Erectile Dysfunction Pill

The first erectile dysfunction pill was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998. Since then, other pills for treating erectile dysfunction have come on the market. While these erectile dysfunction pills can be effective for many men, they should be taken exactly as prescribed. No brand of erectile dysfunction pill should be used more than once a day.

 

Erectile Dysfunction Pill: An Overview

Erectile dysfunction medication can be taken orally, injected directly into the penis, or inserted into the urethra at the tip of the penis.
 
In March 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Viagra® as the first erectile dysfunction pill. Since that time, vardenafil hydrochloride (Levitra®) and tadalafil (Cialis®) have also been approved as oral medications to treat erectile dysfunction (ED).
 
Additional oral erectile dysfunction pills are currently being tested for safety and effectiveness.
 

Erectile Dysfunction Pill: Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors

Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis all belong to a class of drugs called phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors. Taken an hour before sexual activity, these types of erectile dysfunction pills work by enhancing the effects of nitric oxide, a chemical that relaxes smooth muscles in the penis during sexual stimulation and allows increased blood flow. While an erectile dysfunction pill improves the response to sexual stimulation, it does not trigger an automatic erection as injections do.
 

Erectile Dysfunction Pill: Dosage

The recommended dose for Viagra is 50 mg, although your doctor may adjust this dose to 100 mg or 25 mg, depending on your needs. The recommended dose for Levitra and Cialis is 10 mg. However, your doctor may adjust this dose to 20 mg if 10 mg is insufficient. A lower dose of 5 mg is available for patients who take other medicines or who have conditions that may decrease the body's ability to use this erectile dysfunction pill. Levitra is also available in a 2.5 mg dose.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD