Thinking About Snorting Viagra? Here’s Why That’s Risky

Using Viagra^® in ways it wasn’t intended — like snorting — comes with serious health risks. Here’s everything you need to know.

Erectile dysfunction, or ED, is a common issue that can affect men of all ages. When you have ED, you might find it hard to get or maintain an erection firm enough for sex.

If you’re one of the approximately 30 million men in the United States affected by some form of erectile dysfunction, you might have considered using medications such as Viagra to improve your erections and sexual health.

You may have also stumbled onto forum messages or blog posts that recommend snorting ED medications like Viagra to improve their effects.

Viagra comes in tablet form and is intended to be taken orally. Using it in any way other than prescribed — such as snorting — can increase the risk of side effects and complications, without offering any added benefit.

Below, we’ll explain what Viagra is, as well as how it and similar prescription medications work to treat erectile dysfunction. 

We’ll also go over why it’s not a good idea to try snorting Viagra and discuss how you can use it and similar ED medications safely.

Before we get into why snorting Viagra like a recreational drug isn’t a good idea, let’s quickly cover the basics of what Viagra is and how it works as a treatment for erectile dysfunction.

Viagra is a PDE5 inhibitor medication containing the active ingredient sildenafil. It treats ED by expanding the blood vessels that supply your penis, allowing for greater blood flow to your erectile tissue when you feel aroused.

Erections are all about blood flow. When you experience sexual stimulation, blood flows to the corpora cavernosa — two areas of erectile tissue inside your penis. As blood pressure in your penis increases, it becomes harder and larger, creating an erection.

Our guide to erections and how they work discusses this process in more detail.

In addition to Viagra and generic sildenafil, there are several other evidence-based medications available to treat erectile dysfunction. These include tadalafil (the active ingredient in the brand-name medication Cialis^®), vardenafil (Levitra^®), and avanafil (Stendra^®).

As with Viagra, snorting Cialis and ingesting any of these medications other than how they’re prescribed isn’t recommended.

Viagra comes in tablet form and is designed to be taken orally. It typically begins working within 30 minutes to an hour, meaning you can take it shortly before sex to help treat erectile dysfunction.

If you’ve searched online for tips on how to get the most from Viagra, you may have come across suggestions that snorting it could lead to faster results.

Snorting — or intranasal administration — involves inhaling a substance through the nose. While this method is used for certain fast-acting medications or illicit drugs, it’s not appropriate or effective for medications like Viagra. There’s no evidence that snorting sildenafil works better, and it may actually increase your risk of side effects.

The idea is that snorting Viagra might help the medication reach your bloodstream more quickly, potentially speeding up its effects. But in reality, the risks outweigh any perceived benefit.

Despite what you may read online or hear anecdotally, snorting Viagra isn’t a good idea. It won’t make the medication more effective, and it can increase your risk of unwanted side effects and long-term harm.

Snorting Viagra typically involves crushing the tablet and inhaling it, which introduces risks beyond those associated with standard use.

Taking Viagra this way can significantly increase your risk of adverse side effects, including issues that affect your nose and upper airways.

For example, snorting drugs like cocaine is associated with an increased risk of developing irritation in your nostrils and nasal mucosa, nosebleeds, hoarseness, and loss of sense of smell.

Part of the reason for this is that inhaling anything through your nose can cause irritation, especially when the substance inhaled is a dry, coarse powder.

Viagra tablets include both active and inactive ingredients, none of which are designed for nasal administration. Inhaling them can irritate the nasal tissue and lead to complications.

For example, inactive ingredients in Viagra tablets include the following substances:

• Microcrystalline cellulose

• Anhydrous dibasic calcium phosphate

• Croscarmellose sodium

• Magnesium stearate

• Hypromellose

• Titanium dioxide

• Lactose

• Triacetin

Each Viagra tablet also contains an FDA-approved color dye called FD&C Blue No. 2 Aluminum Lake. This inactive ingredient is responsible for the distinct blue color and “little blue pill” nickname.

These inactive ingredients aren’t designed to go up your nose. Instead, they’re included in Viagra and generic sildenafil to hold the medication together, create a protective coating, or prevent each tablet from spoiling when stored.

When you snort Viagra, all of these ingredients go up your nostrils, increasing your risk of unwanted and potentially dangerous side effects and other health risks.

In addition to the inactive ingredients in Viagra and generic sildenafil, the active sildenafil found in each tablet isn’t designed for nasal inhalation, either. 

If you snort Viagra instead of consuming it orally, you may be more at risk of experiencing side effects from sildenafil, including issues such as headaches, back or muscle pain, flushing, heartburn, and changes in your blood pressure levels.

Because of this, we recommend only using Viagra or generic sildenafil as prescribed: orally, about an hour before you plan to have sex.

When Viagra is snorted, it’s often taken with other drugs, including stimulants such as cocaine and sexual-enhancement drugs such as nitrate-based “poppers.”

Taking Viagra with other drugs can potentially result in interactions, particularly when it’s snorted instead of ingested orally. Some of these drug interactions may be dangerous.

For example, when Viagra is consumed with nitrates, such as amyl nitrate or butyl nitrate, it can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure levels. Using Viagra with any of these drugs may cause dizziness, fainting, heart attack, or stroke.

Sildenafil can cause serious interactions when combined with stimulant drugs like cocaine — especially when taken outside medical supervision.

If you use Viagra or any other medication for ED, make sure to inform your healthcare provider about any other prescription drugs or substances you currently take or have recently taken, including illicit substances.

Your healthcare provider will talk with you about potential risks and help you take Viagra or similar ED medications safely.

Viagra comes in tablet form for a reason — it’s designed to be taken orally. Snorting Viagra not only offers no advantages when it comes to effectiveness, but it may also increase your risk of side effects and long-term complications, such as damage to your nose.

If you’re prescribed Viagra or a similar type of medication to treat erectile dysfunction, use it as directed by your healthcare provider. 

If you think your current dose of Viagra isn’t totally effective, or if you’d like to try a different type of treatment for ED, let your healthcare provider know.

Curious about whether Viagra might be right for you? We offer access to brand-name Viagra, generic sildenafil, and a range of other ED medications online, following a consultation with a healthcare provider who will determine if a prescription is appropriate for you.