What Happens If You Take Expired Sildenafil (Viagra) or Cialis?

What happens if you take expired sildenafil?

You cannot predict what an expired tablet will do from its age alone. FDA on expired medicines says medicine can lose strength or change chemically after expiration; safety and effectiveness are no longer assured. The Viagra (sildenafil) label and Cialis (tadalafil) label provide no tested extension for your bottle.

Check the date before the next dose. Neither the Viagra (sildenafil) label nor the Cialis (tadalafil) label gives a universal shelf life in months. Ask your pharmacist about an unclear or missing date; use our online ED prescription guide if you need a new treatment assessment.

Do not take extra tablets to compensate for possible lost strength. The Viagra (sildenafil) label limits dosing frequency to once per day; the Cialis (tadalafil) label says once per day in most patients. A prescriber should review an unsuccessful treatment rather than you changing it yourself; see ED pills not working.

Took an expired pill? What is known and what is not

Already took an expired pill? Check for urgent symptoms first. The Viagra (sildenafil) label and Cialis (tadalafil) label identify symptoms requiring prompt care; neither label establishes how expiration changes the risk.

Sources: FDA: Don’t be tempted to use expired medicines; FDA: Expiration dating extension and SLEP; Lyon et al., J Pharm Sci 2006; Viagra (sildenafil) label; Cialis (tadalafil) label. Accessed Oct 31, 2026.

Get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than 4 hours, sudden vision or hearing loss, or chest pain, dizziness or nausea during sex; stop sexual activity if those symptoms occur (Viagra (sildenafil) label; Cialis (tadalafil) label). Tell the treating clinician what you took and when, as the labels advise. Read about priapism and ED medication and nitrates.

Viagra and Cialis shelf life: what the labels actually say

Does Viagra have a shelf life? Yes—use the date on the package. The Viagra (sildenafil) label and Cialis (tadalafil) label give storage conditions without a universal number of months. This table distinguishes the prescriber instructions from the patient leaflet.

Sources: Viagra (sildenafil) label (section 16 and Patient Information); Cialis (tadalafil) label (section 16.2 and Patient Information); FDA: Expiration dating extension; FDA: expired medicines. Label wording quoted as published. Accessed Oct 31, 2026.

For VIAGRA, the two label sections use different ranges: the patient leaflet gives 68–77°F; the prescriber section permits excursions to 59–86°F (Viagra (sildenafil) label). These are storage instructions, not permission to extend the expiration date.

For pill identification, see what Viagra looks like; an appearance comparison cannot verify an online seller. Shelf life also differs from duration of action: read how long Viagra lasts or how long Cialis lasts.

Does Viagra really expire? What the Shelf-Life Extension Program shows

Federal stockpile results are not a home-storage expiration extension. FDA conducts stability testing for the Shelf-Life Extension Program, which remains limited to federal stockpiles (FDA SLEP information).

A 2006 study reported 122 drug products across 3,005 lots: 88% of lots received extensions of at least 1 year, with an average extension of 66 months. Results varied substantially, and the authors said continued quality required testing and evaluation of each lot (Lyon et al., PubMed abstract).

Those figures do not tell you how much active drug remains in your tablet. They are stockpile data across drug products, not a potency estimate for expired sildenafil or tadalafil (Viagra (sildenafil) label; Cialis (tadalafil) label; FDA SLEP information). FDA’s consumer advice remains to avoid expired medicine (FDA on expired medicines).

How to get rid of expired Viagra or Cialis

Use a take-back option first. FDA names a drug take-back location or a pre-paid drug mail-back envelope as the preferred way to dispose of expired medicine; kiosks are found in many retail, hospital and clinic pharmacies and in law enforcement facilities, and DEA runs National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day (FDA on expired medicines).

1. Look for a take-back kiosk or a mail-back envelope near you.
2. If none is available, FDA says not to flush any medicine unless it is on the FDA Flush List.
3. For household trash: mix the tablets, without crushing them, with dirt, cat litter or used coffee grounds, and seal the mixture in a plastic bag.
4. Scratch out personal information on the empty bottle label before throwing it away.

