Oral jelly vs tablets: what a Kamagra jelly sachet is

An oral jelly is a thick gel sold in a single-dose sachet, usually about 5 g. One sachet is one use: you tear it open and eat all of the gel, and nothing is kept for later.

People searching for "kamagra jelly" or just "oral jelly" usually mean this form. The shop lists Kamagra Oral Jelly, Lovegra Oral Jelly, Super Kamagra Oral Jelly, Super P-Force Oral Jelly and Apcalis-SX Oral Jelly.

This article is general label information, not personal advice.

The form and the way you take it differ. The ingredient and its label rules do not.

The reference labels used here are tablet labels. A jelly brand may have its own leaflet, and dose, food advice and storage can differ from the tablet. Follow the leaflet in your own pack first.

From the text printed on the sachets and boxes in the shop (7 sachets of 5 g per box):

Sildenafil is the ingredient in Viagra. Tadalafil is the ingredient in Cialis. Both are PDE5 inhibitors. Dapoxetine is a different drug; its Priligy label covers premature ejaculation in men aged 18 to 64.

The Lovegra sachet prints no indication, and the sildenafil reference label covers men only, so nothing should be assumed from the name or the colour of the pack. The Super Kamagra sachet prints no dose either.

The limit belongs to the ingredient, not to the form. The US Viagra label says sildenafil is taken at most once a day, with 100 mg as the highest recommended dose. A Kamagra or Lovegra sachet already holds 100 mg, the top of that reference label.

The US Cialis label gives 20 mg as its highest as-needed dose, at most once a day. An Apcalis-SX sachet holds 20 mg.

The Priligy label says dapoxetine should not be taken more than once in 24 hours and is not for daily use.

The reference labels give no dose for the combination sachets, so there is no combined dose to quote. The Lovegra and Super Kamagra sachets say "as directed by the physician", and the maker's Kamagra label says one sachet, one time only.

Because a gel is not a weaker dose. One Kamagra sachet holds the same 100 mg of sildenafil as a 100 mg tablet. Two sachets, or a sachet plus a sildenafil or tadalafil tablet, means taking the ingredient twice in one day, past the once-a-day limit the label sets.

Sildenafil's headache, flushing, indigestion and blood-pressure effects were reported more often at higher strengths on the label. Stacking raises that risk with no label data behind it.

The sildenafil plus dapoxetine sachets add a point. The Priligy label says dapoxetine should not be used by people taking PDE5 inhibitors, because blood pressure may fall on standing, and sildenafil is a PDE5 inhibitor. No label covers this combination product itself, so ask a doctor or pharmacist before using one.

Contraindications follow the ingredient, tablet or jelly.

• Anyone taking nitrates (for example under-the-tongue chest-pain medicine): the sildenafil and tadalafil labels say never combine, as blood pressure can drop sharply.
• Anyone taking riociguat: the sildenafil label says not together.
• Anyone on alpha-blockers or blood-pressure medicine: the labels advise caution, since pressure can fall further.
• Anyone taking the antifungal ketoconazole or the HIV medicine ritonavir: they raise drug levels, and the labels adjust or limit the dose.
• Sachets containing dapoxetine: the Priligy label rules out SSRIs and SNRIs, some serotonergic painkillers and St John's Wort, and rules out use in heart failure, a history of fainting, or moderate to severe liver impairment.
• Anyone allergic to an ingredient of the jelly.

The common side effects on the sildenafil and tadalafil labels are headache, flushing, indigestion, nasal congestion, back pain and muscle pain. The Priligy label lists nausea, dizziness, headache, diarrhoea and fainting for dapoxetine, more often at 60 mg.

The Lovegra and Super Kamagra sachets print "store below 30 C" and say keep out of reach of children; the Lovegra sachet adds "protect from light". The maker's Kamagra label says not above 30 C. For any other product, follow the leaflet in the box.

Eat an opened sachet at once; do not keep leftovers, and do not use a sachet that is torn or leaking.

• An erection lasting over 4 hours, or painful: untreated, it can damage tissue.
• Sudden blurred vision or loss of sight: the labels say to seek care promptly.
• Sudden hearing loss.
• Chest pain or shortness of breath.
• Fainting or severe light-headedness, especially with sachets that contain dapoxetine.
• Allergic reactions such as rash, swelling or trouble breathing.

• Before starting, especially if you take chest-pain medicine, blood-pressure medicine, antifungals, HIV medicine or antidepressants.
• If you have heart disease, low blood pressure, liver or kidney disease, or past eye problems.
• If you are not sure what is in the sachet in your hand, its strength, or how often it may be used.
• If you have already taken a tablet and a sachet on the same day, or more than one sachet: ask before the next use.