Viagra Connect Melts (Sildenafil Orodispersible Film)

Take one film approximately one hour before planned sexual activity. Carefully peel open the foil pouch - do not cut it. Remove the film with a dry finger, place it on your tongue, and allow it to dissolve. You may swallow the saliva produced during dissolution, but do not swallow the film whole before it has fully dissolved. The film can be taken with or without water.

Do not take more than one film in any 24-hour period. For best results, take it on an empty stomach - food, particularly high-fat meals, significantly delays absorption and can postpone the onset of effect.

No. Viagra Connect Melts can be taken without water, which is one of the key advantages of the film format over the standard tablet.

Place the film on your tongue and allow it to dissolve naturally. The saliva produced is enough for it to dissolve. You can drink water if you prefer, but it is not necessary.

Yes, and this matters more with the melt than with the standard tablet.

While sildenafil in any form is affected by food, orodispersible films are particularly sensitive to high-fat meals. Taking Viagra Connect Melts after a heavy or fatty meal can delay the time to peak effect by approximately 3.4 hours and reduce how much sildenafil is absorbed by around 59%.

For best results, take the film at least a couple of hours after eating, or before a meal rather than after one. A light snack should not significantly affect performance.

In clinical studies with fasted men, the median time to onset of erection sufficient for intercourse was approximately 25 minutes, with some men responding within 12 minutes. The medication can remain active in the body for up to 4 to 5 hours after taking it. This is the window during which you can achieve and maintain an erection with sexual stimulation. It does not mean an erection lasts for the entire period.

For most men, Viagra Connect Melts will work on the first or second attempt. If you have not been able to achieve an erection for some time, it may take two or three tries on different days. You must leave at least 24 hours between doses.

No. Like Viagra Connect tablets, Viagra Connect Melts are a pharmacy (P) medicine and do not require a GP prescription.

At Pharmica, you will complete a short online consultation to confirm the treatment is suitable for you. Your responses are reviewed by our fully GPhC-registered clinical team before your order is dispensed and dispatched.

Viagra Connect Melts are not suitable for everyone. You must not take them if you:

• Take nitrates or nitric oxide donors (such as amyl nitrite) in any form - the combination can cause a dangerous and potentially life-threatening drop in blood pressure
• Take ritonavir (an HIV protease inhibitor)
• Take riociguat (a guanylate cyclase stimulator used for pulmonary hypertension)
• Have experienced a heart attack or stroke in the last 6 months, or have unstable angina or severe heart failure
• Have severe hepatic impairment, low blood pressure (below 90/50 mmHg), or retinitis pigmentosa
• Have lost vision in one eye due to non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION)
• Have a physical deformity of the penis, such as Peyronie's disease
• Are a woman, under 18, or do not have erectile dysfunction

If you take alpha-blockers, CYP3A4 inhibitors (such as ketoconazole, erythromycin, or itraconazole), or have mild to moderate hepatic impairment or severe renal impairment, consult your doctor before use. A lower 25mg sildenafil dose (available in tablet form) may be more suitable.

Yes. Clinical studies have confirmed that the orodispersible film delivers the same amount of sildenafil to the bloodstream as the 50mg tablet. In studies of healthy male volunteers, the melt taken both with and without water was found to be bioequivalent to the tablet. You should expect the same level of effectiveness from either format.

Yes, you can switch between Viagra Connect tablets and Viagra Connect Melts. Both contain the same active ingredient (sildenafil citrate 50mg) and clinical studies have confirmed the two formats are bioequivalent, meaning they deliver the same amount of sildenafil into the bloodstream. There is no adjustment period or step-down required.

The maximum dose remains one film (or one tablet) per 24-hour period regardless of format.

Alcohol in moderation is unlikely to cause a significant problem, but drinking heavily before or alongside Viagra Connect Melts is inadvisable.

Excessive alcohol consumption can cause or worsen erectile dysfunction by impairing blood flow and nerve function. Additionally, both sildenafil and alcohol can mildly lower blood pressure - combining the two in large quantities may amplify this effect. For best results, keep alcohol to a minimum before planned sexual activity.

The recommended time is around one hour before planned sexual activity, ideally on an empty stomach or at least a few hours after a meal.

Avoid taking Viagra Connect Melts immediately after a fatty or heavy meal, as this can significantly delay their effect. Unlike some alternative ED treatments (such as tadalafil/Cialis), sildenafil is more sensitive to food, so timing around meals matters.

Some medications interact with sildenafil and may make Viagra Connect Melts unsuitable or require a lower dose.

You must not take Viagra Connect Melts if you use nitrates (prescribed for chest pain), ritonavir, or riociguat. If you take alpha-blockers, certain antifungals (such as ketoconazole or itraconazole), or the antibiotic erythromycin, speak to your doctor or pharmacist before using Viagra Connect Melts. Our online consultation will ask you about your current medications to check for any interactions.

Viagra Connect Melts do not require any special storage conditions. Keep them in their original sealed foil pouches to protect from moisture and remove each film with a dry finger immediately before use. Store in accordance with the instructions on the carton, out of the sight and reach of children. The shelf life is 3 years.

Viagra Connect Melts are available in packs of 2, 4, and 8 individual foil pouches, each containing one 50mg orodispersible film. The maximum dose is one film per day.

Yes. Viagra Connect Melts are licensed for adult men aged 18 and over with erectile dysfunction. They are not indicated for use in women, or by men under 18 years of age.

Viagra Connect Melts are specifically indicated for erectile dysfunction. They help you achieve and maintain an erection sufficient for intercourse. They are not licensed as a treatment for premature ejaculation and do not directly delay ejaculation.

Some studies have suggested a possible link between sildenafil use and improved ejaculatory control, but the evidence is not conclusive. If premature ejaculation is your primary concern, Pharmica offers dedicated licensed treatments such as Priligy (dapoxetine), which is specifically designed to address this.