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Main > Specialty Areas > Andrology >
Erectile Dysfunction Treatments
Most physicians suggest cutting back on any drugs with harmful side effects. For example, drugs for high blood pressure work in different ways. If you think a particular drug is causing problems with erection, tell your doctor and ask whether you can try a different class of blood pressure medicine.
Psychotherapy and behavior modifications in selected patients are considered next if indicated, followed by oral or locally injected drugs, vacuum devices, and surgically implanted devices. In rare cases, surgery involving veins or arteries may be considered.
Sex Therapy
Psychological therapy is effective in conjunction with medical or surgical treatment. Sex therapists emphasize the need for men and their partners to be motivated and willing to adapt to psychological and behavioral modifications, including those that result from medical or surgical treatment. A significant number of men develop impotence from psychological causes that can be overcome. When a physiological cause is treated, subsequent self-esteem problems may continue to impair normal function and performance. Qualified therapists (e.g., sex counselors, psychotherapists) work with couples to reduce tension, improve sexual communication, and create realistic expectations for sex, all of which can improve erectile function.
Oral Medication
Oral medications used to treat erectile dysfunction include selective enzyme inhibitors e.g. sildenafil (Tradename Viagra), vardenafil HCl (Tradename- Levitra) and tadalafil (Tradename- Cialis).Selective enzyme inhibitors are available by prescription and may be taken up to once a day to treat ED. They improve partial erection.
| Viagra was the first effective drug that treated Erectile Dysfunction and its release created an unprecedented wave of optimism regarding impotence treatment options. Since its release, other, more effective drugs such as Cialis or Levitra arrived on the market, but Viagra still retains a high degree of recognition and is almost synonymous with impotence treatment. |
Side effects of selective enzyme inhibitors include:
Headaches
Reddening of the face and neck (flushing)
Indigestion
Nasal congestion
Cialis may cause muscle aches and back pain, which usually resolve by themselves within 48 hours.
| Men who have had a heart attack or stroke within the past 6 months and those with certain medical conditions (e.g., uncontrolled high blood pressure, severe low blood pressure or liver disease, unstable angina) that make sexual activity inadvisable should not take Cialis. Also, dosages of the drug should be limited in patients with kidney or liver disorders. |
Ease of administration makes oral medication advantageous. Some drugs, however, are suitable for only a relatively small group of men, and in many cases, oral medications may by less effective than other treatments.
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| Random Useful Tip: |
Epinephrine shot If you are known to have a severe anaphylactic reaction, carry an epinephrine (adrenaline) shot with you at all times. Pay attention to expiration date and replace it regularly: upon expiration, it loses its effectiveness. |
| Random Drug Info: |
Levothyroxine Levothyroxine is a pure synthetic form of T4 hormone that is made in a laboratory to be an exact replacement for the T4 that the human thyroid gland normally secretes. It comes in multiple strengths, which means that an appropriate dosage can almost always be found for each patient. |
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