Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsMain DifferencesUsesDosageSimilaritiesSafety and PrecautionsHow Effective Are They?Which Should You Take?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Main Differences
Uses
Dosage
Similarities
Safety and Precautions
How Effective Are They?
Which Should You Take?
Revatio and Viagra contain the same active ingredient called sildenafil. However, Revatio is used for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), whereas Viagra is used for erectile dysfunction (ED). Because of their different uses, the brand-name medications differ in their dosages, including frequency of use, strengths, and administration forms.
Your healthcare provider will prescribe Revatio or Viagra based on what condition you have.
Getty Images /United Archives/ Contributor
While both Revatio and Viagra contain the same active ingredient, sildenafil, they are used for different conditions.
Revatio is Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved to treatpulmonary arterial hypertension(PAH).PAH is a condition where there is increased pressure in the arteries of the lungs.
Viagra is FDA-approved to treaterectile dysfunction(ED). Erectile dysfunction is a condition in which males have difficulty maintaining an erection during sexual activity.
Revatio is marketed to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension. PAH is a progressive disease that causes high blood pressure in the lungs, making breathing difficult.
Revatio can improve an individual’s ability to exercise without experiencing shortness of breath and prevent the disease from worsening.
Viagra, on the other hand, is marketed to help people maintain apenile erection. Both Revatio and Viagra contain the same active ingredient, sildenafil.
Off-label uses of either Revatio or Viagra are studied under its generic form, sildenafil. Other uses of sildenafil include:
Revatio comes in three different dosage forms: intravenous injection, oral suspension, and oral tablet.
The dosage may vary among individuals based on age and disease status. Consult your healthcare provider to determine the proper dosage for you.
Main Similarities
Revatio and Viagra require a prescription from your healthcare provider.
Despite Revatio and Viagra being approved for different conditions, they both contain the same active ingredient. Since both medications contain sildenafil, they work the same way.
Since Revatio and Viagra work the same, they share similar side effects and drug interactions.
Common side effects experienced in both medications include:
Medications that may worsen the side effects of Revatio and Viagra are listed below as a few examples:
How They Work
When cGMP rises, nitric oxide increases. High nitric oxide levels cause blood vessels to widen and relax, leading to more blood flow and a decrease in pressure. Both Revatio and Viagra follow the same mechanism; they’re just advertised to manage different conditions.
When using Viagra for ED, the medication will block PDE5 in the corpus cavernosum, the spongy tissue filled with blood vessels that surround the penis. Blocking PDE5 results in an increase in blood flow to the penis, which causes an erection.
When using Revatio for PAH, the medication will block PDE5 in the smooth muscles of the lungs. As a result, the blood vessels widen, causing a decrease in pressure in the lungs.
Side Effects
Other common side effects include:
With Viagra, if you have a painful erection or an erection that lasts longer than four hours, seek medical attention right away. If left untreated, it may result in permanent problems.
Drug Interactions
Common CYP450 inhibitors that increase the risk of side effects of sildenafil include:
Common CYP450 inducers that may reduce the effect of sildenafil include:
You should not take Revatio or Viagra with nitrate-based medications, like nitroglycerin, because it can lead to a sudden drop in blood pressure.
Who Should Not Take Viagra or Revatio?
Due to Viagra’s dilation effect on the blood vessels and the combination of sexual activity, you should take caution if you have any of these conditions:
When using Viagra for ED, there have been reports of sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes. This side effect could be an indication that you havenon-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy(NAION), an eye stroke. If you have a history of NAION, consult with your healthcare provider and determine if sildenafil is right for you.
When using Viagra or Revatio, there have been reports of a decrease or loss of hearing. If you experience this symptom, you should stop taking either medication immediately.
Clinical studies were conducted to determine if there was a difference in walking distance among PAH patients who took Revatio vs. patients who didn’t.
The results showed that patients on Revatio improved their walking distance after four weeks of treatment and maintained the improvement after that. Based on these results, Revatio was approved for treating PAH to improve exercise ability.
In clinical studies, Viagra was evaluated to determine its effectiveness in helping males with erectile dysfunction achieve and maintain an erection during sexual intercourse. After six months of data collection, 88% of participants reported that Viagra improved their ability to achieve and sustain erections.
How Quickly Do They Work?
Viagra can take about 30 minutes to an hour until you can feel the effects of the medication working. Therefore, Viagra may be taken between 30 minutes to four hours before sexual activity.
Even though it takes an hour for Revatio to start reducing the pressure in your lungs, you might not notice an improvement in your exercise ability until after four weeks of treatment.
Revatio is prescribed for individuals with PAH, whereas Viagra is used for patients who have difficulty maintaining an erection during sexual activity. Both medications contain the same active ingredient but are studied and targeted for different conditions.
Since sildenafil is available in a more affordable generic form, your healthcare provider might prescribe the generic for either PAH or ED.
Summary
Revatio and Viagra both contain the same active ingredient, sildenafil. However, they are used to treat different conditions. Revatio is prescribed for people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to help improve their exercise ability and reduce shortness of breath.
