Erection Problems (Erectile Dysfunction) - Medications
Medicines that can help produce an erection may be used to treat erection problems (erectile dysfunction) that are caused by blood vessel (vascular), hormonal, nervous system, or psychological problems. They also may be used along with counseling to treat erection problems that have psychological causes.
Medication Choices
Commonly used oral medicines include:
- Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE-5 inhibitors) such as sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), and vardenafil (Levitra).
Other medicines that may be used include:
Hormones and other medicines may be prescribed for men who have low testosterone or high prolactin levels.
For more information on medicine choices, see:
What To Think About
PDE-5 inhibitors and heart problems
PDE-5 inhibitors should never be used if you may need to take a nitrate-containing medicine, such as nitroglycerin. Taking nitroglycerin and a PDE-5 inhibitor within 24 hours of each other may greatly lower your blood pressure, which could lead to a heart attack, stroke, or death.
Talk with your doctor about whether medicines for erection problems are safe for you if you:
- Have heart disease.
- Have heart failure or low blood pressure.
- Are taking drugs for high blood pressure.
Sexual activity is exercise. If you have a heart condition and have not been sexually active for a while, talk with your doctor to make sure you can engage in sexual activity safely.
If you are taking a PDE-5 inhibitor and are going to have a test for heart disease, be certain your doctor knows you are taking it. You should not take sildenafil (Viagra) or vardenafil (Levitra) for 24 hours before the test. Do not take tadalafil (Cialis) for at least 48 hours before the test. Then if you develop a problem during the test, it will be safe to use nitrate-containing medicines such as nitroglycerin.
Although oral medicines for erection problems can be purchased over the Internet, you should still talk with your doctor before using this medicine. This is especially important if you have a heart problem.
If you are using a combination of drugs for high blood pressure, PDE-5 inhibitors could result in low blood pressure (hypotension). Also for this reason, you should not take alpha blockers-used to lower blood pressure and to treat an enlarged prostate-with these medicines without talking to your doctor. The combination could cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure.
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
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