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Sunrise’s MALEGRA-FXT (100 mg Sildenafil and 40 mg Fluoxetine) is a generic treatments used for erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a prevalent but a sensitive condition that society and the patient population is not willing to discuss for fear of social stigma and the embarrassment the topic entails. This condition does not only affect the individual suffering from the dysfunction, as it also affects the partners of the patients suffering from ED as noted by the study “Partner responses to sildenafil citrate (Viagra) treatment of erectile dysfunction” by Montorsi et.al. The same study also determined that by treating ED suffered by the patient, not only does the patient gets improved sexual response, the relationship also with the partner improves. That means to say that ED treatment is also holistic in nature, as not only the physiological aspect is improved, as it also affects the patients psychosocially.
Sildenafil Citrate (SC) treatment is “the” treatment for ED as it was the first of the treatments available for ED. Its effectiveness is without question in treating ED of various etiologies, so it is widely used for many of ED conditions, even for ED cases with underlying causes. The only problem, for some, is the current treatment’s very expensive pricing and some problems regarding insurance related with the ED treatment as mentioned by the 2000 study, “The cost-effectiveness of sildenafil. Annals of internal medicine” by Smith et.al.
Since that is the case, more and more patients seek for more affordable alternatives for SC treatment. Fortunately for the patients, pharmaceutical companies like Sunrise Remedies Pvt. Ltd. and others manufacture generic SC for patient use. These generic SC meds contain the same active ingredients as the brand-name treatment and as mentioned by the patients these generic meds like the Malegra product line is also as effective as the originally prescribed treatment for ED. The product in question, MALEGRA-FXT, however, is not purely SC; aside from its 100 mg sildenafil content, it also has 40 mg fluoxetine in each tablet. The product is indicated for Erectile Dysfunction and Premature Ejaculation (or PE) and is used by patients to treat their ED which coincides with PE.
HOW IT WORKS:
Sildenafil is one of the known Phosphodiesterase-5-inhibitors (PDE5i) which has a direct action of inhibiting PDE5, which leads to the increase of intracavernosal cyclic guanosine monophosphate levels. The resulting effect is the corporal smooth muscle relaxation and the improvement of the erection in patients struggling with ED.
Fluoxetine, on the other hand, belongs to the family of SSRIs or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors which (based on the name) inhibits the serotonin uptake which potentiates the ejaculation response. Since the reuptake of serotonin is inhibited, the ejaculation response is delayed.
DOSAGE:
For sildenafil, the usual recommended dose is between 25 mg to 100 mg, which depends on what dose the physician deems acceptable for the patient. For fluoxetine, the dosing starts from 20 mg and is effective in improving the intra-vaginal latency time (IELT) in one study. The 20 mg seemed efficient enough in eliciting improved scores on IELT.
As for MALEGRA-FXT, the required dose is only one pill within a span of 24 hours. There is no recommendation yet for long-term use using any ED/PE medication, so the pill is only to be taken as needed.
SIDE EFFECTS:
It was discussed earlier that fluoxetine, when taken for at least 3 months, may cause degeneration of semen quality, although it did not have a direct effect on male fertility. Other side effects that may be expected of fluoxetine include drowsiness, nausea, headache and insomnia, which also are common side effects of sildenafil. Side effects recorded for both drugs vary from one case to another, and some reactions depend on the initial patient condition or the patients’ underlying diseases/medical conditions that could affect the physiological response to the drug.
DRUG INTERACTIONS:
Sildenafil is known to interact with nitrates so any nitrate-containing medication in all forms are contraindicated for the drug (“Sildenafil citrate and blood-pressure–lowering drugs: results of drug interaction studies with an organic nitrate and a calcium antagonist” by Webb et.al., even for MALEGRA-FXT. The result would be catastrophic on the patient’s blood pressure, so generally, any nitrate-containing medication is contraindicated to sildenafil.
Fluoxetine is generally interactive with other antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates, so these medicines should not be taken with fluoxetine.
Because MALEGRA-FXT contains both fluoxetine and sildenafil, the mentioned drugs should not be taken along with it. Sildenafil and fluoxetine, however, have no known interactions so it’s generally safe to take pills with both the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API).
