What to Know Before Trying ED Medication

Updated on March 26, 2021

The conversation on men’s sexual health has, fortunately, become a lot more open in recent years, and that’s come with increased flexibility on how easily men can get access to medication for erectile dysfunction. Between a telehealth visit with your doctor and delivery to your door, you’ll never even have to leave the house to get your medication.

E.D. medication can be a good choice for a lot of men, but figuring out how it fits into your lifestyle can sometimes require consideration. These are the things you need to take into consideration before you get on medication for E.D.

Factor in Underlying Conditions

Effective E.D. medication requires a prescription, and your doctor will definitely be weighing existing health conditions when determining what you should be taking. E.D. can often be a symptom of other conditions. In many cases, E.D. can be linked to serious issues involving the heart and cardiovascular system.

That’s not to say that E.D. medication won’t be the right choice for you. But it can be used in tandem with positive changes to your lifestyle. Changes like quitting smoking, improving your physical activity, or changing your diet could put you in a situation where you can wean off the medication entirely.

Consider Your Existing Medications

If you’re already on prescription drugs, you’re creating a significantly more complicated environment for your E.D., and you might need to take a step back with your doctor to consider the vectors and create a firm strategy.

One factor to consider is whether your existing medications have a factor to play in your E.D. In fact, there’s a long list of different types of prescription medications known to exacerbate the risk of E.D. anti-anxiety and antidepressant drugs are common comorbid factors, but so are some NSAIDs and muscle relaxants.

Even if a prescription you’re on isn’t contributing to your E.D., it may have a reaction to your E.D. medication that you weren’t expecting. Speaking with your doctor can help you understand the risk factors, but they’ll generally be rare — and you can generally expect to try an E.D. medication while monitoring the risk factors.

Weighing Your Medication Options

There are countless different methods of absorbing an E.D. medication — and they take the form of everything from penile suppositories to injections to creams. Fortunately, the most common form is far less invasive — and it tends to be pretty effective. 

If this is your first attempt at finding an E.D. medication, you should be fine opting for an oral medication. In seven out of ten cases, men who used the most common oral treatment method — PDE-5 inhibitors — were able to engage in intercourse comfortably. These PDE-5 inhibitors work by halting the enzymes that block the development of an erection.

It’s Worth a Try

If you’re having trouble with E.D., there’s no need to keep suffering. While there are some factors you need to consider when trying a new medication for the first time, it’s no different than dealing with any illness or condition. A visit with a doctor can help you understand your options and develop a solution that’s going to leave you happy and healthy.

Just be sure that you go with an E.D. provider that you know you can trust. Providers like REX MD are thorough, certified, and discrete. And if you’re scared about the price, you can rest easy knowing that E.D. medication is cheaper than it’s ever been before.

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.