According to health statistics, every second man has experienced erectile dysfunction at some point in his life. While in the past especially older men who wanted to solve this problem had to swallow, for example, powder from rhinoceros horn or extract from tiger genitalia, today a blue diamond-shaped pill helps them effectively. Viagra, which was invented by the American pharmaceutical concern Pfizer and first appeared on the shelves of Czech pharmacies 15 years ago, on January 29, 1999, is one of the most successful drugs worldwide.

One of the „fathers“ of Viagra was the American pharmacologist Robert Furchgott. For elucidating the role of nitric oxide in the human organism, he and two other scientists received the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1998. Furchgott’s discoveries paved the way for further research that led to the creation of the anti-impotence pill. Viagra works in the same way as nitric oxide, which relaxes penile tissue during arousal. This will decrease the tension in the blood vessel cells. These then fill with blood, which causes an erection.

He also recommends Pelé

The blue pill, which was promoted in advertising by former US presidential candidate Bob Dole or the famous Brazilian soccer player Pelé, was actually created as a by-product. Sildenafil citrate, as the active substance of Viagra is called, was originally supposed to help with the treatment of high blood pressure or angina pectoris. But during testing, scientists found that it has a beneficial effect on men who suffer from erectile dysfunction. And they are not few, it is reported that up to ten percent of the population suffers from it.

According to the statistics of the State Institute for Drug Control, 8.6 million doses of Viagra in 1.5 million packages were delivered to the Czech Republic in 15 years. In addition, 2.4 million daily doses of cheaper generics in 240,000 boxes. In total, Czech men had at their disposal almost 11 million doses of Viagra and its cheaper variants with sildenafil in a total of 1.74 million packages.

More and more men are taking these drugs as standard. „Even though it’s still not a topic that men want to brag about, they are now able to talk about it,“ pointed out the vice-president of the Czech Chamber of Pharmacy, Michal Hojný, adding that interested parties prefer to purchase Viagra and similar preparations in city pharmacies, where they have a guaranteed greater anonymity.

Most men take Viagra for the first time. If it doesn’t happen, there’s no need to hang your head, just try again the next day. An otherwise healthy person can take Viagra every day. To accelerate the effect, which usually occurs within an hour and requires sexual stimulation, it is recommended not to drink too much alcohol and not to eat fatty foods. The effect of the „miracle pill“ ideally lasts up to four hours.

Prescription only

Mistakes are sometimes made by beginners, who get impatient and take another tablet because of the insufficiently fast start. But this can cause serious problems.

The use of undoubtedly the most famous drug for potency is not completely without risk. Viagra can even cause death in people taking certain heart medications and should always be prescribed by a doctor. According to experts, the culprit is not the pill, but the sexual activity itself, as men with erectile dysfunction often also have heart problems. For heart problems, some people take nitrates, for example nitroglycerin, which, however, must not be taken together with Viagra.

Weaker Viagra is prescribed by a doctor for problems with the prostate, serious liver or kidney diseases and men over 65 years of age. There is a danger in some retinal disorders that are common in patients with diabetes. The manufacturer of Viagra also points out the possibility of temporary hearing loss or impaired vision, three percent of men already had temporary vision problems during testing.

Versatile use

However, Viagra has more versatile uses than it might seem at first glance. It’s used to prevent and treat pulmonary edema, it’s being tested on stroke patients to help improve mobility, and Argentinian researchers have found it helps overcome jet-sickness, which occurs when crossing multiple time zones.

Viagra is the most well-known, but certainly not the only drug that men with erectile problems can use. Five years later, the drugs cialis or levitra appeared on the market, which offered the same effect, albeit thanks to a different active substance. And after Pfizer’s patent rights expired around the world, the way to cheaper generics opened up. Today, a number of pharmaceutical companies offer their version of Viagra, including, for example, the Czech Zentiva, whose pill is up to three times cheaper than the original. According to Pfizer, Viagra is also one of the most counterfeited drugs in the United States.