Safety and Efficacy of Sildenafil Citrate for the Treatment of Female Sexual Arousal Disorder: A Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Study
And, since then, it has revolutionized how doctors approach male sexual health complaints. This has lead to the question of if Sildenafil or Viagra may just have positive sexual effects in women as well. Men and Women do have different sexual anatomies, but at the core of arousal is the same function involving smooth muscle relation and increased blood flow to the genital area, which is the underlying function of PDE-5 inhibitors such as Sildenafil.
- Doctors may prescribe sildenafil off-label for women based on individual assessment.
- Patient education about realistic expectations is essential when using sildenafil.
- Sildenafil’s mechanism involves enhancing nitric oxide signaling in blood vessels.
- Women with liver or kidney problems need careful evaluation before sildenafil use.
- Viagra was initially tested for women before focusing on men’s erectile issues.
- Alternative options like vaginal lubricants are also common for female sexual problems.
These similarities have led to studies being done on women who are struggling with female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD).
- Female patients should be cautious with sildenafil due to lack of approval.
- Erectile dysfunction medications can interact with other drugs, affecting women as well.
- Some studies suggest sildenafil may help women with arousal issues but are inconclusive.
- Sildenafil may improve clitoral blood flow, enhancing sensitivity.
- Libido enhancement from sildenafil varies based on individual health factors.
- Self-medicating women with sildenafil without supervision can be risky.
FSAD has to do with persistent difficulties in arousal in female patients. One placebo-controlled trial in women who were experiencing sexual dysfunction while taking an antidepressant found that adding in Sildenafil helped improve reported arousal, lubrication, and orgasm as compared to the placebo groups, but did not change any reported pain from sexual intercourse.
What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication?
Users are advised that decisions regarding drug therapy are complex medical decisions requiring the independent, informed decision of an appropriate health care professional, and the information is provided for informational purposes only. The entire monograph for a drug should be reviewed for a thorough understanding of the drug's actions, uses and side effects. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. does not endorse or recommend the use of any drug. The information is not a substitute for medical care.
Erectile dysfunction
To evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of oral sildenafil in women with female sexual arousal disorder as a result of SCI (paraplegia/tetraplegia). The study was conducted at clinical practice sites in North America (n =23), 11 European countries (n =23), Australia (n =4) and South Africa (n =2). 129 women were randomized and treated with sildenafil or matching placebo. A 4-week baseline period was followed by 12 weeks of treatment, which could be increased from 50 to 100 mg or decreased to 25 mg once during the treatment period, depending on efficacy and tolerability. By use of an event log, sexual activity was monitored between screening and the end of treatment.
Effects on sexual dysfunction
The Sexual Function Questionnaire, the Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire–Female, a global efficacy question and Sexual Distress Question were also assessed. Sildenafil-treated women and placebo-treated women had an increase in their percentage of sexual activities throughout the course of the study, with no statistically significant difference between groups in the percentage of successful sexual activities at end of treatment versus baseline. There were also no statistically significant differences between sildenafil- and placebo-treated women on the aforementioned measures. The most common adverse events included headache and vasodilatation. The results of this study are similar to other reports regarding a lack of clinically meaningful benefit of sildenafil in other populations of women. Another placebo-controlled study looked into using Sildenafil in postmenopausal women with FSAD and found significant improvements in reported arousal, as long as they did not also have hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD).One study considers PDE-5 inhibitors, such as Sildenafil, to have conflicting results when it comes to treating FSAD.
