Sometimes I get really bad heartburn after using Viagra. Is the Viagra to blame?There's a likelihood that it's related. Dyspepsia, indigestion, heartburn - these can all be side effects of Viagra. And if you already get heartburn, using Viagra can aggravate it.
What's happening? While the drug causes the smooth muscles in the penis to relax, allowing increased blood flow that causes erection, it also causes other smooth muscles in the body to relax, including the sphincter that closes off your stomach from your esophagus. That permits the flow of stomach acid going the wrong way - up. The situation isn't helped any by the fact that you're probably in a horizontal position for some, if not all of the time the Viagra is in effect, making it easier for the acid to move into the esophagus.
What can you do? You can take an antacid before or with the Viagra as a preventative. Some people say drinking a large glass of water with the Viagra reduces or eliminates the heartburn for them. Also, limit your alcohol intake when using Viagra. Alcohol relaxes the esophageal sphincter as well, exacerbating the problem (and alcohol can worsen post-Viagra headaches if you're prone to hangovers). Having sex standing up is optional.
