Can Viagra Cause Physiological or Psychological Addiction?

Viagra is a blockbuster drug that helps millions of men around the world fight a terrible intimate nuisance called erectile dysfunction. It also generates million dollar profits for pharmaceutical companies, and, we believe, it’s fair. For some men, this medicine has become a real lifesaver, which makes it possible to get the right effect at the right moment.

However, according to some people, Viagra can theoretically cause addiction, that is, a man loses the ability to get a normal erection after discontinuation of the drug in case of cure of the disease. Is it so? Can Viagra (sildenafil) cause physiological or psychological dependence?

Can Viagra Cause Physiological Addiction?

Definitely not, it just cannot do that. Let's see why.

Physiological dependence is formed when the body gets used to the constant exogenous intake of substances involved in the metabolic processes and therefore reduces their endogenous production. For example, in the human body (in the process of metabolism) ethyl alcohol is produced in small quantities. With alcohol abuse, the body stops producing it and a person begins to feel bad. There are medicaments and substances that can cause physiological dependence. They belong to psychoactive substances that affect the functioning of the central nervous system, leading to a change in the mental state, sometimes up to an altered consciousness. They can be used for recreational purposes or in medicine.

These include neuroleptics (clozapine, haloperidol), depressants (barbiturates, chloroform), hallucinogens (dimenhydrinate – Draminate, Dramamine; scopolamine), stimulants (amphetamines, caffeine), and nicotine, which is contained in cigarettes. Viagra doesn’t belong to any of the above groups of substances.

Moreover, the instructions to the product do not indicate that it can cause psychotropic or other effects.

Can Viagra Cause Psychological Dependence?

According to the official instructions, the medication cannot cause side effects of a psychological nature. Some patients may experience headaches, backache, facial flushing, gastrointestinal disorders, etc., but the drug itself does not affect the psyche. However, unfortunately, a patient can affect his state of mind. Even sunflower seeds may be addictive, you know...

There are several possible scenarios when Viagra can cause a psychological dependence, which is usually transient.

1. The first scenario is when a man suffers from psychogenic erectile dysfunction, that is, he cannot achieve the desired hardness of the sexual organ due to fear, nervousness, anxiety, etc. Viagra can certainly help in such cases, as it activates the mechanisms of erection and improves a man's confidence in himself. When a patient cancels a drug, he may lose some support at a psychological level. He begins to believe that he can get an erection only after taking Viagra and he cannot have sex without a “blue pill” because of psychological prejudices. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because of the so-called performance anxiety.
2. The second scenario is when a man suffers from organic erectile dysfunction and then cures the underlying cause of this condition, however, he gradually develops a psychological addiction to the drug. The mechanism of habit formation is the same as in the previous case.
3. The third scenario is when a man begins to abuse the drug and, accordingly, demand more sex. According to doctors and psychologists, excessive use of the blue pill is a threat to the romantic relationship between partners and even to marriage. As a result, this form of drug dependence especially affects the emotional state of a patient.
4. The fourth scenario is when a man is completely healthy and does not suffer from penile impotence, however, he begins to take Viagra (or another PDE5 inhibitor) for recreational purposes. After some time, he may notice that he is psychologically accustomed to this drug. This means that he cannot get a satisfactory erection without the help of sildenafil, the main active component of the "blue tablet". He simply must take a pill, after which he gets the confidence that he will succeed. The number of fellas with psychological dependence on Viagra is gradually increasing, since it is widely used at parties, often in combination with narcotic drugs.

Finally, let allow us to set your mind at rest: such cases are relatively rare. If a man has a stable psyche and does not use other psychoactive compounds (narcotics) he most likely will not develop addiction to this excellent drug. The main thing is not to abuse the drug and have sex without it, if sexual health allows this. Viagra is not addictive like psychotropic preparations and cannot cause physiological addiction, but some patients may develop psychological dependency.

Dr. Philip Schein MD

MD Philip Schein is an oncologist and Hematology Specialist primary located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He is over 55 years of experience in the medical field and more than 20 years of practice. He is skilled at the treatment & diagnosis of a large array of ailments & diseases in adults. Board certifications: American Board of Internal Medicine Certification in Internal Medicine / American Board of Hematology Certification in Hematology / American Board of Medical Oncology Certification in Medical Oncology

*Consulting with a licensed healthcare professional in your own country is always recommended before considering purchasing medications online.