Steps from FDA: Disposal of unused medicines and FDA: expired medicines. Accessed Oct 31, 2026.

Do not pass leftover tablets to a friend: the Viagra (sildenafil) label and Cialis (tadalafil) label both say not to give the medicine to other people, even with the same symptoms, because it may harm them.

Old, loose or no-prescription pills: the counterfeit risk

An expired date can be a warning sign about the seller, not just the pill. FDA’s BeSafeRx checklist flags online sellers that do not require a prescription and medicine that arrives in packaging that is broken, in a foreign language, has no expiration date, or is expired (FDA BeSafeRx: considering an online pharmacy). A safe online pharmacy always requires a prescription, is licensed by a state board of pharmacy and has a licensed pharmacist available.

Products sold as natural sexual enhancers or “ED pills” without a prescription are, in FDA’s words, “likely to be contaminated with dangerous hidden ingredients,” and FDA’s list covers only a small fraction of them (FDA: tainted sexual enhancement products). Hidden sildenafil or tadalafil in such products carries the same nitrate contraindication as the real drug (Viagra (sildenafil) label; Cialis (tadalafil) label).

Read more in rhino pills and is sildenafil available over the counter? FDA’s BeSafeRx hub explains how to check a pharmacy’s license.

What each path includes

Choose a next step based on your prescription and the bottle you have. FDA on expired medicines advises replacing expired medicine rather than continuing to use it.

Sources: FDA: expired medicines; Viagra (sildenafil) label; Cialis (tadalafil) label; FDA compounding Q&A; Mendoxa care information. Accessed Oct 31, 2026.

Related reading: free Viagra samples, getting an ED prescription online and ED medication options.

Safety checks before ED medication

• Sildenafil and tadalafil are contraindicated with organic nitrates or riociguat (Viagra (sildenafil) label; Cialis (tadalafil) label).
• An erection lasting more than 4 hours needs immediate medical care (Viagra (sildenafil) label; Cialis (tadalafil) label).
• Stop and seek care for sudden vision loss or sudden decrease or loss of hearing (Viagra (sildenafil) label; Cialis (tadalafil) label).
• Common adverse effects include headache and flushing with sildenafil, and headache, indigestion and back pain with tadalafil (Viagra (sildenafil) label; Cialis (tadalafil) label).
• The APOKYN (apomorphine) label contraindicates use with 5HT3 antagonists such as ondansetron and warns about nausea and fainting.

Do not add another ED medicine to an existing treatment on your own: the Viagra (sildenafil) label and Cialis (tadalafil) label say combinations with other PDE5 inhibitors or ED therapies have not been studied and advise against such use. See ED medication and nitrates for more detail.

Need a fresh supply? Start with an online visit

Start an online ED visit to ask about a current prescription supply. Share your health history, current medicines and previous treatment experience. Independent licensed providers assess whether treatment is appropriate. Prescription required. See what to expect from an online ED prescription visit.

Mendoxa offers a compounded 3-in-1 rapid-dissolve tablet containing sildenafil, tadalafil and apomorphine. It is not FDA-approved. The Viagra (sildenafil) label, Cialis (tadalafil) label and APOKYN (apomorphine) label concern separate products; they do not establish the safety or effectiveness of this combination.

Not sure which treatment to discuss? Read our sildenafil guide, tadalafil guide and compounded combination tablet guide. The costs below apply to Mendoxa if prescribed.

Mendoxa ED plans and prices

The Mendoxa ED tablet is a compounded rapid-dissolve tablet with sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra), tadalafil (the active ingredient in Cialis) and apomorphine (APOKYN label). It dissolves under the tongue. A licensed clinician decides if it fits you and selects the strength. Compounded medicines are not FDA-approved.

The 3-month total covers three months at the monthly tablet quantity shown.

