Fildena 100 mg

About the brand of the drug

Fildena is a brand manufactured by Fortune healthcare India for the purpose of treating male impotence also known as erectile dysfunction (Inability to maintain or achieve a proper erection during sexual intercourse). Fildena contains the popular salt Sildenafil citrate, which first released as Viagra of Pfizer. It comes in a pack of 10 tablets, which are purple in color and triangular shaped. It is easily available on online pharmacies but you need to produce a prescription in order to buy it.

About the drug

Fildena is a registered trademark of Fortune healthcare India which is used for the purpose of branding its sildenafil citrate tablets. Fildena comes in various strengths i.e 25mg, 50mg, 100mg and 150mg having a minimum market price of $0.69 in the USA. Sildenafil citrate is characterized in PDE-5 drugs, which are used to treat the problem of male impotence and some of them are also used to treat pulmonary hypertension. Sildenafil citrate marketed as Lovegra is used to increase the libido in women.

About the salt of the drug

As mentioned earlier the active pharmaceutical ingredient of Fildena 100mg is Sildenafil citrate, the popular drug market as Viagra by Pfizer. Sildenafil was first discovered by Pfizer in 1989 for the treatment of heart-related chest pain. It was accepted for medical use in the US and Europe in 1998. In 2017 its patent expired and generic versions started to come out. It works by deactivating an enzyme present in our body called PDE5 or phosphodiesterase – 5 which causes increased blood flow in the penis and is able to cause long and sustained erection in males.    

Working of the drug

As mentioned before, Sildenafil citrate works by increasing the blood flow in penis their by causing a long and sustained erection. In order to understand how this medicine effects let us first understand the anatomy of male erection. Male erection is achieved when a chemical named NO (Nitrous oxide) is produced in the male penis which intern activates an enzyme called ‘guanylate cyclase’. This guanylate cyclase converts a naturally occurring chemical in the body called GTP into C-GMP and this C-GMP is responsible for erection. Sildenafil deactivates the enzyme PDE-5 which is responsible for breaking GMP. In simpler language sildenafil breaks the enzyme (PDE-5) which is responsible for lowering the erectile effect of another enzyme (C-Gmp). Sildenafil citrate has the highest oral absorption as compared to other drugs of the same class as it is absorbed up to 92% orally. It takes approx.. 1hr for sildenafil to reach its maximum effect in the human body, which decreases with intake of the meal which is high in fat content. It is eliminated much faster from the body as compared to its other family members as the time taken by the body to reduce its concentration to half is 3 to 5 hours.

The onset of action: Action of Fildena starts within 30 to 120 minutes of its administration

Duration of action: The effect of medicine lasts up to 4 hours

Medical use of the drug

Property of PDE-5 inhibitors such as Sildenafil, which dilates the blood vessels and thereby increases the blood flow causing reduction the blood pressure is exploited for many uses. Sildenafil is mainly used for two problems:-

a- Erectile dysfunction – Also known as male impotence is a physiological disorder in which men are not able to either achieve or maintain a satisfactory erection during sexual intercourse. This poses a problem in coitus and unhappy married life.

b- Pulmonary Hypertension – Another use of Sildenafil is pulmonary hypertension. This disease is characterized by increased blood pressure in the small arteries of the lungs due to either blockage or shrinkage. Sildenafil help by dilating them.

Side effects 

There are both major and minor side effects and one is recommended to immediately go to the doctor if one face any of these side effects. Majority of side effects can be avoided simply by following the instruction given by the doctor and not going for self-medication.

Major side effects include:-

• Headache
• Diarrhoea (Rare)
• Decrease or loss in vision (Rare)
• Change in color of vision
• Decrease or loss of hearing (Rare)
• Prolonged painful erection (Overdose)
• Difficulty in breathing 
• Swelling of face, lips, eyelids, tongue, hand, and feet (Rare)
• Peeling and blistering of skin (Rare)
• Upper respiratory tract infection

Minor side effects include:-

• Heartburn
• Nausea
• Flushing
• Cough
• Dizziness
• Allergic skin reaction
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Pain in limbs and back
• Uterine bleeding

All these are observed side effects and listing them does not apply that a person consuming Fildena (Sildenafil citrate) will definitely develop these side effects and also it does not mean that these are the only side effects which are possible. A person might respond differently to drug and may develop a different side effect.

Note: In any of the above case immediately stop taking the medicine and run to your doctor as soon as possible.

How to use 

For most patients, the prescribed dose is 50 mg taken approximately 1 hour before sexual activity. However, FILDENA may be taken anywhere from 4 hours to 0.5 hours before sexual activity. Based on effectiveness and toleration of a person, the dose can be increased to a maximum prescribed dose of 100 mg or decreased to 25 mg. The maximum recommended dose is once per day. However, it is advisable to stick with the prescription of your doctor and take medicine accordingly in order to avoid any complications and to get maximum efficacy out of the medicine.

In case of missed dose: As the medication is taken on as and when required basis, i.e 1 hour before sexual activity, so it is less likely to miss a dose of FILDENA, but if missed then do not increase the dose next time.

In case of overdose: Overdose may lead to severe side effects mentioned above. If any of these symptoms arise than quickly call or visit your doctor.

Drugs which are known to interact with this medicine

Use of Sildenafil is contraindicated with the above-mentioned drugs 

• Amlodipine 

• Carbamazepine 

• Clarithromycin

• Dexamethasone

• Imatinib 

• Mesylate 

• Ketoconazole 

• Atazanavir 

• Nitroglycerin 

• Isoniazid 

• Terazosin 

• ACE inhibitors 

• Atenolol 

• Tamsulosin 

• Warfarin

Use of Nitrate containing drugs is absolutely contraindicated with Sildenafil citrate

When to avoid taking the drug

Avoid the usage of Sildenafil at any cost if you suffer from any of the following problems:-

• Coronary Artery Disease

• Congestive Heart Failure 

• Valvular Heart Disease 

• Multiple Myeloma 

• Obesity 

• Hypertension 

• Diabetes Mellitus 

• Thyroid Disease 

• Atherosclerosis 

• Liver Disease 

• Kidney Disease 

• Stroke 

• Depression 

• Anxiety 

• Schizophrenia 

• Spinal Cord Injury 

• Endocrine Disorders 

• Sickle Cell Anemia 

• Leukemia

Things to avoid when using the drug

Apart from the above-mentioned drugs consumption of alcohol and marijuana (cannabis) should be avoided as they can increase the dizziness caused by Sildenafil.

General information and precaution

• Alcohol – Alcohol should not be consumed while on Sildenafil because it causes increased dizziness by the drug
• Driving – During the ongoing effect of the one should not consider driving due to dizziness caused by the drug
• Pregnancy – Sildenafil is not recommended for pregnant women unless absolutely necessary 
• Lactation – There is not much data to support any conclusions in lactation

Storage

• Store the medicine at room temperature.
• Avoid the direct fall of light
• Keep the medicine away from moist places
• Do not referigerate

General FAQs regarding the drug 

How long does affect lasts?

Ans. The effect of Fildena lasts up to 4 hr of taking the medicine.

How much time does it takes to start the effect?

Ans. The effect of Kamagra is observed between 30 to 120 minutes of administration

Is the erection due to drug reversible?

Ans. Yes, the effect is completely reversible and erection fades away in 3 – 4 hours of administration.