How Long Does Viagra Stay in Your System?

Answer:

For those not yet familiar with the concept, half-life refers to the time it takes for a drug’s active ingredient to be reduced by half in the system of a user. Sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra and also the name by which Viagra’s generic equivalent is marketed, has a half-life of roughly four hours. This means that the amount of sildenafil in a user’s bloodstream will be cut to roughly half about four hours after the pill is taken.

In almost all cases, half or more of the active ingredient is enough to support erectile function. However, after the four-hour mark, the level of the active ingredient in the blood continues to decline and eventually drops to nothing.

Depending on the severity of an individual’s ED and his sensitivity to the drug, he may still find that the reduced level of sildenafil in the blood is enough to allow him to get and keep an erection beyond the half-life of Viagra’s active ingredient.

The half-life of a specific drug — in this case Viagra — is not affected by the size of the dose taken. It will still clear from the body by half in the same period of time. However, if only a small dose is taken, it probably won’t be enough to promote erectile function.