| Product | Dosage | Quantity + Bonus | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viagra Generic | 150mg | 30 + 2 Pills | 72.32€ 68.88€ | |
| Viagra Generic | 50mg | 20 Pills | 40.52€ 38.59€ | |
| Kamagra Oral Jelly | 100mg | 63 + 7 Sachets | 224.18€ 213.50€ | |
| Viagra Generic | 50mg | 360 + 10 Pills | 225.33€ 214.60€ | |
| Kamagra Soft Tabs | 100mg | 180 + 8 Pills | 425.45€ 405.19€ | |
| Viagra Generic | 100mg | 60 + 4 Pills | 96.36€ 91.77€ | |
| Viagra Generic | 25mg | 360 + 10 Pills | 213.68€ 203.50€ | |
| Viagra Generic | 50mg | 90 + 6 Pills | 107.37€ 102.26€ | |
| Kamagra Polo | 100mg | 120 + 6 Pills | 327.15€ 311.57€ | |
| Viagra Generic | 25mg | 180 + 6 Pills | 154.93€ 147.55€ | |
| Kamagra | 100mg | 120 + 6 Pills | 330.74€ 314.99€ | |
| Viagra Generic | 200mg | 60 + 4 Pills | 125.19€ 119.23€ |
Suggesting that these medications should be kept as the last option due to FSAD being composed of many different factors including medical, psychological, and sexual, and requiring a global approach to treatment. A consensus of if oral Sildenafil tablets should be a treatment option for women experiencing a lack of arousal or FSAD is still up for debate, although some doctors may prescribe Sildenafil tablets off-label for women.
| Trend | Description | Potential Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Development of women-specific formulations | Customized doses and delivery methods | Improved safety and efficacy |
| Combination therapies | Sildenafil combined with other agents | Potentially enhanced outcomes |
| Non-oral delivery systems | Topicals, patches, or injectables | Increased convenience and quicker onset |
| Personalized medicine approaches | Genetic testing to optimize treatment | Higher success rates with fewer side effects |
| Increased clinical trials in women | More robust evidence for approval | Better guideline development |
These studies suggest that Sildenafil may help with sexual issues stemming from a lack of appropriate physical arousal, but Sildenafil does not help with increases in sexual desire or libido. It should be noted that using Sildenafil tablets does still come with the risk of side effects. These studies have noted headaches, flushing, heartburn, nasal congestion, and visual disturbances to be more common in the Sildenafil treatment groups. Sildenafil tablets are currently only FDA approved for sexual disorder use in men with erectile dysfunction, and women should not attempt to use them unless under the guidance of their doctor who has decided to prescribe them off-label.
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Tara Symonds and Scott Haughie are employees of Pfizer. Susanne Steinberg was an employee of Pfizer when the study was conducted. Sildenafil in women with sexual arousal disorder following spinal cord injury. Sexual Health in the Neurogenic Patient Current Bladder Dysfunction Reports (2020) Knowledge Gaps in Urologic Care of Female Spinal Cord Injury Patients Current Urology Reports (2019) Sexual Function after Spinal Cord Injury: Innervation, Assessment, and Treatment Current Sexual Health Reports (2016) Learn more about compounded Sildenafil creams made for women. Sildenafil and its brand medication, Viagra, has sildenafil citrate 150 mg red pill been around since 1998 for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men. You may find the active ingredient, Sildenafil, in formulations other than the manufactured oral tablet from compounding pharmacies that include it in formulations meant to help improve female sexual satisfaction and blood flow called “scream creams”. In these topical creams, the medication is meant to be applied externally to help enhance smooth muscle relaxation and improve blood flow to the vaginal and clitoral regions for a period of a few hours. These compounded creams may also contain other ingredients mean to enhance the blood flow and sensitivity of the area, and they require a prescription from a doctor in order to be made up. Topical Sildenafil-containing scream creams are thought to greatly reduce the amount of medication that is delivered systemically through the entire body and may help reduce any whole-body side effects as compared to the Sildenafil tablets. Compounded Sildenafil creams for women are often meant to be applied about 30 minutes before sexual activity and gently rubbed in. These creams may then enhance your sensitivity, natural lubrication, sensation, elongation, and overall physical arousal for up to 2 hours after application. Sildenafil creams for women are currently only available from compounding pharmacies which can make them up for you according to a prescription from a doctor. Sildenafil creams does not currently exist as a manufactured pharmaceutical product, so you will not be able to have this made at a regular non-compounding pharmacy. Here at Strut Health, you can have a free online questionnaire-based telemedicine visit with our U.S. licensed doctors to see if a compounded sildenafil-containing cream for women may help with your sexual issues.
