Description
Cobra (Sildenafil) 200 mg
Cobra (Sildenafil) 200 mg is a sildenafil product identified as an oral medicine for erectile dysfunction. The verified active ingredient is sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor. Product names can vary by market, but the medicine class and core pharmacology of sildenafil are well established.
Active Ingredient and Medicine Class
Active ingredient: sildenafil.
Medicine class: PDE5 inhibitor, a vasodilating medicine used in erectile dysfunction. Sildenafil is the active component of well-known sildenafil products and is recognised in regulatory prescribing information as a PDE5 inhibitor.
Established Medical Uses
Sildenafil is established for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in adult men. Regulatory sources also describe sildenafil formulations used for pulmonary arterial hypertension, but that is a separate indication and formulation from erectile dysfunction products.
How It Works
Sildenafil works by inhibiting PDE5, the enzyme that breaks down cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). By preserving cGMP in penile tissue, it helps nitric oxide–mediated smooth muscle relaxation and increases blood flow needed for an erection in response to sexual stimulation.
Important Safety Information
Sildenafil is contraindicated with nitrate medicines, including organic nitrates and nitrites, because of the risk of a marked fall in blood pressure. It is also contraindicated in people with hypersensitivity to sildenafil or any tablet component. Regulatory information warns about additive blood pressure lowering with alpha-blockers and other antihypertensive medicines, and about clinically important interactions with strong metabolic inhibitors such as ritonavir.
Special caution is also described for people with low resting blood pressure or certain cardiovascular conditions, and sildenafil should not be used together with other PDE5 inhibitors or sildenafil-containing pulmonary hypertension treatments.
Possible Side Effects
Common adverse effects include headache, flushing, indigestion, nasal congestion, dizziness, and visual disturbance. More serious reactions reported in prescribing information include symptomatic hypotension, prolonged erection, sudden hearing or vision problems, and rare hypersensitivity reactions. Postmarketing reports also include serious cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, although causality is not always certain.
Scientific Evidence
Peer-reviewed reviews describe sildenafil as an effective PDE5 inhibitor for erectile dysfunction, with a mechanism based on enhancement of the nitric oxide–cGMP pathway. The clinical literature supports its established role in improving erectile function in many men, while also emphasising the need to consider contraindications and drug interactions.
Medical Information Notice
This page is an educational summary based on sources available at the time of review and does not replace the official patient leaflet, prescribing information, or individual assessment by a qualified healthcare professional.
Medical Sources
- DailyMed / FDA: SILDENAFIL tablets, prescribing information. View source
- DailyMed / FDA: SILDENAFIL tablets, highlights of prescribing information. View source
- Sharron H. Francis et al. “Sildenafil: efficacy, safety, tolerability and mechanism of action in treating erectile dysfunction.” Expert Opinion on Drug Metabolism & Toxicology, 2005. PubMed
- Mechanisms of action of PDE5 inhibition in erectile dysfunction. International Journal of Impotence Research, 2004. PubMed
