How to eliminate heartburn from Viagra: a guide to Viagra & heartburn

If you’re reading this, we assume you’ve popped a Viagra and it’s set your heart on fire (and not in a good way).

We’re here to help if you want a blazing boner without running into Viagra side effects like heartburn.

In this post, we’ll be answering your burning questions related to heartburn and Viagra:

• Does Viagra cause heartburn?
• Why does Viagra give you heartburn?
• Ways to extinguish the discomfort
• How to get great erections without having to deal with any Viagra side effects

Before we jump in to the specifics, let’s understand what Viagra is and how it works.

What is Viagra?

Viagra, also known as the ‘little blue pill’, is a medicine used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). It belongs to a family of medicines known as PDE5 inhibitors. 

PDE5 inhibitors include:

• Viagra (Sildenafil) 
• Cialis (Tadalafil)
• Stendra (Avanafil)
• Levitra and Staxyn (Vardenafil)

These medicines can be used to give you a boner if you have erectile dysfunction caused by physical reasons. 

“To get an erection, blood has to flow to the penis, and then stay there. PDE5 inhibitors relax blood vessels in your penis, meaning that blood can flow in more easily.”

‍Dr Matthew Chan, Medical Doctor

What is heartburn? 

Heartburn is caused by stomach acid traveling up towards the throat (this is called acid reflux). It can last anywhere between a few minutes to a few hours.

Symptoms of heartburn include: 

• A burning feeling in the chest (this is the most common)
• An unpleasant bitter or acidic taste in the mouth
• Pain that gets worse when lying down or bending over 
• Difficulty swallowing

Acid reflux and feelings of heartburn are common from time to time, but if you have heartburn more than twice a week every week, it might be gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). 

Taking Viagra can cause regular heartburn, which can lead to GERD, even if you don't usually experience either. Viagra may also make heartburn or GERD more likely for men who already suffer from these issues.

Does Viagra cause heartburn?

Yes, taking Viagra can give you heartburn. Acid reflux and GERD, resulting in the feeling of heartburn, affects up to 1 in 100 people who take Viagra.

Is heartburn a side effect of Viagra?

Yes, heartburn is a side effect of Viagra.

Some of the other side effects of Viagra to watch out for include:

• Headaches
• Nausea (feeling like you might get sick)
• Flushed skin (red face)
• Problems falling asleep
• Diarrhea
• Stuffy, runny, or bleeding nose
• Feeling dizzy 

If you’re worried about any of these side effects, there are lots of alternative ways you can treat ED without having to rely on medication like Viagra.

Why does Viagra give you heartburn?

• When you eat, your food is passed down a tube in your throat called the esophagus (this connects the mouth and stomach)
• At the bottom of this tube, there is a valve known as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) 
• This LES valve is closed when you’re digesting food, acting as a barrier between your stomach and your throat
• Your stomach contains a very strong acidic mixture, used to help break down food
• Your stomach is designed to hold this mixture, but your esophagus isn’t, and can get hurt from the acidic mixture 
• Viagra causes the smooth muscle of your penis to relax, but sometimes it can also relax the smooth muscle in the LES. When it’s relaxed, it stays open
• This means that after taking Viagra, acid can travel up your stomach to your throat, causing the burning sensation known as heartburn

Can you use Viagra without heartburn?

There’s no guarantee that you can protect yourself from heartburn while using Viagra.

However, you can follow the advice below which might provide some relief, or you could try other ED treatments which don’t risk giving you heartburn.  

How to reduce the symptoms and get some heartburn relief

Heartburn is uncomfortable, we get it.

Here’s some top tips from Dr Matt if you’re looking for relief from the heartburn. Some of these help specifically for heartburn after taking Viagra, and some of these have been developed to help reduce the symptoms of heartburn in general.

Food and drink 

• Drink lots of water at the same time as taking your ED pill
• Avoid eating a large meal in a hurry. If you plan to eat around the time you’re taking your dose, take your time when eating and choose something light
• Avoid foods that can make heartburn worse such as fried foods, high-fat foods, and spicy foods
• Avoid tomatoes or caffeine as they can trigger heartburn
• Do not eat within 3 or 4 hours before bed

Lifestyle and daily routine

• Don't drink alcohol or smoke when taking Viagra, as both of these can increase the risk of heartburn
• Avoid lying down (have sex standing up or sitting straight if you can)
• Don’t wear clothes tight around the waist

Medication 

• Use the lowest dose of Viagra that still helps with your erection problems
• Take an over-the-counter antacid (these reduce the amount of acid in your stomach)
• Take an over-the-counter Histamine-2 receptor blocker, such as cimetidine (Tagamet HB) or famotidine (Pepcid AC)
• If antacids aren’t working, prescription medications might help

Surgery or other procedures

• Surgery may be an option for people with severe heartburn, if other treatment hasn't worked. The main heartburn procedure is called 'fundoplication' which aims to tighten the esophagus, and helps to stop stomach acid from backing up into it

“As a doctor, I tend to use antacid medications as a first-line approach, which is more management than cure (it reduces the acidity of any reflux).

There is a surgical cure, but given its invasiveness and the risk of side effects, it tends to be avoided unless other medical treatment is not working and symptoms are severe.”

Dr Matthew Chan, Medical Doctor

Curing heartburn after Viagra

There’s also no guaranteed way to cure heartburn after taking Viagra. However, it is possible to reduce the side effects by trying the options above.

The best way to cure heartburn from Viagra is to stop using Viagra altogether and seek other erection treatments. 

Other ED treatments without heartburn side effects

Want to get hot and heavy without burning up? You can have strong erections and avoid heartburn by trying alternative ED treatments that won’t give you heartburn or other side effects. 

The best treatment for you depends on whether the cause of your erectile dysfunction is physical, psychological, or being impacted by your lifestyle.

Our research shows that most men have a psychological element to their ED. If you’re experiencing psychological erection issues then the following psychological treatment options will help you get better erections (without any nasty side effects like heartburn): 

• Psychosexual and psychological therapy
• Community support
• Communication with a partner, friend, or someone else you trust
• Mindfulness, meditation, and guided imagery
• Learning more about erectile dysfunction, and general sex education
• Relaxation, breathing, and grounding exercises or podcasts 
• Mindful masturbation (or directed masturbation)

This happens to be Mojo’s area of expertise. You can find out more here. 

If you think your lifestyle and daily habits are impacting your erections, you can make the following changes to your routine to help you get hard in the bedroom:

• Eat a healthy diet
• Get enough exercise
• Avoid steroids 
• Take care of your mental health 
• Quit or cut down on cigarettes
• Avoid or limit alcohol
• Secure plenty of sleep 
• Avoid or cut down on recreational drugs 

If you have physical ED, treatment options outside of taking ED pills like Viagra include:

• Penis pumps and vacuums 
• ED rings
• Hormone replacement therapy 
• Physiotherapy, rehab, and at-home pelvic floor exercises
• Vascular surgery
• Penile medication for ED
• Penis implants for ED

However, some of these can trigger different side effects.

Not sure where to start? We’ve developed science-led courses and a platform that can help cure your erection issues, without having to rely on pills that might cause heartburn or other issues. Sign up for a trial here.