Thus, many men will have timing problems. If a patient wants to be able to function NOW and the pill takes around 45 to 60 minutes to become effective, it will not be useful. If Viagra is taken after a heavy meal, absorption may be delayed an optimum blood level not achieved and the erection is less than ideal. I n most doctors' offices Viagra is dispensed with little or no effort made at diagnosis. This can be a dangerous practice.
Many medical conditions requiring diagnosis and treatment first show up as erectile dysfunction.
Impotence due to hardening of the arteries is often the precursor and warning signal for heart attack or stroke later. Every patient with erectile dysfunction for whom Viagra is prescribed should have at least a minimum diagnostic work- up. Early diagnosis and correction of factors causing impotence may prevent something worse from happening later. Handing a patient a pill does little to clarify the cause of his impotence. In our experience diagnosis is the key to proper treatment.