One of the common means for treating erectile dysfunction is through oral medications. For men who have a hard time retaining their erection, these medications work well in giving them the required firmness for sex.
The article is a part of our series on “What is Erectile Dysfunction: A Complete Guide”
How do ED medications work?
Although different medications vary significantly due to their chemical composition, they work in almost similar ways.
ED medications reverse the effect of erectile dysfunction by inhibiting the effect one natural chemical in the body called PDE5. The effect of this is increased blood flow to the penis. It was also noted in some studies that nitric acid, a natural chemical produced in the body does play a role to increase blood flow to the penis for a better erection.
The fundamental difference between different medications are:
- How do they work?
- How long do they take to give the desired effect, and
- How long does the effect of the medication last?
Before prescribing a medication, the doctor will consider several factors such as your blood pressure, cardiac health, reaction to any medication, etc.
Commonly used ED drugs
Here are some of the most commonly used medications to successfully treat Erectile Dysfunction.
Sildenafil (IQNYDE, Viagra): One of the most commonly used and popularly known medicines to treat ED. For best results, Viagra has to be taken on an empty stomach an hour before coitus.
The effects are commonly known to last for one to five hours after intake if you suffer from mild to moderate ED.
Vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn): This medicine has to be taken with or without food an hour before sex for the best results. For patients without cholesterol or gall stone problem, , it is better to take Vardenafil along with a high-fat meal as it will be absorbed slowly in the stomach and with higher medication concentration in blood..
A newer version of this medication is recently launched, directly absorbed from the tongue if placed underneath.
Avanafil (Stendra): This medication can last up to six hours and be taken 30 minutes before sexual intercourse.
Tadalafil (Cialis): One of the unique features of this medication is that it can last up to 15 hours. Tadalafil is generally taken one-two hours before sex, and the dosage varies depending on extend of dysfunction.
Dapoxetine (Priligy): It is an SSRI :(serotonin reuptake inhibitors) used for the treatment of patients with both ED and premature ejaculation (PE). It is usually taken a 1hour before the anticipated sexual act.
When NOT to take oral medications?
Here are some situations in which you should not take oral medications for ED:
- Have liver-related issues.
- Have kidney related issues and on permanent or intermittent dialysis.
- Are on nitrate drugs, like isosorbide mononitrate, nitroglycerin, and isosorbide dinitrate.
- Suffering from hypotension or uncontrolled hypertension.
- Known allergy to the medication
Side effects of ED drugs
Some patients develop variable degree of headache, flushing, heat sensation, and mild to moderate body pain. These are the commoner side effects. A simple painkiller like panadol can help alleviate the side effects.
Less common ones are abdominal discomforts like dyspepsia and acid reflux. However, these are not very common.
Very rarely a patient develops a continuous erection that lasts more than few hours. If this or any worrying symptom happens, seek treatment immediately.
DO NOT buy and consume these drugs without a medical prescription.
References
JS Saini and MK Garg(1 Jan 2001)Viagra:Is it a wonder drug?Available at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0377123701800903?via%3Dihub[Accessed 2 June 2021]
James G McMurray,Robert A Feldman,Stephen M Auerbach,Herb DeRiesthal,Neal Wilson(3 Dec 2007)Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2387281/[Accessed 2 June 2021]
