If you’re thinking about taking Viagra, you’ll want to get the dosage right. And that’ll depend on a few factors.
The right amount to take varies from person to person and is based on things like whether you’ve had side effects taking Viagra in the past, any related health conditions you have, and if you’re taking any other medications.
In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to consider to help you find the right Viagra dose for your bedroom needs.
Three key takeaways
Viagra is available in 25mg, 50mg, and 100mg doses.
50mg is the only dose available without prescription.
Dosage isn’t based on age, but as you get older you may need to adjust your dosage if ED symptoms worsen.
Viagra dosages explained
Dosage describes how much of the active ingredient (sildenafil citrate) is in each individual Viagra tablet. Viagra is available in three dosage strengths:
Viagra 25mg
This is the lowest dose available.
Prescribers may initially recommend the 25mg dose if you take medication for high blood pressure or heart issues that could make a higher dose less safe.
Your prescriber might also recommend the 25mg dose if you’ve tried the 50mg dose and found it effective, but had trouble tolerating side effects like dizziness or an upset stomach.
Viagra 50mg
50mg is the standard Viagra dose and is the most commonly prescribed strength.
50mg Viagra tablets are also the only strength dose available without a prescription as Viagra Connect.
If you tolerate the side effects well, it’s best to take Viagra 50mg one hour before you want to have sex, on an empty stomach. It you take it with food, especially fatty food, it can delay the effects.
Viagra 100mg
This is the highest strength dose of Viagra available.
Viagra 100mg is the most effective dosage, but it also has the highest side effect risk.
Potential Viagra side effects include:
headache
upset stomach
back pain
nasal congestion
flushing
muscle aches
nausea
rashes
abnormal blue vision
Viagra 100mg might be right for you if you’ve tried the usual 50mg dose and it didn’t have the desired effect.
Usually, you'll only be able to take the higher Viagra 100mg dose if you didn’t have any serious side effects with Viagra 50mg.
The maximum daily dose of Viagra is 100mg. You should never take more than this amount in a 24-hour period.
How is Viagra taken?
You should take Viagra one hour before you want to have sex, by swallowing the tablets whole with a glass of water or juice (but not grapefruit juice as this can potentially interact with the medication).
It’s best to take Viagra on an empty stomach. Taking it with food, especially fatty foods, can interfere with the medication’s effectiveness and how fast it works.
What should you avoid when taking Viagra?
There are some circumstances in which you shouldn’t take Viagra, such as if you’re taking a medication that may interact with it, or if you have certain health conditions.
Speak to your prescriber before taking Viagra if any of the following apply to you:
you’ve ever had an allergic reaction to sildenafil or another medication
you have a serious heart or liver problem
you’ve recently had a heart issue, heart attack, or stroke
you have low blood pressure
you have a rare hereditary eye disease, like retinitis pigmentosa
you have sickle cell anaemia, leukaemia, or multiple myeloma (bone marrow cancer)
you have Peyronie’s disease (curved penis) or another deformity of the penis
you have haemophilia or another bleeding problem
you have a stomach ulcer
Some medications can interact with Viagra. Let your prescriber know if you’re taking:
nitrates for angina or chest pain
amyl nitrate (also called ‘poppers’)
Riociguat
protease inhibitors to treat HIV
Alpha-blocker therapies for high blood pressure or enlarged prostrate
any other ED medication
treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension containing sildenafil or any other PDE5 inhibitor
It’s also not recommended to take Viagra with alcohol.
Not only can alcohol make it more difficult to get hard because it impairs blood flow, it can also increase your risk of side effects.
If you’re going to drink when taking Viagra, try to do so in moderation and stick to one or two.
Picking the right Viagra dosage for your needs
The right Viagra dose for you will depend on your age, health status, any medications you’re taking, and whether you’ve experienced side effects on a different dose.
For most people, the standard Viagra 50mg dose should be effective.
If you’ve tried a 50mg dose and found that it worked but that you had side effects, or have heart issues, Viagra 25mg might be right for you.
