Filagra and Alcohol

It is generally recommended by the doctors to control the consumption of alcohol while a patient is on therapy with drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. This is because consuming less alcohol can help the patient in overcoming the sexual problems he is facing including ED. A study that has been published in a journal says that about 72 percent of the males who suffering from an abuse of alcohol and are totally dependent on it also tend to suffer from some kind of abnormality in their sexual health. This not only includes erectile dysfunction but other problems as well which are associated with ED like loss of libido, premature ejaculation and a facing a difficulty in achieving an orgasm. It was also mentioned in this study that those men who consumed alcohol in a quantity of at least 3 units or more on a daily basis were more likely to develop any dysfunction in their sexual health as compared to those men who did not consume alcohol. A follow-up study was performed in reference to this one which said that if these people who were regular consumers of alcohol restrained themselves from drinking it for 2 to 3 months, the risk of development of sexual dysfunction was greatly reduced in them as compared to the control group which consisted of men who did not drink at all. It can be said that excess consumption of alcohol sets in action certain events such as decreased level of testosterone or problems related to the prostate that eventually leads to the development of ED.

Causes of Erectile Dysfunction
Causes of Erectile Dysfunction

Alcohol Effect

When alcohol is taken in small amounts, it can act as a stimulating agent and helps in maximizing the sensations felt by the person who has consumed it. In contrast to this, consuming alcohol in large amounts can cause it to behave like a sedative and impair the normal cognitive function of a person. The mechanism of action of which alcohol works involves a central nervous system that suffers from a depression during alcohol intake. This not only deprives the person of thinking clearly and acting sanely but also disturbs the physical as well as mental sensations of the person which are important to him for normal functioning of different parts of the body, for example, his sexual functioning.

Connection Between Filagra and Alcohol

Filagra being a sildenafil containing drug is widely prescribed worldwide for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. According to an estimated study, it has been shown that 30 million men spread across 120 different countries across the globe are prescribed with sildenafil loaded drugs and about ten thousand people use these drugs every day after getting a prescription from the doctor. On the other hand, alcohol is an equally famous and renowned beverage and is widely sold in different countries in an amount so high that it has been estimated that an average person residing in the United Kingdom consumes alcohol in a quantity of 15 and a half liters every year. Since alcohol consumption has become so common among the people, it might be important that how sildenafil containing drugs like Filagra behave in the presence of alcohol.

Filagra and Alcohol Conections
Filagra and Alcohol Connections

There is a lot of reviews available on the topic of how Alcohol and sildenafil containing drugs like Filagra and linked to one another and these articles might be useful to the people who are concerned about the link of alcohol to their medicines for erectile dysfunction. Many of the researches present in the form of articles and concentrating on this issue suggest that no clinical evidence has been found so far that proves that the combination of sildenafil containing drugs like Filagra can cause side effects when taken along with alcohol. However, these researches do highlight some concerns about this combination of Filagra and alcohol that might be worthy of considering.

First of all, alcohol is a blood thinning agent just like Filagra or any other ED medicine consisting of sildenafil. If a person consumes Filagra at the same time when he is taking alcohol as well, there is a high possibility that these agents might work together to reduce the blood pressure in the vessels of the body. This additive effect of alcohol along with Filagra can cause an increased risk of an occurrence of tachycardia in the patients. This is a serious issue and the manufacturing companies of different drugs meant for curing erectile dysfunction have a special mention of this concern on their leaflets. Patients are advised to avoid any kind of blood thinning drugs while they are consuming ED drugs like Filagra. It is also worth taking consideration that intake of alcohol in large doses can cause a threat to the liver enzymes and its normal function as well. It has been calculated in a research that mortality rate of the liver disease caused by excess consumption of alcohol has increased by 450 percent in the past thirty years. Since alcohol causes an impairment of the normal liver functions of the body, it can cause Filagra to accumulate in the body can, in turn, increase the side effects that are normally seen during the therapy with this drug.

Filagra and alcohol can be deemed as an inappropriate combination in terms of normal sexual function as well. It is a fact that the normal sexual stimulation and arousal of a person that is manifested in terms of achieving an erection requires the involvement of the central nervous system. In order to keep an erection, the brain needs to be stimulated constantly and consumption of alcohol at the same tie interferes with the working of the central nervous system and results in a loss of erection. It can be said that alcohol is an agent that works against Filagra.

Digging into the literature of the UK Health Centre, it can be seen that clear warnings have been issued to the people about using alcohol while continuing therapy with Filagra. There is a risk that the patient who is using this combination might experience side effects that are usually experienced due to Filagra in much severe forms. These side effects include increased heart rate, a decrease in blood pressure and dizziness. It has also been stated that both alcohol and Filagra have the tendency to cause similar side effects when administered inside a boy, therefore, the combination of these agents can cause worsening of these symptoms. The common adversities caused by Filagra and alcohol include a headache which is much more severe than the one that is experienced when either of these agents is taken alone. Different doctors and healthcare professionals say that Filagra and other ED drugs must never be taken permanently and must be used as a short-term drug where ever it is possible. Use of alcohol has a bad effect on the physical and psychological health of a person, therefore, its consumption might make the person dependent on this drug for a much longer period of time.

A trial study relevant to this topic named as “No adverse hemodynamic interaction between Sildenafil and red wine” by Leslie et al checked the effect of alcohol and sildenafil on the hemodynamic component of some volunteers. This was a four-way crossover study trial which consisted of 8 young males who were set to receive either sildenafil and red wine alone or in a combination in addition to a placebo supplement. These men were checked for their heart rate, blood pressure, and the cardiac index. These parameters were measured multiple times for three hours straight with an interval of 15 minutes in between. This study did not provide any significant evidence that depicted an interaction between alcohol and sildenafil in these patients. Nonetheless, it must be kept in mind that this study revolved around only a small group of people belonging to a specific age group and was also not involved in any sexual activity throughout the entire duration of this study. Therefore, it can be reasoned that the results deduced from this study are not representing the array of patients who are taking sildenafil.

It is important for the patients to know that alcohol should not be assumed as the reason why Filagra does not seem to be working for them. According to a research, ED medicines must be tried at least eight times before rendering them useless and switching to an alternative drug. Moreover, it is also important to consult a healthcare professional and inform him of everything the patient knows about his disease and also about the drugs that he is currently using which also includes consumption of alcohol. This minimizes the risk of Filagra interacting with other drugs taken simultaneously and protects the patient from developing unnecessary side effects.


It can be concluded that like with many other medicines, taking alcohol along with Filagra or any other sildenafil containing drugs meant to relieve erectile dysfunction can result in a decreased efficacy of it. However, the use of alcohol prior to taking Filagra might result in less risk for developing any complexity. Nevertheless, people using Filagra must be careful about their lifestyle choices because using it with alcohol not only reduces the effectiveness of the drug but also causes a worsening of the symptoms that are usually associated with the intake of Filagra. Most importantly, it also makes the person dependent on Filagra for a longer period of time which is medically not advised.

Leave a Reply
