Does Viagra Show up on a Drug Test?

From claiming government IDs to undergoing further medical examinations, drug testing is starting to be a staple in the medical field. Especially those with active sex life, a common question before a drug examination is this – “does Viagra show up on a drug test?”

Before heading straight to the answer itself, it is essential to know what Viagra is all about – what it means, how it works, and possible effects to watch out for.

An Overview on Viagra

Contrary to popular belief, Viagra is actually a brand name of Sildenafil. This medication is commonly used to alleviate the effects of erectile dysfunction (ED) and treat specific cardiac ailments. Although Viagra and Sildenafil can be used interchangeably, the term “Viagra” shall be used for a better context.

Viagra works by relaxing men’s blood vessel walls – which in return allows blood to seamlessly flow into the body, particularly the penis.

Hence, it results in an outright erection. An erection occurs when the corpus cavernosa, which are a couple of cylinder-shaped spongy chambers along the penis, relaxes, lets blood in, and stimulates the organ (1).

Although Viagra can be solely taken orally, it can be produced in two ways – either in the form of liquid or a pill. For those taking Viagra via oral syringe, make sure to thoroughly shake the liquid for 10 seconds beforehand.

While dosage procedures can vary for pill users, a standard prescription would be to take Viagra three times daily with or without meals.

For maximum results, it’s essential to have a consistent schedule for taking Viagra. Moreover, it is equally important to take medications between four- to six-hour intervals.

Typically, Viagra starts working between one to two hours upon oral intake. However, taking Viagra by itself won’t result in an erection. Men still need to be sexually aroused for Viagra to work.

On average, the arousing effects of Viagra takes around two to three hours. Such duration can increase or decrease depending on three factors: the taken dosage, the body’s natural metabolism, and more external variables.

What Really Happens on Drug Tests

There are seven primary specimens for drug testing wherein patients can be subjected to.

These include breath, blood, oral fluid, urine, sweat, hair, and meconium. Since some substances tend to be easily detected in one medium than the other, anticipating for multiple drug testing media is a must for any patients.

Upon ingesting substances, the gastrointestinal absorbs them before distributing them to other tissues of the body.

For snorted, inhaled, and injected substances, they are then immediately delivered to the body’s tissues. With Viagra typically taken orally, it falls on the former route.

Does Viagra Intake Affect Oral Drug Tests?

Depending on the circumstances, this could be answered in two ways.

As mentioned, the effects of Viagra on a man’s body can last from two to three hours, depending on the dosage.

N-desmethyl sildenafil, Viagra’s major active metabolite, can be detected in the form of a serum, plasma, or whole blood to monitor pharmacokinetic status in people taking medication therapeutically (2). Predominantly, the human body excretes Viagra’s by-products in the form of feces and urine (3).

Correlating its absorption and excretion methods to the fact that urinary, salivary, and blood drug tests can detect substances taken hours before the test, it can be concluded that Viagra can be detected in drug tests.

It can even be searched upon request to confirm the possibility of poisoning, forensic investigation, or cases of overdose in affected patients.

However, its detection is instead considered insignificant when taking drug tests for the detection of illegal substances. Since Viagra isn’t a controlled chemical that is entirely legal for medical use, most drug tests do not include its detection in the body’s blood and urine.

In summary, yes – Viagra can be detected in a patient’s body. However, its presence is somewhat ignored as it’s not as life-threatening as other substances.

Precautionary Measures to Take

Before taking any form of ED treatment, especially Viagra, it’s highly essential to consult a medical professional first.

Before any prescription of Viagra, doctors will have to consider the patient’s age, body mass, and other physiological factors to determine the right dosage. This can further eliminate the possibility of life-threatening risks due to incorrect dosage recommendations.

Although Viagra is relatively safe to use, it’s essential to be aware of the possible side effects it can yield. This includes the following:

• Burning, numbing, or tingling feeling in the feet, legs, and arms
• Color vision changes (difficulty in differentiating blue and green tints
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Feeling of warmth or flushing
• Headache
• Heartburn
• Light sensitivity
• Muscle aches
• Nosebleed

While the abovementioned effects are not that serious, anyone observing the following effects below must seek medical help:

• Blurred eyesight
• Burning or itching sensation
• Chest pains
• Decreased sense of hearing
• Fainting
• Intense loss of vision
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Painful erection or one that lasts more than four hours
• Ringing in the ears
• Shortness of breath (4)

To minimize the possibility of experiencing Viagra’s side effects, it is essential to have a doctor’s appointment before medication. Moreover, it’s critical to take ownership of one’s drugs. Meaning, don’t let anyone ingest Viagra medications apart from the patient himself.

Secure Viagra pills out of children’s reach – keeping them at room temperatures away from extreme moisture and heat. If left unused, immediately dispose of them after two months.

For cases of overdose – which can be observed upon collapse, seizures, difficulty breathing, or unconsciousness, immediately call the locality’s emergency services.

Does Viagra Show up on a Drug Test?

While this question might sound insignificant to some, its answer can result in a life-or-death situation for some.

Given that the answer to this question will purely depend on a case-to-case basis, it can be either positively or negatively seen depending on the reason why a patient is asking for the question itself.

Now, does Viagra show up on a drug test? With the facts entirely laid above, it is up for the patient himself to craft a definite answer based on his needs.

About Ross Davis

Ross Davis is a fervent health writer and expert who loves writing about erectile dysfunction drugs. An expert with hands-on knowledge of Sildenafil and Tadalafil, he strives to educate men of all ages about the use and working of these medically-proven sexual performance enhancers.

Ross loves to help men understand these drugs and maximize its benefits with correct usage. His writing demonstrates his extensive knowledge in this niche, and he relishes simplifying the complexities associated with the use of erectile dysfunction drugs. He is also an avid seeker of knowledge who is always on the lookout for an opportunity to learn something new.

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