Can you drink coffee with Viagra? Yes — caffeine is not a known interaction with sildenafil. The Australian Viagra leaflet does not list caffeine among the medicines and drinks that interfere with Viagra, and neither the Viagra nor the Cialis label mentions it. The limits that apply are caffeine's own: around 400 mg a day for healthy adults, and more care if you have high blood pressure, which caffeine can push higher.
Does caffeine interact with Viagra?
No interaction is listed. The Viagra leaflet names the medicines that may interfere with it — cimetidine for ulcers, some antifungals, some antibiotics including erythromycin and rifampicin, some HIV medicines, alpha-blockers and bosentan — and warns against large amounts of alcohol before sex; caffeine is not on the list (Viagra CMI). The European product information for sildenafil does not mention caffeine either (EMA — Viagra). From the other side, healthdirect lists the medicines caffeine can interact with as antibiotics, oral contraceptives, some antidepressants and some heart medicines — no ED medicine is named — and suggests asking your pharmacist or doctor whether anything you take could be affected by caffeine (healthdirect — Caffeine).
Can you drink coffee before taking Viagra?
Yes. The leaflet's instructions are to take Viagra about one hour before you intend to have sex and to swallow the tablet whole with a full glass of water; it says nothing about coffee (Viagra CMI). What can slow Viagra down is food: "You may find VIAGRA takes longer to work if you take it with a heavy meal." Food and timing are covered in should you take Viagra on an empty stomach? Sildenafil usually starts working in 30 to 60 minutes and its effects last up to 4 hours (healthdirect — Sildenafil); caffeine's short-term effects start after about 30 minutes and can last up to 6 hours (healthdirect — Caffeine), so the two will be working at the same time.
How much caffeine is in coffee and tea?
These are healthdirect's figures (healthdirect — Caffeine):
| Drink or food | Serve | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 50 mL cup | 145 mg |
| Instant coffee | 1 teaspoon | 80 mg |
| Energy drink | 250 mL can | 80 mg |
| Black tea | 220 mL cup | 50 mg |
| Cola | 375 mL can | 36 mg |
| Milk chocolate | 50 g bar | 10 mg |
Healthy adults can safely have around 400 mg of caffeine a day. Older people can be more sensitive to it, because it stays active in their bodies for longer. Small amounts of caffeine are also found in some pain-relief and cough medicines (healthdirect — Caffeine).
When can caffeine be a problem with Viagra?
When there is a lot of it, or a heart or blood-pressure problem. Even 100–200 mg of caffeine can bring faster breathing and a faster heart rate; if you have high blood pressure, caffeine can increase it; and regular heavy use, more than 600 mg a day, can cause heartburn, sleeplessness and anxiety (healthdirect — Caffeine). Sex itself may place a strain on the heart, which is why the doctor who prescribes Viagra checks that you are fit enough for it. On Viagra, chest pain or an increased heart rate is a reason to call your doctor straight away or go to the nearest emergency department — and not to use a nitrate spray: the leaflet says to tell your doctor instead (Viagra CMI).
Does caffeine make Viagra work better or worse?
Neither label says it does, and this page found no study that tested the two together. Caffeine is not a treatment for erectile dysfunction: the medicines for it in Australia are sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil and avanafil, all on prescription (healthdirect — ED medicines). Whether coffee helps or harms erections on its own is answered in does caffeine or coffee cause erectile dysfunction?
Can you have caffeine with Cialis?
Yes, on the same evidence. The Australian Cialis leaflet's interaction list — from nitrates and some antibiotics to grapefruit juice and large amounts of alcohol — does not include caffeine, and Cialis "can be taken with or without food or alcohol" (Cialis CMI). The full list is in Cialis interactions with other medicines and supplements.
Which drinks do affect Viagra?
Grapefruit juice and alcohol. Grapefruit juice slows the enzyme that breaks sildenafil down in the gut wall and "may give rise to modest increases in plasma levels of sildenafil" (EMA — Viagra): does grapefruit juice affect Viagra? Alcohol "can temporarily impair the ability to get an erection", and the leaflet says not to drink large amounts before sex (Viagra CMI): can you drink alcohol with Viagra? An energy drink carries more caffeine than a cup of black tea: can you mix energy drinks with Viagra? If your painkiller contains caffeine, check the painkiller; aspirin did not interact with sildenafil in the label's study: can aspirin be taken with Viagra?
The short answer
Coffee and tea are not listed interactions with Viagra or Cialis, so an ordinary amount of caffeine is not a reason to skip either. Keep to around 400 mg a day, take more care if you have high blood pressure or a heart condition, and never combine Viagra with nitrates. Every other combination is covered in our guide to taking Viagra or Cialis with other medicines.
