This article was reviewed by Lynn Marie Morski, MD, JD.
Many men wrongly believe that ED medications like Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra can cause arousal without stimulation. And some men even mistakenly think that these drugs can make their privates bigger.
But does Viagra keep you hard after climax, or is that a myth, too?
Believing drugs like Viagra can help you maintain an arousal after finishing isn’t an unfair assumption, especially given that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns of four-hour arousal right on the label. Between the urban legends and the horror stories, it’s no wonder that a guy who’s not already taking “the little blue pill” might misunderstand what it does and doesn’t do.
Let’s clear up a few of these misconceptions. Below, we’ll explain why taking Viagra is an effective treatment for ED, why it’s typically difficult to get hard again after ejaculating, and whether a dose of Viagra can speed up the process.
How Does Viagra Impact Intimate Function?
Viagra (the brand-name version of sildenafil citrate) and a number of other oral ED treatment medications belong to a class of drugs called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors. They are designed to treat ED by keeping you harder for longer, and they’re effective at doing so.
Viagra and other PDE5 inhibitors work by blocking an enzyme called PDE5 produced in your tissues. This blockage allows your blood vessels to relax and widen, which increases blood flow to your privates. In fact, Viagra was first created as a treatment for chest pain and hypertension, but researchers soon found that the active ingredient increases blood flow to the privates, too.
Though it can help folks with ED maintain an arousal enough for intimacy, Viagra isn’t a promise for good intimacy. It won’t fix performance anxiety (though it can help), and it can’t increase your drive.
How Long Does Viagra Last?
By continually increasing blood flow to the privates, Viagra gives you a window of several hours (up to four) in which you can get hard with addition of stimulation.
However, just because Viagra can work up to four hours doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to maintain an arousal for four hours straight. Arousals lasting longer than four hours could signal the presence of priapism, a medical condition that can cause permanent, irreversible damage to your privates.
Before we move on to whether or not Viagra can keep you hard after climax, we need to explain why your arousal goes away after finishing in the first place.
Why Your Arousal Goes Away When You Finish
All good things must come to an end.
Every male pleasure reaching is immediately followed by the refractory period — a sort of reset-and-reboot phase after intimacy. During the refractory period, your privates could still be harder than usual but — generally — you are not responsive to stimuli, and it is impossible to do it again.
Some guys have a refractory period that lasts a few minutes and for others, it’s more like a few hours. Every guy is different, and more research is needed to fully understand the specific functions of the refractory period.
What we do know is that the refractory period may get longer as you age. The nearly nonexistent teen refractory phase becomes longer sometime in your 20s, and your reboot gets longer as time passes.
Will Viagra Keep You Hard After?
Okay, we’re ready to answer the big question on your mind: Does Viagra work to help you skip the refractory period entirely? No, it doesn’t. Can it shorten the refractory period? Maybe.
Even so, if you’re thinking about using your Viagra—or even someone else’s prescription medication or a non-prescription “enhancement” supplement—to go all night, we’ve got some advice for you: reconsider.
First of all, it’s not safe to take a drug that isn’t prescribed to you, and those over-the-counter enhancement supplements may do more harm than good.
Second, although experts have conflicting ideas about what the refractory period is, why it exists, and how long it lasts, most agree it doesn’t go away entirely.
That said, some evidence suggests sildenafil may reduce the refractory period.
Research on Viagra and the Refractory Period
An eight-week study of men between the ages of 18 and 65 who had PE found that those who took sildenafil saw a decrease in their refractory time.
An older study of 20 men also found that sildenafil reduced the refractory period in all subjects. Men who took sildenafil had a refractory period many minutes shorter than men who took the placebo.
And yet another study found that while sildenafil may prolong intimate activity, which could be helpful for men with PE, it didn’t appear to shorten the refractory period after finishing.
The bottom line? Your refractory period isn’t going anywhere, but you can potentially shorten it.
If you decide to try to shorten your refractory period with Viagra, there is a serious side effect to look out for: an arousal that lasts too long. Be sure to contact your healthcare provider if you have an arousal lasting longer than four hours, which can be a sign of priapism.
Also, remember that the drug’s purpose isn’t to kill your refractory period, and using it just for this reason could increase the risk of side effects like chest pain, blurred vision, and dangerously low blood pressure.
Do Other PDE5 Inhibitors Keep You Hard After?
Viagra aside, can similar ED drugs work the same way? For instance, does Cialis (brand-name tadalafil) keep you hard after? What about Levitra (vardenafil)?
A study of tadalafil for PE found that the drug may also reduce refractory time after reaching pleasure, but more research is needed to confirm the finding.
Another study on vardenafil and PE concluded that the drug reduced refractory time while extending the length of intimacy and improving satisfaction and confidence.
Again, none of these studies found that PDE5 inhibitors stopped the refractory period entirely. But, they do appear to have the potential to shorten it for some men.
Does Viagra Stop Working After? Takeaways
While Viagra doesn’t stop working after finishing, it won’t give you a four-hour arousal (if it does, you should seek the help of a healthcare provider). In fact, while using Viagra and sildenafil for the treatment of ED is safe, taking the medication for recreational reasons can be dangerous.
We say this mainly as a disclaimer: When people ask “Does Viagra keep you hard after coming?”, they should actually be seeking medical advice for ED — a widespread issue that affects millions of men worldwide — or PE, not a stamina power-up.
That’s because ED medication is designed to treat that condition, not enhance performance when no functional issue is present. Remember:
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If you’re struggling to get hard, stay hard, and finish hard, you should talk to a healthcare provider about ED medication or other treatment options. You can solve many problems related to arousal function with the support of a medical professional. Be sure to disclose any health conditions like heart disease or mental health issues that may be affecting your satisfaction. And be as honest as possible
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Viagra and similar drugs may shorten your refractory period, but that post-climax rest period won’t go away completely. Some studies show that Viagra may speed up your refractory period, especially in those with PE.
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Overdoing it with Viagra to try to skip your refractory period is dangerous. Too much Viagra can lead to a higher risk of side effects or drug interactions.
Related:
- What all does Viagra help with, really?
- How can I increase my testosterone without affecting fertility?
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This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org
