Drug tolerance built up over time

[EdwardNM]

Hello, I am new here. I have been taking Viagra for about 20 years now with excellent results up until about a year ago. It now only works sometimes, even at the highest dose. I have to have something reliable that always works. I tried Levitra, and nothing happened. I will try Cialis soon. I believe that my body has gradually built up a tolerance for Viagra. Tolerance obviously happens with caffeine, alcohol, and most other drugs, so Viagra should be no different in my opinion. I plan to take a "drug holiday" with Viagra for maybe 6 months or even an entire year and hope that my body resets back to normal and Viagra will begin working again like the first time. Has anybody else had success laying off from a drug that quit working and trying again many months or even years later?

[xsevenx]

A drug holiday for a year sounds a bit drastic. I highly recommend tadalafil (Cialis). It works for a much longer time and viagra headaches are a thing of the past now for me. As is the funny blue / green vision.

[EdwardNM in reply to xsevenx]

Thank you. I will try Cialis soon. How long does it usually take for Cialis to kick in? Some guys say it reaches peak effectiveness in 6-8 hours.

[xsevenx in reply to EdwardNM]

I take 5mg every day. The first time I took it, I noticed it was working in 3 hours. Now it is always in the background and works pretty much whenever it needs to. No more worrying about timing and the missing viagra’s peak.

[LeeLiam]

I used more and more viagra until it didn't work. Then I used trimix. Again, more and more over time. Then I bought a device called a Giddy (now called Eddy). It stops venous leakage cold. It puts pressure on the top (dorsal) veins and I now get as hard as I was as a teenager. Also, I can use a smaller dose of trimix and viagra works now. Best money I ever spent. If veinous leakage is your problem (it sounds like it is), this will fix it.

[EdwardNM in reply to LeeLiam]

I am not sure if venous leakage is my problem because I got very hard with Viagra about 2 weeks ago and performed for about 20 minutes. The problem is that Viagra is only working about 50% of the time now when it used to work 100% of the time. I think that I might possibly have performance anxiety due to a new sex partner, or I have developed a tolerance to Viagra over 20 years of use. I read about the Giddy device. Interesting. I might try that if Cialis fails. I also read that our pelvic floor muscles decrease in tone and bulk with age, which allows too much blood to leak out during sex. But those muscles can supposedly be built back up again with pelvic floor exercises. I have never tried them but might.

[Wolfnbear]

You might have built up a tolerance. But for me the three pills all work in basically the same way so once one stopped working for me they all had degraded degrees of effective use. I stayed off for a few months and tried and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. I finally talked with the doctor and went on Trimix and i rarely have issues. I will still occasionally use the pills over the past two years and they still don't do what they used to. Good luck!

[EdwardNM in reply to Wolfnbear]

Thanks for the information. I am wondering if we build a tolerance for the drugs or if the underlying condition causing the ED is getting worse. I have read about guys who tried Viagra and/or Levitra with no success, but Cialis worked great, so I am keeping my fingers crossed. I hope that the Trimix continues to work great for you.

[waltm96160 in reply to EdwardNM]

I think I developed a tolerance for the drugs. 1/2 of 100 mg Viagra the night before made me have great erections the next morning. I had a heart attack, 4 stents and the Viagra stopped working. I tried the others but none worked. I used trimix and then doc switched me to quad mix and it works within minutes and going on 6 or so years. Keeping my fingers crossed. Also, I do periodically try the pills but to no avail.

[GregABC]

Hi Edward, I had exactly the same issue with Cialis, taken for over 15 years successfully but with decreasing effectiveness and despite increasing the tablet strength. A correspondent here suggested taking the supplement L- Arginine available in all vitamin/ health food stores. It has worked for me. In the body it improves blood flow and can reduce blood pressure.

You can take 1000mg (1gram) tablets 3 times a day, but on days before sex, about one or two hours prior I take 3 tablets at once together with either Viagra 100 or Cialis 20 and I have been completely restored to full firmness and endurance.

Good luck!

[EdwardNM in reply to GregABC]

Hello Greg, I have been taking arginine for many years on and off. I never tried taking arginine the same day or time as Viagra because I read that both arginine and Viagra cause a drop in blood pressure. Combining the two at the same time might be dangerous, so I take arginine on separate days. Maybe I should be more consistent with arginine instead of taking it it sporadically.

[GregABC in reply to EdwardNM]

Clearly you have to feel comfortable about any medication. I’m 74, and have normal blood pressure commensurate with a man of my age (as you know it increases slightly as you get older). I have experienced no side effects whatsoever with taking 3000mg (3x1000mg tablets) an hour or two before sex and then either Viagra or Cialis and it has given me back the stiffness for penetration that I had previously lost. I was getting enlargement before but not enough rigidity to penetrate and maintain an erection. Now it’s totally OK again.

[EdwardNM in reply to GregABC]

I am happy for you. That's amazing. I usually take 4000 mg arginine before a workout at the gym and notice better muscle pumps. So there is definitely a boost in nitric oxide. I also take citrulline, which is converted to arginine by the body.

[waltm96160 in reply to GregABC]

My doc suggested L Arginine several years ago. I take 2 x 100mg twice a day and they seem to make me fuller all the time. But does not cause erections. Tried with Viagra with no success but the quad mix is a winner every time.

[Tom-slick]

You may be experiencing more venous leakage. It could be time to consider other options such as a cock ring, or trying Trimix.

[EdwardNM]

This is just an update on my situation. Viagra quit working, so I switched to 15 mg of Cialis and started taking 4000 mg Arginine 1-2 hours before sex. Wow! I was a raging bull with a steel rod for 4 days! My girlfriend was very happy and so was I. I am now thinking that I might have bought a weak, bogus batch of Viagra or I simply built up a tolerance. I am wondering if it might be wise to cycle the drugs, maybe 6 months on Cialis followed by 6 months on Viagra to avoid building up a tolerance to one drug. It will be interesting to see if Viagra regains its potency in 6 months.

[waltm96160 in reply to EdwardNM]

Funny you should say that Ed. When Viagra was still working for me (it stopped after a heart attack and 4 stents) I also got some situations where it just didn't. I even called the pharmacy and aske if he gave me bogus pills. This was before the generics came out. My Urologist said it just happens.

[hotqld in reply to waltm96160]

My doctor tried me 66 yr old on 5 mg Calis every day and every 3rd day 100mg Viagra that did improve the performance, Now on Trimix. My doctor also said 50% of men at 50, 60% at 60, and 70% of men at 70 have problems. Its just normal ageing process.