Viagra Review: How It Helped With ED

image of the packet of viagra I tried

When I visited Brazil, one of the many things that surprised me was the fact that you can buy Viagra over the counter in many pharmacies.

Since I’ve been having very frustrating erection problems every time I’m with a new partner, I decided to try it out. It was more a whim than a considered medical decision – I just thought “why not?”

And although I’ve decided not to use it on a regular basis – for reasons I’ll explain later – it was definitely an effective way to improve my erection quality during sex.

In this review, I’ll be talking honestly and openly about my experience with it. Hopefully, you’ll find it useful if you’re thinking about trying it and want to know what it’s like.

What is Viagra?

Viagra is a brand name for Sildenafil, and is one of the most commonly used medications for men with erectile dysfunction (ED). It was originally discovered by Pfizer while they were trying to create medication for heart-related chest pain.

You can also now find generic Sildenafil, which tends to be much cheaper, as the original patent ran out in 2017.

It comes in a little blue diamond-shaped pill and is taken orally before having sex. The idea is that it helps you get an erection when stimulated, as well as helping you keep your erection for longer.

My experience

The way I got my pack of Viagra was kind of funny. In Brazil, many pharmacies offer a home delivery service. Home delivery Viagra? It had to be done. So I rang the local pharmacy, ordered eight pills and a pack of condoms, and had them delivered to my place.

I’ll never know to this day whether the delivery guy knew what was in the little white packet, but he definitely noticed how amusing I found it.

The anticipation

I think Viagra is one of those things that fills you with both excitement and slight trepidation before you first take it.

I’d read a lot about it online and was slightly worried by the long list of possible side effects. The possibility of a prolonged and painful erection wasn’t so appealing.

However, I also knew how effective it was in research studies, so was keen to see if it would help me get through the initial days with a woman I’d recently met.

There were actually three specific issues I was interested in seeing if it could help with:

  • I’d been seeing someone for a week, and was having my usual ‘It will get better at some point’ erection problems. I hoped the Viagra would make that point happen sooner rather than later.
  • In the past, I’ve also had severe premature ejaculation. Even though it’s fairly under control now, I wanted to see if the Viagra would help with that too.
  • It now takes me longer to recover between sessions than when I was a sprightly 20 year old. So I was very interested to see how many sex sessions I could get in one evening with Viagra.

The first test

The Viagra wasn’t a secret; my open-minded soon to be girlfriend was totally up for trying it out. So I ordered it on a Saturday evening, and as soon as it turned up, opened the blister packet and swallowed one of the 50 mg pills with some water.

We then spent time doing things as we usually would – talking, laughing, kissing and enjoying prolonged foreplay. And in the back of my mind was the constant thought of ‘any second now…any second…’

I’d read that Viagra doesn’t magically give you an erection so much as help you get and keep one when you do normal things to get aroused. But I still had high hopes it would do good things.

The strong erection

What actually happened is that after about 30 minutes I definitely felt a warm feeling and some movement downstairs.

My partner and I were half naked and fondling each other passionately, with my penis happily starting to respond to her touch. And a couple of minutes later it was at maximum hardness.

What usually happens for me with a new partner is that I either get a 50-70% erection, or I get a full one but then lose it as soon as a condom packet is in sight.

But that night, not only did I easily get as hard as I do when I’m with a long-term partner, but I was even harder. I literally had the strongest erection I’ve had in years.

Prolonged sex

I had no problem at all putting a condom on (for once). This was one of those erections that you just know is there to stay. And we then had some amazing sex, thanks to three things that happened:

  • I stayed very erect for a good amount of time.
  • I felt full of confidence.
  • I felt like I could last for ages.

So as I’m sure you can imagine, we were both very happy with the results.

I felt more confident than usual and was very happy about my partner’s obvious enjoyment. I also had the feeling that I was able to control my ejaculation and just keep going.

In the past, I’ve struggled a lot with premature ejaculation. These days, I have it under control but do need to keep some focus on my arousal levels otherwise I can slip back into a quicker finish.

But with the Viagra, I felt like there was no way I was going to come any time soon. And in fact, that first time I think we had sex for 30 minutes. It’s hard to describe the sensation as it’s so different from the typical ‘trying to hold back’ that so often accompanies sex.

Maybe there was a placebo effect at work, but I do think the additional confidence also helped me remain in control too.

Round two in record time

It usually takes me anything from 20 minutes to a few hours to be ready for round two. Maybe longer if there’s an important match on TV. But that Saturday night, I was ready again in under 10 minutes.

I was surprised to find that my erection did soften after the first round; I think I was expecting it to stay hard for several hours, but evidently it doesn’t work like that. However, as soon as my partner started playing with me again, I had no problems in once again getting a good erection.

That night, we had sex several times over the period of about three hours before the Viagra started wearing off and we were both pretty shattered. So it seems Viagra’s reputation as a magic blue pill is indeed deserved – more or less.

The headache

I know so far I’ve only raved about how great the Viagra was. But there was a price to pay. Around halfway through round two I started to get a noticeable headache. I thought it was maybe from dehydration, but it felt different from that type of headache.

It wasn’t so bad that I had to stop, but it was slightly annoying. I thought I’d gotten away without any side effects since nothing bad happened at first. But the headache stayed for a couple of hours, even after the positive effects of the Viagra were starting to wear off.

The second test

A week later, I decided to give the Viagra another whirl. This time I took just 25 mg to see if I could avoid a headache with a lower dose. And that did seem to work – I had more or less the same positive effects but without a headache.

Even though it still worked, the effect wasn’t quite as powerful this time around. I was able to get an erection with ease, but it wasn’t quite as strong as my initial test.

However, I did once again notice that it seemed to give me more control over my ejaculation, and also decreased the refractory period.

Why I haven’t taken it again

I only tried Viagra on those two nights and haven’t taken it again since. It’s not because of the headaches, but actually my partner who asked me not to take it again unless I really need to.

Her view is that it’s a powerful drug, and since my problem with erections only happens when I first meet someone, she doesn’t think it’s necessary or even wise to take it again.

And I think she’s right. Yes, that first Saturday night was amazing, and after struggling to get a decent erection beforehand, it was a relief from the stress I was going through. It was also a lot of fun and a big confidence boost.

However, if I can manage without it, it’s better in the long run I think.

Would I recommend it?

If you have ED, in my experience it’s potentially a simple and effective way to deal with the problem.

I think it’s probably better to get your doctor’s approval before taking it though, since the list of potential side effects and interactions is a concern.

If you can find a way to overcome ED without medication, then perhaps that’s better. But if you’ve had no luck with other techniques or treatment, or are simply desperate for some help, Viagra is an option to consider.

If your problem is one of having to wait for ages to recover between sex sessions, then again in my experience Viagra can help.

As far as premature ejaculation goes, I think it might help some men. But at the same time, there are plenty of other treatment options that don’t come with such a long list of side effects. So I’m slightly more hesitant to recommend it.

Useful further reading

  • For information about the potential side effects, who shouldn’t take it and the correct dosage, check out drugs.com.
  • For more information, take a look at the official website Viagra.com (not a paid link).
  • If you think your problem is anxiety related and/or you’re not keen on taking medication, you might find my article about first night erection problems helpful. It also has many comments from other men that are worth reading.
  • See my tips for dealing with erection problems when you use a condom.
  • Take a look at my review of a penis pump for a good alternative to medication.

Your views

Have you taken Viagra before, or are thinking about taking it? Leave a comment below!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *