Patient Leaflet Updated 09-May-2023 | Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (UK) Ltd
Sildenafil 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg Film-Coated Tablets
Sildenafil 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg Film-Coated Tablets
Sildenafil
1. What Sildenafil is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Sildenafil
3. How to take Sildenafil
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Sildenafil
6. Contents of the pack and other information
Sildenafil contains the active substance sildenafil which belongs to a group of medicines called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors. It works by helping to relax the blood vessels in your penis, allowing blood to flow into your penis when you get sexually excited. Sildenafil will only help you to get an erection if you are sexually stimulated.
Sildenafil is a treatment for adult men with erectile dysfunction, sometimes known as impotence. This is when a man cannot get or keep a hard, erect penis suitable for sexual activity.
Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking Sildenafil
You should not use Sildenafil with any other oral or local treatments for erectile dysfunction.
You should not use Sildenafil with treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) containing sildenafil or any other PDE5 inhibitors.
You should not take Sildenafil if you do not have erectile dysfunction.
You should not take Sildenafil if you are a woman.
Special considerations for patients with kidney or liver problems
You should tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems. Your doctor may decide on a lower dose for you.
Sildenafil should not be given to individuals under the age of 18.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.
Sildenafil tablets may interfere with some medicines, especially those used to treat chest pain. In the event of a medical emergency, you should tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse that you have taken Sildenafil and when you did. Do not take Sildenafil with other medicines unless your doctor tells you that you can.
You should not take Sildenafil if you are taking medicines called nitrates, as the combination of these medicines may lead to a dangerous fall in your blood pressure. Always tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you are taking any of these medicines that are often used for the relief of angina pectoris (or “chest pain”).
You should not take Sildenafil if you are using any of the medicines known as nitric oxide donors such as amyl nitrite (“poppers”) as the combination may also lead to a dangerous fall in your blood pressure.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are already taking riociguat.
If you are taking medicines known as protease inhibitors, such as for the treatment of HIV, your doctor may start you on the lowest dose (25 mg) of Sildenafil.
Some patients who take alpha-blocker therapy for the treatment of high blood pressure or prostate enlargement may experience dizziness or light-headedness, which may be caused by low blood pressure upon sitting or standing up quickly. Certain patients have experienced these symptoms when taking Sildenafil with alpha-blockers. This is most likely to happen within 4 hours after taking Sildenafil. To reduce the chance that these symptoms might happen, you should be on a regular daily dose of your alpha-blocker before you start Sildenafil. Your doctor may start you on a lower dose (25 mg) of Sildenafil.
Medicines containing sacubitril/valsartan, used to treat hear failure.
Sildenafil can be taken with or without food. However, you may find that Sildenafil takes longer to start working if you take it with a heavy meal.
Drinking alcohol can temporarily impair your ability to get an erection. To get the maximum benefit from your medicine, you are advised not to drink excessive amounts of alcohol before taking Sildenafil.
Sildenafil is not indicated for use by women.
Sildenafil can cause dizziness and can affect vision. You should be aware of how you react to Sildenafil before you drive or use machinery.
If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, such as lactose, contact your doctor before taking Sildenafil.
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. The recommended starting dose is 50 mg.
You should not take Sildenafil more than once a day.
Do not take Sildenafil film-coated tablets in combination with Sildenafil orodispersible tablets. You should take Sildenafil about one hour before you plan to have sex. Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water.
If you feel that the effect of Sildenafil is too strong or too weak, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Sildenafil will only help you to get an erection if you are sexually stimulated. The amount of time Sildenafil takes to work varies from person to person, but it normally takes between half an hour and one hour. You may find that Sildenafil takes longer to work if you take it with a heavy meal.
If Sildenafil does not help you to get an erection, or if your erection does not last long enough for you to complete sexual intercourse you should tell your doctor.
You may experience an increase in side effects and their severity. Doses above 100 mg do not increase the efficacy.
You should not take more tablets than your doctor tells you to. Contact your doctor if you take more tablets than you should.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects although not everybody gets them. The side effects reported in association with the use of Sildenafil are usually mild to moderate and of a short duration.
Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people): headache.
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people): nausea, facial flushing, hot flush (symptoms include a sudden feeling of heat in your upper body), indigestion, colour tinge to vision, blurred vision, visual disturbance, stuffy nose and dizziness.
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people): vomiting, skin rash, eye irritation, bloodshot eyes/red eyes, eye pain, seeing flashes of light, visual brightness, light sensitivity, watery eyes, pounding heartbeat, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, low blood pressure , muscle pain, feeling sleepy, reduced sense of touch, vertigo, ringing in the ears, dry mouth, blocked or stuffy sinuses, inflammation of the lining of the nose (symptoms include runny nose, sneezing and stuffy nose), upper abdominal pain, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (symptoms include heartburn), presence of blood in urine, pain in the arms or legs, nosebleed, feeling hot and feeling tired.
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people): fainting, stroke, heart attack, irregular heartbeat, temporary decreased blood flow to parts of the brain, feeling of tightening of the throat, numb mouth, bleeding at the back of the eye, double vision, reduced sharpness of vision, abnormal sensation in the eye, swelling of the eye or eyelid, small particles or spots in your vision, seeing halos around lights, dilation of the pupil of the eye, discolouration of the white of the eye, penile bleeding, presence of blood in semen, dry nose, swelling of the inside of the nose, feeling irritable and sudden decrease or loss of hearing.
From post-marketing experience cases of unstable angina (a heart condition) and sudden death have been reported rarely. Of note, most, but not all, of the men who experienced these side effects had heart problems before taking this medicine. It is not possible to determine whether these events were directly related to Sildenafil.
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
This medicinal product does not require any special storage conditions.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and blister after EXP.
The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
The active substance is Sildenafil citrate.
Each 25 mg tablet contains 35.12 mg Sildenafil citrate equivalent to 25 mg Sildenafil.
Each 50 mg tablet contains 70.24 mg Sildenafil citrate equivalent to 50 mg Sildenafil.
Each 100 mg tablet contains 140.48mg Sildenafil citrate equivalent to 100 mg Sildenafil.
The other ingredients are:
Tablet core: microcrystalline cellulose, calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate, croscarmellose sodium, hydroxy propyl cellulose, magnesium stearate.
Tablet coating: hypromellose (E464), lactose monohydrate, triacetin (E1518), titanium dioxide (E171), lake indigo carmine (E132).
Each 25 mg tablet is a blue coloured, round film-coated tablet debossed with ‘SC’ on one side and ‘25’ on other side.
Each 50 mg tablet is a blue coloured, round film-coated tablet debossed with ‘SC’ on one side and ‘50’ on other side.
Each 100 mg tablet is a blue coloured, round film-coated tablet debossed with ‘SC’ on one side and ‘100’ on other side.
Tablets are packed in boxes of 2, 4, 8, 12 or 24 tablets. Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
This leaflet was last revised in 06/2022
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