Generic Viagra Soft Gel Capsule



Posted by admin on

Generic Viagra: Side Effects and Where to Buy it Online in 2023

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission Here’s our process.

How we vet brands and products

Healthline only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.

  • Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?
  • Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence?
  • Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?

Generic Viagra (sildenafil) is an alternative to the branded Viagra drug that can be used for treating erectile dysfunction (ED). It’s now sold by many manufacturers, including online pharmacies like Roman, Hims, and Lemonaid.

  • Best generic Viagra service with clear and transparent pricing:Roman
  • Best for generic Viagra and other health and wellness medications:Lemonaid
  • Best for generic Viagra and other sexual health-related products:Hims
  • Best price for generic Viagra when bought in bulk:Optum Store

If you are experiencing the symptoms of erectile dysfunction (ED), you may have considered using Viagra or a similar ED medication as a possible treatment.

But if you’ve searched for places to buy Viagra online, you will have no doubt noticed its price tag too. Since Viagra is a brand-name medication, the price of Viagra is very high and may not currently work within your budget.

Thankfully, a generic version of the popular medication — sildenafil — is now widely available from a number of different drug manufacturers at a fraction of the cost. But with so many different providers out there, it can be a challenge researching which companies or online services you can trust.

To help clear things up, we took a closer look at many of the top services that can prescribe and ship sildenafil directly to your home so that you can have the facts that you need to get your ED treatment started.

While some of what’s sold as generic Viagra online is fake, several reputable companies sell sildenafil online. Each of the companies below has been vetted by our team for medical and business standards. Learn more here.

Best generic Viagra service with clear and transparent pricing

Roman Sildenafil

Healthline’s review

Roman is a telehealth company that focuses on treatment for ED, including generic Viagra. With Roman, you can make online and in-person doctor’s visits and get your prescription filled and refilled.

Roman offers the following ED treatments:

Pros & cons

Product details

  • Delivery time : 2 days
  • Prescription needed : yes
  • Accepts insurance : no
  • Location availability : available in the United States
  • Returns : no returns on prescription medication
  • Shipping : free shipping

Best for generic Viagra and other health and wellness medications

Lemonaid Sildenafil

Healthline’s review

Lemonaid is a telehealth company that offers a wide range of services. You can connect with a doctor online without having to book time off to go to an in-person appointment.

The company has a mail-order pharmacy that allows you to get meds delivered straight to your door. The downside, though, is that they don’t take insurance — even for non-ED drugs.

Doctors can prescribe the following ED treatments:

Pros & cons

Product details

  • Delivery time : 2–3 business days
  • Prescription needed : yes
  • Accepts insurance : no
  • Location availability : available in the United States
  • Returns : no returns on prescription medication
  • Shipping : free shipping

Best for generic Viagra and other sexual health-related products

Hims Sildenafil

Healthline’s review

To purchase medication from telehealth company Hims, you’ll need to fill out a health questionnaire, which is then reviewed by an on-staff doctor.

The company offers the following ED treatments:

Pros & cons

Product details

  • Delivery time : 2–5 business days
  • Prescription needed : yes
  • Accepts insurance : no
  • Location availability : available in the United States (Alaska and Hawaii included)
  • Returns : no returns or refunds
  • Shipping : free shipping

Best price for generic Viagra when bought in bulk

Optum Store Sildenafil

Healthline’s review

To purchase generic Viagra (sildenafil) and brand-name Viagra through Optum Store, you must fill out a questionnaire, upload a photo ID, and provide a recent blood pressure reading, which will then be evaluated by a licensed physician in the United States who can determine if sildenafil could treat your ED symptoms.

The Optum Store offers the following ED treatments:

Pros & cons

Product details

  • Delivery time : 5 days
  • Prescription needed : yes
  • Accepts insurance : limited number of carriers accepted
  • Location availability : available in the United States
  • Returns : no returns on prescription medication
  • Shipping : free shipping

Sildenafil citrate (sildenafil), often referred to as “generic Viagra,” is the same active ingredient used in Viagra. Viagra also contains small amounts of inactive ingredients. These ingredients give the pill its form and make it easier for your body to metabolize them.

One of the primary causes of ED is a buildup of the phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) enzyme that restricts blood flow to the penis and prevents or lessens the firmness of an erection. Sildenafil works as a PDE5 inhibitor, which blocks the effect of PDE5 and allows more unrestricted blood flow — making an erection more likely.

How do PDE5 inhibitors work?

Sildenafil doesn’t cure ED. It treats ED symptoms. Likewise, sildenafil doesn’t cure PH. It just helps control blood pressure in the arteries in the lungs.

Sildenafil is in a class of medications called PDE5 inhibitors. These drugs restrict the action of phosphodiesterase enzymes, which break down cyclic guanosine monophosphate. This is a type of molecule that relaxes smooth muscle tissue in the body, such as those in the blood vessels that allow the penis to become erect. Taking sildenafil improves circulation by helping the arteries relax enough to fill more easily with blood.

Sildenafil is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, reaching maximum concentration in about 1 hour for most users. Generic Viagra, like other PDE5 inhibitors, can cause a drop in blood pressure. If you take medications for blood pressure control or tend to have low blood pressure, ask your doctor if it’s safe to use sildenafil.

Sildenafil doesn’t trigger an erection on its own, nor does it increase sexual desire. Sexual stimulation is still required. However, for most healthy people, sildenafil can make an erection easier to get.

A 4-year study published in 2007 found that sildenafil is generally safe to use over the long term. Other data pulled from clinical trials in 2016 noted that sildenafil is effective without severe side effects regardless of age.

Instead of the “little blue pill,” as Viagra is known, sildenafil is often sold as a little white pill by Viagra’s competitors. The pill’s appearance does not change its effectiveness or how it works in the body.

While generic sildenafil and Viagra are equally safe and effective, the medications have one key difference: price. Viagra costs around $60 to $70 per tablet. Generic sildenafil can range from $7 to $18 per pill, depending on the manufacturer and dose.

The pharmaceutical giant Pfizer discovered the ED benefits of sildenafil by accident.

Researchers were testing the medication to treat high blood pressure and angina — chest pain associated with heart disease. They found that the medication was especially effective at inducing erections. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Viagra in 1998, making it the first oral drug specifically prescribed for ED.

Pfizer was also the first to introduce generic Viagra through a subsidiary called Greenstone. Other companies around the world also manufacture sildenafil pills, including:

Avoiding fake Viagra

Viagra and other ED medications are some of the most counterfeited drugs. It’s important to speak with a doctor to seek treatment and get medications through a pharmacy.

Sildenafil is available at most retail pharmacy locations and several reputable online retailers, so there’s no need to buy sildenafil from companies not regulated by the FDA.