Erectile Dysfunction Pills Viagra Cialis and Other Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to get or maintain an erection long enough to have sexual intercourse. There are many different causes, which may include conditions that affect your blood vessels, neurological conditions, mental health conditions and injuries. A healthcare provider can diagnose and treat erectile dysfunction.

What Happens When You Use Viagra But Don’t Have ED?

For many people, a physical exam and answering questions (medical history) are all that’s needed for a doctor to diagnose erectile dysfunction and recommend a treatment. If you have chronic health conditions or your doctor suspects that an underlying condition might be involved, you might need further tests or a consultation with a specialist.

Tests for underlying conditions might include:

Physical exam. This might include careful examination of your penis and testicles and checking your nerves for sensation.
Blood tests. A sample of your blood might be sent to a lab to check for signs of heart disease, diabetes, low testosterone levels and other health conditions.
Urine tests (urinalysis). Like blood tests, urine tests are used to look for signs of diabetes and other underlying health conditions.
Ultrasound. This test is usually performed by a specialist in an office. It involves using a wandlike device (transducer) held over the blood vessels that supply the penis. It creates a video image to let your doctor see if you have blood flow problems.This test is sometimes done in combination with an injection of medications into the penis to stimulate blood flow and produce an erection.

Erectile Dysfunction Treatment

The first thing your doctor will do is to make sure you’re getting the right treatment for any health conditions that could be causing or worsening your erectile dysfunction.

Depending on the cause and severity of your erectile dysfunction and any underlying health conditions, you might have various treatment options. Your doctor can explain the risks and benefits of each treatment and will consider your preferences. Your partner’s preferences also might play a role in your treatment choices.

Oral medications

Oral medications are a successful erectile dysfunction treatment for many men. They include:

Sildenafil (Viagra)
Tadalafil (Adcirca, Cialis)
Vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn)
Avanafil (Stendra)

All four medications enhance the effects of nitric oxide — a natural chemical your body produces that relaxes muscles in the penis. This increases blood flow and allows you to get an erection in response to sexual stimulation.

Taking one of these tablets will not automatically produce an erection. Sexual stimulation is needed first to cause the release of nitric oxide from your penile nerves. These medications amplify that signal, allowing normal penile function in some people. Oral erectile dysfunction medications are not aphrodisiacs, will not cause excitement and are not needed in people who get normal erections.

The medications vary in dosage, how long they work and side effects. Possible side effects include flushing, nasal congestion, headache, visual changes, backache and stomach upset.

Your doctor will consider your particular situation to determine which medication might work best. These medications might not treat your erectile dysfunction immediately. You might need to work with your doctor to find the right medication and dosage for you.

Before taking any medication for erectile dysfunction, including over-the-counter supplements and herbal remedies, get your doctor’s OK. Medications for erectile dysfunction do not work in everyone and might be less effective in certain conditions, such as after prostate surgery or if you have diabetes. Some medications might also be dangerous if you:

Take nitrate drugs — commonly prescribed for chest pain (angina) — such as nitroglycerin (Nitro-Dur, Nitrostat, others), isosorbide mononitrate (Monoket) and isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil, Bidil)
Have heart disease or heart failure
Have very low blood pressure (hypotension)

Other medications

Other medications for erectile dysfunction include:

Alprostadil self-injection. With this method, you use a fine needle to inject alprostadil (Caverject, Edex) into the base or side of your penis. In some cases, medications generally used for other conditions are used for penile injections on their own or in combination. Examples include alprostadil and phentolamine. Often these combination medications are known as bimix (if two medications are included) or trimix (if three are included).Each injection is dosed to create an erection lasting no longer than an hour. Because the needle used is very fine, pain from the injection site is usually minor. Side effects can include mild bleeding from the injection, prolonged erection (priapism) and, rarely, formation of fibrous tissue at the injection site.
Alprostadil urethral suppository. Alprostadil (Muse) intraurethral therapy involves placing a tiny alprostadil suppository inside your penis in the penile urethra. You use a special applicator to insert the suppository into your penile urethra.The erection usually starts within 10 minutes and, when effective, lasts between 30 and 60 minutes. Side effects can include a burning feeling in the penis, minor bleeding in the urethra and formation of fibrous tissue inside your penis.
Testosterone replacement. Some people have erectile dysfunction that might be complicated by low levels of the hormone testosterone. In this case, testosterone replacement therapy might be recommended as the first step or given in combination with other therapies.

Pills for Erectile Dysfunction

There are several oral medications approved to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). These pills, known as phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, work by enhancing the effects of nitric oxide, a natural chemical the body produces to relax the muscles in the penis. This increases blood flow, making it easier to achieve and maintain an erection in response to sexual stimulation.

Here are the most common medications:

1. Sildenafil (Viagra)

Brand Name: Viagra
How It Works: Starts working within 30–60 minutes; effective for 4–6 hours.
Key Facts:
- Best taken on an empty stomach.
- Requires sexual stimulation to be effective.
Side Effects: Headache, flushing, upset stomach, nasal congestion, vision changes (e.g., blue tinge).

2. Tadalafil (Cialis)

Brand Name: Cialis
How It Works: Takes effect in 30 minutes; lasts up to 36 hours (“the weekend pill”).
Key Facts:
- Can be taken daily in a lower dose or as needed.
- Offers more spontaneity due to its longer duration.
Side Effects: Muscle pain, headache, back pain, flushing.

3. Vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn)

Brand Names: Levitra, Staxyn
How It Works: Starts working in about 1 hour; lasts 4–6 hours.
Key Facts:
- Available as a tablet or a dissolvable form (Staxyn).
- Works best on an empty stomach.
Side Effects: Dizziness, flushing, headache, nasal congestion.

