Taking Viagra (sildenafil) for fun: is recreational Viagra safe? 

Viagra (active ingredient sildenafil) has been FDA-approved since the ‘90s as a prescription treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED). As the go-to medication for treating ED, Viagra is generally safe and effective if you don’t have certain underlying health conditions and if you’re not taking certain other medications.

But is Viagra so safe that you can use it if you don't have ED? You might be curious about taking Viagra for fun. After all, if it helps people with ED get an erection, doesn’t it stand to reason it may help you get a stronger erection even if you don’t have ED? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. We talked to Seth Cohen, MD, a urologist at NYU Langone, to learn more about recreational Viagra. 

"This is a little bit of a loaded question," says Cohen.

You should always consult a healthcare provider before you start taking any medication. When you speak with them, speak honestly about your medical history and any other medications or supplements you currently tak. ED can be a sensitive subject, but your provider is there to help you, not judge you. Honest disclosure will help your provider determine if Viagra is right (and safe) for you—it’s not safe for everyone. 

So, what exactly is recreational Viagra?

"If the average guy comes up to me and says, 'Hey, if I just take a small dose of Viagra, is that going to do anything really negative to me?' Nine times out of ten, the answer would be no," says Cohen. "But if someone has a heart defect or he's on other medications for high blood pressure, that could do some damage." 

Viagra and other ED medications known as PDE-5 inhibitors can be unsafe to take with certain medical conditions or medications, and taking it can cause complications. You should not take ED medications if any the following apply to you:

• Certain heart conditions that are considered too risky for sexual activity

• Take medications including alpha-blockers, anti-hypertensives, and nitrates or nitrites

• Have a history of low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, or heart failure

• Experienced a stroke or heart attack in the past six months

Even if none of the above apply to you, you should never take a medication that is not prescribed to you by a healthcare provider.

Taking Viagra for fun is a pretty bad idea if you have health issues or are taking other medications. But what if you know you’re healthy and aren’t taking any medications? In general, erectile dysfunction drugs are safe to take if your heart is healthy and you aren’t on any other medications that would interact with them. However, you may be unaware of underlying medical conditions that could react dangerously with Viagra.

Cohen says, "If we're talking about someone relatively young, with no cardiac risk factors or other serious health conditions, who aren't on other medications that interact with PDE-5 inhibitors, then I would say at a low dose, Viagra is a reasonably innocuous medication that will just improve their erectile function.”

But if you're interested in recreational Viagra, Cohen says he'd be curious what you mean by "recreational."

"If your sex life is good, why do you need to take Viagra?" he says. "People who ask for these medications are asking for a reason. Maybe they're dealing with performance anxiety. When they masturbate, their penis is hard and everything's easy to achieve and maintain, but when they're in front of a partner, they prematurely ejaculate or lose their erection too quickly. That is a form of erectile dysfunction. There's nothing wrong in their penis, but psychologically, there's an issue.”

In most cases, according to Cohen, “guys who get Viagra from a friend or take it from their parents' cabinet may call that ‘recreational use,’ but they may actually have erectile problems.” Because erectile dysfunction can be a sign of another underlying health condition, it’s essential to get that checked out by a healthcare provider. 

Another type of recreational Viagra use involves taking Viagra along with other drugs for "chemsex," or chemical sex, which describes using drugs in your sex life. This can be very unsafe, especially since these party drugs can interact with each other and Viagra in a dangerous way.

A good example of this is “poppers.” Commonly used on the club scene, “poppers” are small glass vials filled with a substance called amyl nitrite. When combined with Viagra, these drugs can cause a severe drop in blood pressure that, in the best-case scenario, can cause dizziness and, in the worst-case scenario, can cause death. 

Similar drugs are used by healthcare professionals to treat heart conditions, so if you’re currently receiving treatment with nitrates, or you’ve ever been diagnosed with a heart-related condition in the past, it’s particularly crucial that you check with a healthcare provider before trying erectile dysfunction medications.

Viagra and other ED medications can have side effects including headache, facial flushing, nasal congestion, stomach upset, backache, and, rarely, temporary impaired color vision (men with the eye condition retinitis pigmentosa should check with their healthcare providers before using those prescriptions). Viagra can also cause priapism, which is a painful erection lasting longer than four hours and is considered a medical emergency requiring immediate medical attention.

If you're interested in trying Viagra, or you suspect you might have ED, talk to a healthcare provider. This can be daunting because erectile dysfunction is often stigmatized, but sexual health is just as important an aspect of health as any other. Keep in mind that you’re not alone. Researchers estimate that at least 30–50 million men in the US have experienced erectile dysfunction.

"Treat your body as best you can and take your health as a priority," says Cohen. "Just like you would seek medical help for anything major, why not go to a professional and have ED treated professionally instead of taking these matters into your own hands?" 

Speak to a healthcare provider about your concerns so you can begin a treatment plan that’s right for you.

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Current version

February 21, 2023

Written by

Michael Martin

Fact checked by

Yael Cooperman, MD

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About the medical reviewer

Yael Cooperman, MD, Ro

Yael Cooperman is a physician and works as a Senior Manager, Medical Content & Education at Ro.