| Side Effect | Severity | Frequency | Management Tips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headache | Mild to moderate | Frequent | Hydration, pain relievers |
| Flushing | Mild | Common | Cooling measures |
| Nasal Congestion | Mild | Occasional | Decongestants |
| Dizziness | Mild | Less common | Sitting or lying down |
| Visual Disturbances | Rare | Rare | Seek medical attention |
If you are a good candidate for treatment, your prescription can be shipped to your front door from a compounding pharmacy with our free shipping. If you have any questions during your treatment, you can get back in touch with our staff and doctors to help at any time with our free unlimited follow-ups.
Key Words
Hultling C, Giuliano F, Quirk F, Peña B, Mishra A, Smith MD . Quality of life in patients with spinal cord sildenafil pricing injury receiving Viagra (sildenafil citrate) for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Sildenafil effects on sexual and cardiovascular responses in women with spinal cord injury. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR 4th edn (Text Revision). Development of a sexual function questionnaire for clinical trials of female sexual dysfunction.
Interactions with other medications
J Womens Health Gend Based Med 2002; 11: 277–289. The use of the sexual function questionnaire as a screening tool for women with sexual dysfunction. Development of a questionnaire on sexual quality of life in women. Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors and female sexual response: faulty protocols or paradigms? This study was sponsored by Pfizer Inc.
How much time does it take for Viagra to work for females?
Editorial support was provided by Anne Johnson, Janet E Matsuura, PhD, and Deborah M Campoli-Richards, BSPharm, RPh, of Complete Healthcare Communications, Inc., and was funded by Pfizer Inc. Marca Sipski Alexander reports no commercial interests with the study sponsor. Raymond Rosen reports no current commercial interests with the study sponsor. At the time of this research, Dr Rosen served as a consultant and research advisor for Pfizer Inc. Claes Hultling reports no commercial interests with the study sponsor. Viagra is a well-known drug for treating erectile dysfunction in men, but it’s sometimes used off-label in women, too. While Viagra is primarily designed for men, there’s been growing interest in how it might affect women.
- Some studies suggest sildenafil might help women with sexual arousal disorder.
- The drug's vasodilating effects can have cardiovascular implications in women.
- Women should be cautious of counterfeit or unapproved sildenafil products.
- Combining sildenafil with other ED drugs in women is not recommended without medical advice.
- Psychological support remains an important aspect of treating female sexual dysfunction.
- Ongoing clinical trials aim to establish the safety and efficacy of sildenafil for women.
Below, we look at what Viagra does for women, its potential benefits, and the things you should consider if you’re curious about trying it.
Ethics declarations
This study was sponsored by Pfizer Inc. Gain free access to this article, as well as selected content from this journal and more on nature.com Targeting recovery: priorities of the spinal cord-injured population. Targeting recovery: priorities of the spinal cord-injured population. Sexual activities, response and satisfaction in women pre- and post-spinal cord injury. Sexual activities, desire, and satisfaction in males pre- and post-spinal cord injury.
What special precautions should I follow?
Arch Sex Behav 1993; 22: 217–228. Sexual arousal and orgasm in women: effects of spinal cord injury. The effects of spinal cord injury on psychogenic sexual arousal in males. Sexual responsiveness in women with spinal cord injuries: differential effects of anxiety-eliciting stimulation. Arch Sex Behav 2004; 33: 295–302.
Related support groups
Effects of level and degree of spinal cord injury on male orgasm. Giuliano F, Hultling C, El Masry WS, Smith MD, Osterloh IH, Orr M et al. Randomized trial of sildenafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in spinal cord injury. Maytom MC, Derry FA, Dinsmore WW, Glass CA, Smith MD, Orr M et al. A two-part pilot study of sildenafil (VIAGRA) in men with erectile dysfunction caused by spinal cord injury.