4. Avanafil (Stendra)

Brand Name: Stendra
How It Works: Works within 15–30 minutes; lasts up to 6 hours.
Key Facts:
- Faster onset than others in this class.
- Can be taken with food.
Side Effects: Flushing, headache, nasal congestion, back pain.

Buy Generic Cialis and Generic Viagra Online?

Yes, it does exist. Our medical team can prescribe it online and our pharmacy can mail it to you in 5mg, 10mg and 20mg dose.

An even lower cost option for ED medicines is generic sildenafil 20mg tablets. Sildenafil is the active ingredient in Viagra. Our medical team can give you a prescription for sildenafil 20mg. The Lemonaid Pharmacy can deliver it to you for $2/pill, including FREE delivery. Our medical team can prescribe it in a 20mg, 60mg or 100mg dose.

Cialis is a brand-name oral tablet that’s prescribed for erectile dysfunction (ED) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Cialis contains the active ingredient tadalafil.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Cialis for use in adults to treat ED, BPH, and ED and BPH symptoms together.

How oral medicines differ ?

Each oral medicine for ED has a slightly different chemical makeup. These small differences affect the way each medication works, such as how quickly it takes effect and wears off, and the possible side effects. Your doctor or other health care professional can recommend one for you based on these factors, other health conditions you have and any other medicines you take.

Sildenafil (Viagra). This medicine works best when you take it on an empty stomach an hour before sex. The body takes longer to absorb it after a high-fat meal or alcohol. Its effects often last for 4 to 5 hours. It might work longer if you have mild to moderate erectile dysfunction.
Vardenafil. This medicine also works best when you take it an hour before sex on an empty stomach. As with sildenafil, a high-fat meal or alcohol keep the body from absorbing it as quickly.
Vardenafil usually works for 4 to 5 hours. Its effects might last longer if you have mild to moderate ED. A newer form of the medicine that dissolves on the tongue might work faster than the pill that you swallow.

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Tadalafil (Cialis). This medication is taken with or without food an hour before sex. It works for up to 36 hours. You can take it in a small dose daily or in a larger dose as needed.
Avanafil (Stendra). You can take this medicine with or without food 30 minutes before sex, depending on the dose. It lasts 4 to 5 hours, or longer if you have mild to moderate ED.

These medicines all work well for ED. When choosing one, tell your doctor or other health care professional what your preferences are, such as cost, ease of use, how long the drug’s effects last and side effects. Generic versions of sildenafil, vardenafil and tadalafil are available.

When oral medications might not be safe

Check with your health care team before you take any medicine for erectile dysfunction. Oral ED medicines might not work or might be dangerous if you also take any of the following:

Nitrate medicines. Often, these are prescribed for chest pain called angina. Some examples of nitrates are nitroglycerin (Nitro-Dur, Nitrostat, others), isosorbide mononitrate (Monoket) and isosorbide dinitrate (Bidil).
Alpha-blockers. These are commonly prescribed for an enlarged prostate or male pattern baldness. They include dutasteride (Avodart, Jalyn) and finasteride (Propecia, Proscar).
Medicines that block an enzyme called CYP3A4. These include itraconazole (Sporanox, Tolsura), ketoconazole (Extina, Ketozole, others) and ritonavir (Norvir).

Oral medicine for ED also might not be safe or work well if you have:

Very low blood pressure, called hypotension, or uncontrolled high blood pressure, called hypertension.
Severe liver disease.
Kidney disease that needs to be treated with dialysis.
Recent heart or blood vessel problems. These include a heart attack, stroke or a serious heart rhythm disorder in the past six months.
An inherited eye disease that affects the retina.
Kidney disease that needs to be treated with dialysis.

Side effects

Side effects of oral ED medicines are often mild. Common ones include:

Flushing of the skin.
Headache.
Upset stomach.
Visual changes, such as blue tinge to vision, sensitivity to light or blurred sight.
Stuffy or runny nose.
Back pain.
Dizzy feeling.

Rarely, more-serious side effects can happen, including:

Hearing loss or vision loss. Some people have suddenly lost some of their hearing or vision after taking one of these medicines. But it isn’t clear whether these side effects were caused by the medicine or by health conditions that the people already had. Get medical care right away if you take oral ED medicine and have sudden loss of hearing or vision.
An erection that doesn’t go away on its own. Called priapism, this rare condition can be painful. You need to get treatment for it as soon as possible to help prevent damage to your penis. If you have an erection that lasts more than four hours, call your care team right away.

Buying oral erectile dysfunction medications online

Treatments for erectile dysfunction are big business, and online scams abound. If you do buy medicines over the internet:

Check to see if an online pharmacy is legitimate. Never order medicines from an online pharmacy that doesn’t list its phone number and physical address, has prices that seem too good to be true, or tells you that no prescription is needed. Also stay away from ones that don’t have a licensed pharmacist on staff to answer your questions. Some illegal businesses sell fake versions of real medicines, which can be dangerous or might not work. In the United States, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy can tell you whether an online pharmacy is licensed and in good standing. If you live in another country, check to see if pharmacy association or regulation agencies offer services like these.
Make sure you get the right prescription and dose. When you order medicines and when you receive them in the mail, make sure they’re the exact dose and type prescribed by your doctor or other health care professional. The dose is the amount of medicine you take.
Don’t be fooled into buying “herbal viagra.” Never take any medicines that claim to be the “herbal” or nonprescription version of an oral medicine for ED. These aren’t an effective option, and some contain harmful substances.