Is it best to take Viagra on an empty stomach or after eating? It works either way; food only slows it down. "VIAGRA can be taken with or without food. However, you may find that VIAGRA takes longer to start working if you take it with a heavy meal" (EMA package leaflet). If you want it to work as soon as possible, take it before a big meal rather than straight after one, about an hour before sex. You do not have to fast.
Does Viagra work better on an empty stomach?
It works sooner, not better. On an empty stomach sildenafil reaches its highest level in the blood within 30 to 120 minutes (60 minutes in the middle case); taken with food, that peak comes 60 minutes later on average and is 29% lower (EMA product information). The label's conclusion is about timing: with food, "the onset may be delayed" (EMA). It does not say the tablet works less well once it starts.
Among the European labels, the one sildenafil product that asks for an empty stomach is the 50 mg orodispersible tablet, which melts on the tongue: "It is recommended that orodispersible tablets be taken on an empty stomach" (EMA product information). That form is sold in Europe and is not among the three Viagra entries on the Australian register (ARTG); the ordinary tablet has no such rule.
Can you take Viagra after eating or on a full stomach?
Yes; allow more time. "You may find VIAGRA takes longer to work if you take it with a heavy meal" (Viagra CMI). Neither the Australian leaflet nor the European label gives a number of hours to wait after eating. The advice seen online to wait two hours after a high-fat meal is not on the label, which measured the effect of food in general: a delay of about an hour on average. After a large dinner, expect to wait longer than the usual 30 to 60 minutes.
Can you eat after taking Viagra?
The label sets no rule about it. Neither the Australian leaflet nor the European product information mentions eating after the tablet: the food effect they describe was measured with the tablet taken with a meal, and they give no figures for a meal eaten later. What the leaflet does ask is that you take it about an hour before sex, and it warns that a heavy meal can make it slower to start (Viagra CMI).
What is the best time to take Viagra?
About one hour before you intend to have sex, swallowed whole with a full glass of water (Viagra CMI). It usually starts working in 30 to 60 minutes and its effects can last for up to 4 hours (healthdirect), and it "will work only if you are sexually excited" (Viagra CMI): it helps with erectile dysfunction, it does not cause an erection on its own. One tablet in 24 hours is the limit (healthdirect), and never with nitrates, the medicines for angina. The full routine is in how to take sildenafil citrate for best results, and what a first dose is like in what to expect when taking Viagra for the first time.
Is it the same for Cialis and the other ED tablets?
No. Food changes neither how fast nor how much tadalafil is taken up, "thus CIALIS may be taken with or without food" (EMA Cialis product information); vardenafil's label, like sildenafil's, warns about a meal.
| Medicine | With food? | When before sex |
|---|---|---|
| Sildenafil (Viagra) | Yes, but a heavy meal can delay it | About 1 hour |
| Tadalafil (Cialis) | With or without food | At least 30 minutes; works for up to 36 hours |
| Vardenafil | Yes, but a meal high in fat may delay it | About 25 to 60 minutes |
Sources: Viagra CMI, Cialis CMI, EMA (vardenafil).
Do grapefruit and alcohol matter?
A little, in different ways. Grapefruit juice "may give rise to modest increases in plasma levels of sildenafil" (EMA product information), and "Drinking alcohol can temporarily impair the ability to get an erection" (Viagra CMI). Beyond a heavy meal, grapefruit juice and alcohol, the European label names no food or drink. More in foods to avoid or eat with Viagra and can you drink alcohol with Viagra?
What if Viagra upsets your stomach?
Indigestion or reflux is one of the common side effects of ED medicines, and "Usually, these side effects are mild and temporary" (healthdirect). The label does not suggest taking the tablet with food to prevent it. It does record that single doses of an antacid (magnesium hydroxide/aluminium hydroxide) did not change how much sildenafil reached the blood (EMA product information). If it keeps bothering you, tell your doctor. More in can Viagra and Cialis cause heartburn and indigestion?
The short answer
Take Viagra about an hour before sex, with or without food. On an empty stomach it can start sooner; after a heavy meal, allow extra time. The label sets no waiting time after eating and no rule about eating afterwards. More on doses is in our dosage guide.
