Edegra

Edegra is an orally administered drug used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). It is also used in pulmonary hypertension. Edegra contains the same working ingredients as Viagra but is available at a much cheaper cost.

This article will answer all your queries on Edegra, such as its mechanism of action, dosage, side effects, and risk of drug interactions.

Keep reading to learn more.

What is Edegra?

Edegra, manufactured by Sun Pharma Laboratories Ltd, is strictly a prescription-only drug used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED).

Like Viagra, which also contains sildenafil, it helps achieve an erection only when the person is sexually stimulated. It cannot produce spontaneous erections in the absence of sexual arousal. It is neither a cure for ED nor an aphrodisiac or a hormone [1].

Edegra works by relaxing the blood vessels and increasing blood flow into the penis. Relaxation of smooth muscles in the blood vessel is due to the release of nitric oxide. When PDE-5 is inhibited, it allows the release of nitric oxide, which relaxes penile blood vessels [2].

What Is the Dose of Edegra?

Edegra comes in three doses:

25 mg
50 mg
100 mg

For most patients, the recommended dose is 50 mg on a need-only basis but may be increased to a maximum dose of 100 mg. Older adults can start with 25 mg at first.

The tablet can be taken either on an empty stomach or after a meal. However, it is recommended that you eat a light meal before taking the medicine — heavier, fatty meals will delay the onset of the drug’s effect [1]. It comes in a blue round tablet that should be swallowed whole with water and should not be crushed or chewed.

It should be taken an hour before sexual intercourse [2]. This tablet is intended for use only in men, and the dose should not exceed one tablet per day [3].

Extra tablets must not be consumed for added effects or quick results. You should not self-medicate or change the recommended dose without consulting your physician.

To achieve the benefits of the medication, follow the physician’s advice and continue taking the drug as per your doctor’s instructions. Do not stop the medication without consultation. If accidental overdosing occurs, immediately contact your physician.

How Long Does it Take for Edegra to Work?

The duration required for the drug to work varies individually; generally, the effects are seen within 30 minutes to an hour [2].

How Long Does Edegra Last?

The drug’s peak effect is attained in 1-2 hours but may last for about 3 to 4 hours. If an erection persists for more than 4 hours or if a painful erection occurs, consult your physician without delay [2].

How Much Does Edegra Cost?

Each rounded, bluish-colored, and film-coated tablet of Edegra contains the same working ingredients as Viagra but is available at a cheaper cost. The retail price of Edegra 100 mg is $29 to $175 for 30 to 240 tablets.

The History of Edegra

Sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient of Edegra, was patented in 1996 as Viagra and approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1998 [1]. It was originally studied to be used in pulmonary hypertension and angina.

It then gained widespread commercial popularity when its side effect (penile erection) was marketed to treat impotence, which was then a major concern for older men. “The little blue pill” eventually became a revolution in the treatment of ED [4].

Who Should Take Edegra?

Edegra is the first-line therapy for erectile dysfunction (ED) in adult men. Apart from this, it is also used in pulmonary hypertension [3].

Off-label uses of Edegra are in Raynaud’s phenomenon, female sexual arousal disorder, and for enhancing performance in athletes [5].

Is Edegra Safe?

Sildenafil, the active ingredient of Edegra, was approved by the FDA in 1998 [2]. The FDA only approves drugs after extensive trials based on animal and human subjects. After an extensive safety review, the drug is introduced to the market.

Even after the introduction of the drug, post-market surveillance is carried out to monitor any side effects in the general population.

However, the drug must be taken as advised by your physician. Like any other drug, Edegra has the potential to cause side effects and can interact with other drugs. Hence, you must tell your doctor about all prescription and non-prescription drugs you use. If side effects do occur, you must immediately contact your treating physician.

Side Effects of Edegra

Like all medications, Edegra also causes some side effects, mainly related to the inhibition of PDE-5 and its vasodilator effect. Most of these side effects are mild and will resolve over time. If symptoms are persistent or distressing, you should immediately consult your treating physician.

Common side effects that may be seen with Edegra are:

Back pain, muscle pain
Dizziness
Fall in blood pressure
Flushing
Headache
Impaired color vision/ blurred vision
Indigestion, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea
Rash
Nasal congestion

Rare but serious side effects:

Serious side effects occur less frequently. However, they may be life-threatening. If these side effects occur, you must immediately seek medical attention.

Some known serious side effects include:

Hearing loss
Heart attack
Sudden loss of vision

Potential Drug Interactions With Edegra

Edegra has a good safety profile. However, certain medications, if taken together with Edegra can cause serious and potentially life-threatening side effects. You should always tell your doctor about your current medication.

Edegra may interact with the following drugs:

Nitrates

Edegra and nitrates, when taken together, potentiate the blood pressure-lowering effects of each other.

Anti-Hypertensives

Drugs such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, alpha-blockers, and angiotensin II receptor blockers should be avoided due to the additive blood pressure-lowering effects.

CYP3A4 Inhibitors

Drugs such as ketoconazole, erythromycin, itraconazole, carbamazepine, barbiturates, and grapefruit juice decrease the metabolism of Edegra and hence can abnormally potentiate its clinical effects.