If prescribed · Cancel anytime · Available in 49 states (not California). Prices from the Mendoxa intake at try.mendoxa.co/f/ed on Oct 31, 2026. The intake always shows the current price.

FAQ

Does Viagra expire?

Yes. FDA advises against taking expired medicine (FDA on expired medicines). The Viagra (sildenafil) label gives storage instructions without a universal shelf life in months; use the expiration date on your package.

Will 5-year-old Viagra still work?

Its age alone cannot establish its remaining strength or safety. FDA says not to use expired medicine (FDA on expired medicines); the Viagra (sildenafil) label provides no extension for old tablets. Stockpile research does not validate your bottle.

Can I take expired sildenafil?

FDA says not to use expired medicines (FDA on expired medicines). Do not compensate by taking extra tablets: the Viagra (sildenafil) label limits dosing frequency to once per day. Ask about a current prescription instead.

What is the shelf life of tadalafil (Cialis)?

The Cialis (tadalafil) label does not state a universal shelf life in months. Its storage section specifies 25°C (77°F), with excursions permitted to 15–30°C (59–86°F). Follow your package date; the storage range does not extend it.

Is it OK to take expired Cialis?

FDA advises against it because expired products may be less effective or risky (FDA on expired medicines). The Cialis (tadalafil) label does not establish safety after expiration; it contraindicates tadalafil with nitrates or riociguat.

How do you dispose of expired Viagra? Can I flush it?

FDA prefers a take-back location or prepaid mail-back envelope. If neither is available, check the FDA Flush List: do not flush a medicine unless it is listed (FDA disposal instructions). Do not share leftovers with another person (Viagra (sildenafil) label).

References

1. DailyMed: VIAGRA (sildenafil citrate) tablet, film coated, label revised 12/2017. Accessed Oct 31, 2026.
2. DailyMed: CIALIS (tadalafil) tablet, film coated, label revised 3/2026. Accessed Oct 31, 2026.
3. DailyMed: APOKYN (apomorphine hydrochloride) injection, label revised 6/2022. Accessed Oct 31, 2026.
4. FDA (Drugs@FDA): VIAGRA (sildenafil) prescribing information, NDA 020895. Accessed Oct 31, 2026.
5. FDA (Drugs@FDA): CIALIS (tadalafil) prescribing information, NDA 021368. Accessed Oct 31, 2026.
6. FDA: Compounding and the FDA, questions and answers. Accessed Oct 31, 2026.
7. FDA: Don’t Be Tempted to Use Expired Medicines (content current as of 10/31/2024). Accessed Oct 31, 2026.
8. FDA: Expiration Dating Extension, including the Shelf-Life Extension Program (content current as of 09/24/2026). Accessed Oct 31, 2026.
9. Lyon RC, Taylor JS, Porter DA, Prasanna HR, Hussain AS. Stability profiles of drug products extended beyond labeled expiration dates. J Pharm Sci. 2006;95(7):1549-60. PMID 16721796. Accessed Oct 31, 2026.
10. FDA: Disposal of Unused Medicines: What You Should Know. Accessed Oct 31, 2026.
11. FDA BeSafeRx: Considering an Online Pharmacy?. Accessed Oct 31, 2026.
12. FDA: Tainted Sexual Enhancement Products (content current as of 10/15/2026). Accessed Oct 31, 2026.
13. Mendoxa ED care (product, format, max 1 dose per 24 hours). Accessed Oct 31, 2026.
14. Mendoxa ED intake: plan prices (term_options). Accessed Oct 31, 2026.

Related guides

• Sildenafil: dosage and how it works
• Tadalafil: dosage and how it works
• How long does Viagra last?
• What does Viagra look like?
• Free Viagra samples
• Online ED prescription
• How long does Cialis last?
• Sildenafil + tadalafil in one tablet

Explore Mendoxa ED care

Compounded medication prescribed only if a licensed U.S. clinician decides it is appropriate. Not FDA-approved as a finished product. Not available in California. This site is not for emergencies. Call 911 if you need urgent care.