If you’ve tried a lower dose and tolerated the side effects well, but didn’t find the dose effective to get you hard, talk to your prescriber about Viagra 100mg.
How much Viagra should you take the first time?
For most people, the standard Viagra 50mg dose is enough to get hard and stay hard, and this is the dose prescribers start most people on.
Viagra 50mg is also the only dose you can get without a prescription, so this may suit first time users.
If you have any health conditions or family history that might increase your risk of side effects, talk to a prescriber about the right dose for you to start with.
100mg a day is the maximum dose. You should never take more than 100mg of Viagra per day, regardless of whether or not it’s your first time trying the medication.
“How well Viagra works at any given dose will be different for everyone. If you’re taking it on prescription, your prescriber can discuss your needs, preferences, and health history with you to make sure you start on the right dose. If you’re buying it without prescription, you’ll be taking Viagra 50mg. Whatever dose you’re taking, a lot of people find that taking it on their own for the first time allows them to test how Viagra affects them and how long it takes. This can help you plan the best time to take it before sex with a partner”
Yes, you can switch your Viagra dose if your current dose isn’t working for you.
You may find that you’re getting side effects, in which case you might want to move to a lower dose.
If you’re tolerating the medication well and side effects aren’t an issue, but your current dose isn’t helping to get and maintain an erection, you can talk to your prescriber about increasing your dose.
Which Viagra dosage has the fewest side effects?
Viagra 25mg has the lowest side effects.
This is because it contains the lowest amount of the active ingredient, sildenafil citrate.
You might want to talk to your prescriber about moving down to a lower dose of Viagra 25mg if the higher strength doses are giving you side effects like nausea, indigestion, or headaches.
What is the right Viagra dosage for a 70-year-old?
Prescribers don’t recommend Viagra doses based on age. Your prescriber can let you know if you’ll need a lower dose for safety reasons.
This is more likely if you’re older, but will vary from one person to another. As you age and your metabolism slows down, your body becomes less efficient at removing Viagra from your system. So, your dose may last longer as it leaves your system more slowly.
However, as you age, symptoms of ED may worsen, so your prescriber may recommend a higher dose for you to see the desired effects.
How to get the best results from your Viagra dosage
To get the best results from Viagra, you’ll need to take it as advised by your prescriber, meaning on an empty stomach, no more than once a day, ideally without alcohol.
Viagra is designed to help with ED, so to help reduce ED symptoms overall, it helps to take Viagra as part of a lifestyle designed around healthy habits.
This can improve blood flow and also help reduce anxiety and improve your mental health - all of which can improve your ED symptoms.
Try to adopt habits like:
eating a high-fibre and high-protein diet focused on unprocessed whole foods
drinking plenty of water to stay well-hydrated
staying physically active
managing stress
getting sufficient sleep
What happens if you take too much Viagra?
If you take more than the recommended maximum dose of 100mg of Viagra, the chances increase of you experiencing side effects like:
headache
dizziness
rashes
blurred, abnormal blue vision
upset stomach
Taking too much Viagra can also lead to a condition called ‘priapism’. Priapism is a prolonged and potentially painful erection that doesn’t go away.
If you get an erection that lasts longer than 4 hours after taking too much Viagra, talk to a health professional.
FAQs
What's the right Viagra dosage for a 30-year-old?
There’s no right or wrong dose for someone based on age. The right Viagra dose for you will depend on your health status, whether or not a different dose has worked for you, and any other medications you’re taking,
Is your Viagra dosage based on weight?
No, Viagra dosage is not necessarily based on weight, although your weight can affect ED symptoms, so managing weight can help overall in managing ED.
Can you take Viagra long-term?
Yes, Viagra is safe to take long-term, as long as you’re following your prescriber’s recommendations and not exceeding the maximum daily dose of 100mg.
Chemist 4 U uses cookies (and other techniques) to enhance your shopping experience.
Read more about our cookie policy, terms and conditions and privacy statement. By continuing on this site and accepting our cookies you agree to the collection of information on this basis by us and by third parties on the platform as well as direct email marketing. Please customise your cookie settings below.
Find out more about our data policies.