Alcohol

It is best not to consume alcohol while taking this drug. Like this medication, alcohol lowers blood pressure. Another effect of alcohol is that it temporarily impairs the ability to attain an erection.

Antacids

Drugs such as magnesium hydroxide or aluminum hydroxide may also affect the absorption of sildenafil [2].

Who Should Not Take Edegra?

This drug is not recommended for use by:

Women
Pediatric age group
Patients with severe heart conditions
Patients with a previous history of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION)
Patients with severe kidney or liver disease
Patients with known hypersensitivity to sildenafil
Patients currently on contraindicated drugs
Patients with a past history of priapism (prolonged erection)
Patients with severe kidney disease
Patients with certain blood disorders (hemophilia, leukemia, sickle-cell anemia) [2,3]

How Does Edegra Work?

Edegra is an inhibitor of a protein called phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE-5). The drug works by relaxing the blood vessels and increasing the blood flow through the penis. Relaxation of smooth muscles in the blood vessel is due to nitric oxide. When PDE-5 is inhibited, it stimulates the release of nitric oxide [2].

Sildenafil citrate is a highly selective inhibitor of PDE-5. Due to this inhibition, the intracellular concentration of cyclic guanosine 3’ and 5’ monophosphate (cGMP) increases. This, in turn, leads to the amplification of the nitric oxide-cGMP signaling pathway resulting in the relaxation of the penile blood vessels. As more blood flows through the vessels, the penis becomes rigid and elongated, and thus, an erection is achieved.

Medical Research Involving Edegra

Other than the established use of sildenafil in erectile dysfunction, the drug is being explored in several other conditions. The drug has been explored for use in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis [6], mountain sickness [7], and female sexual arousal disorder [8]. However, further studies are required to establish the actual clinical benefits.

Pharmaceutical Alternatives to Edegra

Although sildenafil is the most common medication for ED, other pharmaceutical alternatives work similarly. All these drugs work to improve the penile blood flow and help attain an erection. You must always consult your physician before switching medications.

Alternative prescription medications are:

Avanafil (Avana Stendra, Avaforce)
Mirodenafil (Mvix)
Sildenafil (Viagra, Revatio, Vigore, Suhagra, Kamagra, Cenforce)
Tadalafil (Zydalis, Tadact, Megalis, Vidalista, Adcirca, Cialis)
Vardenafil (Staxyn, Levitra, Zhewitra, Vilitra, Savitra, etc.)
Udenafil (Zydena)

Before the discovery of sildenafil, there were only a few options for the treatment of ED [4]. These included the injection of vasodilators on the penis, vacuum pump devices for erection, intraurethral injections, penile prostheses, and psychological counseling [1].

Sex therapy can be used as an adjunct to oral therapy in cases of psychogenic ED, while other modalities, such as vacuum pumps and prostheses, have additional adverse effects [9].

Other non-pharmacological alternatives to Edegra include lifestyle changes such as giving up smoking, eating a balanced diet, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight.

Natural Alternatives to Edegra

According to the FDA, there are about 300 supplements that can enhance sexual functions. Some people cannot tolerate these medications or do not respond to them.

Here are some natural alternatives to Edegra:

Catuaba (Trichilia catigua or Erythroxylum catuaba)
DHEA
Ginseng
Horny goat weed (Epimedium)
L-Arginine
Muira puama (Ptychopetalum olacoides)
Pomegranate
Propionyl-L-carnitine
Tribulus (Tribulus terrestris)
Yohimbe (Pausinystalia johimbe)

Where to Buy Edegra?

Edegra needs a registered physician’s prescription for use. The drug can be purchased online or in your local pharmacies. Many choose to purchase the drug online because this method is not only discrete but is also time and cost-saving.

Overall, the best bet is to try alternative treatments before starting a prescription and avoid using them long-term, if possible.

References

Kloner, R. A. (1998). Viagra: what every physician should know. Ear, nose & throat journal, 77(9), 783-786FDA
Hatzimouratidis, K. (2006). Sildenafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction: an overview of the clinical evidence. Clinical interventions in aging, 1(4), 403Osterlo
Smith, B. P., & Babos, M. (2020). Sildenafil. StatPearls [Internet].Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Clinical Research Network. (2010). A controlled trial of sildenafil in advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. New England Journal of Medicine, 363(7), 620-628.
Osterloh, I. H. (2004). The discovery and development of Viagra®(sildenafil citrate). In Sildenafil (pp. 1-13). Birkhäuser, Basel.
Smith, B. P., & Babos, M. (2020). Sildenafil. StatPearls [Internet].
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Clinical Research Network. (2010). A controlled trial of sildenafil in advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. New England Journal of Medicine, 363(7), 620-628
Bates, M. G., Thompson, A. R., Baillie, J. K., Sutherland, A. I., Irving, J. B., Hirani, N., & Webb, D. J. (2011). Sildenafil citrate for the prevention of high altitude hypoxic pulmonary hypertension: double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. High altitude medicine & biology, 12(3), 207-214.
Schoen, C., & Bachmann, G. (2009). Sildenafil citrate for female sexual arousal disorder: a future possibility? Nature Reviews Urology, 6(4), 216-222.
Montague, D. K. (2002). Nonpharmacologic treatment of erectile dysfunction. Reviews in urology, 4(Suppl 3), S9.