Please remember that no medicine is for everyone. If you use nitrate
drugs, often used to control chest pain (also known as angina), don't
take Sildenafil Citrate. This combination could cause your blood
pressure to drop to an unsafe or life-threatening level. Be sure to
ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity.
For most patients, the recommended dose is 50 mg taken, as
needed, approximately 1 hour before sexual activity. However, sildenafil
citrate may be taken anywhere from 4 hours to 0.5 hour before sexual
activity. Based on effectiveness and toleration, the dose may be
increased to a maximum recommended dose of 100 mg or decreased to 25 mg.
The maximum recommended dosing frequency is once per day.
The Following Factors are Associated with Increased Plasma Levels of
Sildenafil: Age 65 (40% increase in AUC), hepatic impairment (e.g.,
cirrhosis, 80%), severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance 30
ml/min, 100%), and concomitant use of potent cytochrome P450 3A4
inhibitors (erythromycin, ketoconazole, itraconazole, 200%, saquinavir
210%). Since higher plasma levels may increase both the efficacy and
incidence of adverse events, a starting dose of 25 mg should be
considered in these patients.
Given the extent of the interaction
with patients receiving concomitant therapy with ritonavir (see DRUG
INTERACTIONS), it is recommended not to exceed a maximum single dose of
25 mg of sildenafil citrate in a 48 hour period.
Sildenafil citrate
was shown to potentiate the hypotensive effects of nitrates and its
administration in patients who use nitric oxide donors or nitrates in
any form is therefore contraindicated.
Recommended Storage: Store at
controlled room temperature, 15-30°C (59-86°F).
FYI: It has recently come to our
attention that many other popular Generic Versions are using GRADE C
Sildenafil Citrate. VIGREX contains AAA GRADE
"Premium" Sildenafil Citrate - the same 99.6% pure active prescription
ingredient as found in Pfizer's Viagra. It's your Body!!!
Mechanism of Action
The
physiologic mechanism of erection of the penis involves release of
nitric oxide (NO) in the corpus cavernosum during sexual stimulation. NO
then activates the enzyme guanylate cyclase, which results in increased
levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), producing smooth muscle
relaxation in the corpus cavernosum and allowing inflow of blood.
Sildenafil has no direct relaxant effect on isolated human corpus
cavernosum, but enhances the effect of nitric oxide (NO) by inhibiting
phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5), which is responsible for degradation of
cGMP in the corpus cavernosum. When sexual stimulation causes local
release of NO, inhibition of PDE5 by sildenafil causes increased levels
of cGMP in the corpus cavernosum, resulting in smooth muscle relaxation
and inflow of blood to the corpus cavernosum. Sildenafil at recommended
doses has no effect in the absence of sexual stimulation.
Studies in vitro have shown that sildenafil is selective for PDE5. Its
effect is more potent on PDE5 than on other known phosphodiesterases
(>80-fold for PDE1, >1000-fold for PDE2, PDE3, and PDE4). The
approximately 4000-fold selectivity for PDE5 versus PDE3 is important
because that PDE is involved in control of cardiac contractility.
Sildenafil is only about 10-fold as potent for PDE5 compared to PDE6, an
enzyme found in the retina; this lower selectivity is thought to be the
basis for abnormalities related to color vision observed with higher
doses or plasma levels (see Pharmacodynamics).
In addition to human
corpus cavernosum smooth muscle, PDE5 is also found in lower
concentrations in other tissues including platelets, vascular and
visceral smooth muscle, and skeletal muscle. The inhibition of PDE5 in
these tissues by sildenafil may be the basis for the enhanced platelet
antiaggregatory activity of nitric oxide observed in vitro, an
inhibition of platelet thrombus formation in vivo and peripheral
arterial-venous dilatation in vivo.
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CONTRAINDICATIONS:
Consistent with its known effects on the
nitric oxide/cGMP pathway, Vigrex was show to potentiate the
hypotenive effects of nitrates and its administration to patients
who are using organic nitrates, either regularly and/or
intermittently, in any form is therefore contraindicated.
After patients have taken Vigrex, it is
unknown when nitrates, if necessary, can be safely administered.
Based on the parmacokinetic profile of a single 100 mg oral dose
given to healthy normal volunteers, the plasma levels of sildenafil
at 24 hours post dose are approximately 2ng/ml (compared to peak
plasma levels of approximately 440ng/ml, in the following patients:
age >65, hepatic impairment (e.g, creatinine clearance <30mL/min),
and concomitant use of potent cytochrome P450 3A4 inhibitors
(erythromycin), plasma levels of sildenafil at 24 hours post dose
have been found to be 3 to 8 times higher than those seen in healthy
volunteers. Although plasma levels of sildenafil at 24 hours post
dose are much lower than at peak concentration, it is unknown
whether nitrates can be safely coadministered at this time point.
Vigrex is contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity
to any component of the tablet. |