you are a recreational drug user and taking erectile dysfunction medication, you should talk to your doctor or healthcare professional.