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What is Viagra? Viagra is a medicine available only through prescription in the US to treat erectile dysfunction. It was developed by the Pfizer pharmaceutical company and as the medical name of sildenafil citrate.

Erectile dysfunction is a problem that men can experience in getting and maintaining an erection. It is common in men over 40 years of age, but younger men can experience it too.

Viagra works when a man is sexually stimulated by helping to increase the blood flow to the penis, so that he can consistently get and keep an erection. If you think you may have experienced erectile dysfunction and Viagra may be for you, please consult your physician for more information.

• Comparison Chart for Viagra, Levitra and Cialis

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* The information presented on this page was taken from a variety of sources and is intended for entertainment only. This web site does not guarantee the completeness and/or accuracy of any information on this page. For a full discussion of each medication and it's benefits and safety information, please consult your physician.

VIAGRA is a registered trademark of Pfizer, Inc.
CIALIS is a registered trademark of Lilly ICOS LLC
LEVITRA is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline and Schering Corporation

Use this chart as an aid to help prepare yourself for your discussion with your physician about erectile dysfunction (ED). You'll find helpful information at the sites for each drug product, too: Viagra, Cialis and Levitra.

VIAGRA LEVITRA CIALIS Starts working in 15 min. within 60 min. 30 min. Lasts for over 4 hours n/a up to 36 hours Google hits as of 9/2/2006 (also see below for Google Trends chart) 54.9 million 37.3 million 23.6 million Price per pill $9.70 US** n/a $9.70 US** Prescription required (US) yes yes yes Active ingredient sildenafil citrate tadalafil vardenafil HCl Available dosages 25-mg, 50-mg, 100-mg tablets 2.5-mg, 5-mg, 10-mg, and 20-mg tablets 5-mg, 10-mg, 20-mg tablets Possible side-effects (see your doctor or prescribing information for details) yes yes yes Food restrictions no, but avoiding high-fat meals 2 hours before can help no no

Google Trends Chart

In terms of the Google search volume, Viagra is definitely on top. Below is a screen-capture from the Google Trends chart for Viagra, Cialis and Levitra from September 2, 2006. Click here or on the chart image to go to Google to view the current trend chart.

Key A FDA Orders Viagra to Pull 'Wild Thing' Ad Monterey County Herald - Nov 15 2004 B FDA Derails Plans To Market Female 'Viagra' Patch CIO Today - Dec 3 2004 C Medicare To Cover Viagra, Other Sex Performance Drugs NBC 4.com - Feb 2 2005 D FDA Looking Into Blindness-Viagra Link Frankfort Times - May 27 2005 E US officials probe rare reports of blindness in Viagra, Cialis, Levitra users CJAD - May 27 2005 F US officials probe rare reports of blindness in Viagra, Cialis, Levitra users CJAD - May 27 2005

* The information presented on this page was taken from a variety of sources and is intended for entertainment only. This web site does not guarantee the completeness and/or accuracy of any information on this page. For a full discussion of each medication and it's benefits and safety information, please consult your physician. ** according to a Forbes.com article dated 12.03.03 VIAGRA is a registered trademark of Pfizer, Inc. CIALIS is a registered trademark of Lilly ICOS LLC LEVITRA is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline and Schering Corporation

Facts on the Viagra Set

The dinah project tells us that "it may be difficult to remember a time before the little blue pills, with all their jokes and effects they've had on modern sex as we know it. In fact, they have only been around for a decade.

"Viagra (sildenafil) is not the only medical “impotence drug” on the market, but it was the first and as such made a colossal impact on our sex-obsessed society and has achieved legendary status."

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Gene Therapy May Treat Erectile Dysfunction

Steven Reinberg of HealthDay tells us that "gene therapy may be a way to treat erectile dysfunction in men who do not respond to pills such as Viagra, researchers report." Two studies using Maxi-K gene therapy showed that the therapy "has the potential for long-term improvement for erectile function," according to the lead researcher Dr. Arnold Melman, a professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.

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ED from prostate cancer hormone therapy treatable

Doctors from Memphis have found that men who experience erectile dysfunction (ED) when being treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer, may respond well to therapies such as Viagra. In a story by Reuters Health, Dr. Ithaar H. Derweesh indicated that "ED is 'grossly underreported' by men treated with ADT" and "studies that have been reported in the literature have tended to focus on decreased libido (sex drive) and have not examined the issue of erectile dysfunction per se."

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Viagra helps depressed women: study

Yahoo! News has a story stating that "the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra has proven effective at combating sexual dysfunction in depressed women, according to a study published Tuesday." This is important because "sexual dysfunction is a common side effect of antidepressants," causing many people to stop taking them, and women don't have as many choices for treatment of sexual dysfunction as men do.

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Women, depression and Viagra - what you need to know

Dr. Petra Boynton takes a critical look at recent news reports that Viagra, the little blue pill, may not be as helpful to women being treated for depression as the news outlets implied after a study was published in JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association). She discusses other factors that need to be considered and delves deeper into the findings of the study.

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