Your healthcare provider may prescribe either Revatio or Viagra based on the specific condition you need to manage.
The author would like to recognize and thank Alexya Rosas and Yufeng Zhai for contributing to this article.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.DailyMed.Revatio label.DailyMed.Label: Viagra- sildenafil citrate, film coated.American Lung Association.Learn about pulmonary arterial hypertension. July 10, 2024.Luks AM, Auerbach PS, Freer L, et al.Wilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Acute Altitude Illness: 2019 Update.Wilderness Environ Med. 2019;30(4S):S3-S18. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2019.04.006Andrigueti FV, Ebbing PCC, Arismendi MI, Kayser C.Evaluation of the effect of sildenafil on the microvascular blood flow in patients with systemic sclerosis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2017;35 Suppl 106(4):151-158.Samidurai A, Xi L, Das A, Kukreja RC.Beyond erectile dysfunction: cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors for other clinical disorders.Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 2023;63:585-615. doi:10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-040122-034745Zhao M, Ma J, Li M, et al.Cytochrome P450 enzymes and drug metabolism in humans.Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(23):12808. doi:10.3390/ijms222312808Shin YE, Rojanasarot S, Hincapie AL, Guo JJ.Safety profile and signal detection of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors for erectile dysfunction: a Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System analysis.Sex Med. 2023;11(5):qfad059. Published 2023 Nov 29. doi:10.1093/sexmed/qfad059
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.DailyMed.Revatio label.DailyMed.Label: Viagra- sildenafil citrate, film coated.American Lung Association.Learn about pulmonary arterial hypertension. July 10, 2024.Luks AM, Auerbach PS, Freer L, et al.Wilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Acute Altitude Illness: 2019 Update.Wilderness Environ Med. 2019;30(4S):S3-S18. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2019.04.006Andrigueti FV, Ebbing PCC, Arismendi MI, Kayser C.Evaluation of the effect of sildenafil on the microvascular blood flow in patients with systemic sclerosis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2017;35 Suppl 106(4):151-158.Samidurai A, Xi L, Das A, Kukreja RC.Beyond erectile dysfunction: cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors for other clinical disorders.Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 2023;63:585-615. doi:10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-040122-034745Zhao M, Ma J, Li M, et al.Cytochrome P450 enzymes and drug metabolism in humans.Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(23):12808. doi:10.3390/ijms222312808Shin YE, Rojanasarot S, Hincapie AL, Guo JJ.Safety profile and signal detection of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors for erectile dysfunction: a Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System analysis.Sex Med. 2023;11(5):qfad059. Published 2023 Nov 29. doi:10.1093/sexmed/qfad059
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
DailyMed.Revatio label.DailyMed.Label: Viagra- sildenafil citrate, film coated.American Lung Association.Learn about pulmonary arterial hypertension. July 10, 2024.Luks AM, Auerbach PS, Freer L, et al.Wilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Acute Altitude Illness: 2019 Update.Wilderness Environ Med. 2019;30(4S):S3-S18. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2019.04.006Andrigueti FV, Ebbing PCC, Arismendi MI, Kayser C.Evaluation of the effect of sildenafil on the microvascular blood flow in patients with systemic sclerosis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2017;35 Suppl 106(4):151-158.Samidurai A, Xi L, Das A, Kukreja RC.Beyond erectile dysfunction: cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors for other clinical disorders.Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 2023;63:585-615. doi:10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-040122-034745Zhao M, Ma J, Li M, et al.Cytochrome P450 enzymes and drug metabolism in humans.Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(23):12808. doi:10.3390/ijms222312808Shin YE, Rojanasarot S, Hincapie AL, Guo JJ.Safety profile and signal detection of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors for erectile dysfunction: a Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System analysis.Sex Med. 2023;11(5):qfad059. Published 2023 Nov 29. doi:10.1093/sexmed/qfad059
DailyMed.Revatio label.
DailyMed.Label: Viagra- sildenafil citrate, film coated.
American Lung Association.Learn about pulmonary arterial hypertension. July 10, 2024.
Luks AM, Auerbach PS, Freer L, et al.Wilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Acute Altitude Illness: 2019 Update.Wilderness Environ Med. 2019;30(4S):S3-S18. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2019.04.006
Andrigueti FV, Ebbing PCC, Arismendi MI, Kayser C.Evaluation of the effect of sildenafil on the microvascular blood flow in patients with systemic sclerosis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2017;35 Suppl 106(4):151-158.
Samidurai A, Xi L, Das A, Kukreja RC.Beyond erectile dysfunction: cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors for other clinical disorders.Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 2023;63:585-615. doi:10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-040122-034745
Zhao M, Ma J, Li M, et al.Cytochrome P450 enzymes and drug metabolism in humans.Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(23):12808. doi:10.3390/ijms222312808
Shin YE, Rojanasarot S, Hincapie AL, Guo JJ.Safety profile and signal detection of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors for erectile dysfunction: a Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System analysis.Sex Med. 2023;11(5):qfad059. Published 2023 Nov 29. doi:10.1093/sexmed/qfad059
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