Firstmed Blog

This week, we at Firstmed are continuing to explore some of the more frequent queries we receive from our customers regarding the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Most people on the planet have heard of Viagra at some stage or another. It was launched amid a media storm in 1999 and has subsequently become not only a medical treatment but a part of popular culture. Punch lines aside, Viagra fundamentally remains a treatment for ED, but is it the only one? There are alternatives to the ‘little blue pill’ and many people want to know, are they as good as the original.

Do the New Erectile-Dysfunction Drugs Work as Well as Viagra?

Two drugs, Levitra, from Bayer AG and GlaxoSmithKline PLC, and Cialis, from Eli Lilly & Co., were introduced in 2003 and are Viagra’s closest competitors on the ED market. They work in the same way as Viagra, blocking the same enzyme. Though it’s unlikely any one works better than Viagra overall, slight chemical differences mean that if one brand doesn’t work for a patient, another one might.

The main difference between the three treatments is the time frame in which they remain effective. Viagra lasts up to 4 hours, Levitra up to 8 and Cialis, a whopping 36. This does not mean that you will have an erection for this time period, just the ability to maintain one should you require it. Early studies show Levitra requires a smaller dose and works faster than Viagra with fewer side effects. Cialis has been dubbed the “weekend pill,” because its effects last up to 36 hours and is popular among holiday makers and people who feel more comfortable with a larger window of opportunity.

Which one is the best? Well they all tick different boxes so it really is up to each individual.

If you have tried treatments other than Viagra than let us know. We’d love to hear which you regard as the most effective.

The last blog focused on attempting to clear up some of the common misconceptions about treatments for erectile dysfunction, such as Viagra. We at Firstmed believe that it is important that the facts are out there and so we will be continuing to discuss some of the frequent questions we receive from our customers.

Does Taking ED Treatments Make a Man More Virile?

It might. A surprising new area of research is whether taking a small dose of Viagra, Cialis or Levitra every night works as a preventative to stave off impotence, just as people can take an aspirin a day to prevent heart attack.

Though you wouldn’t think you’d get much out of ED treatments while you’re sleeping, it turns out that nighttime erections — most men get three or four every night — are crucial to maintaining potency. Because most men don’t have several erections during the day, the nocturnal erection, which allows blood and oxygen to flow to the genitals, is nature’s way of keeping the penis in working order. The theory is that anything that increases the intensity and duration of nighttime erections is good for long-term potency.

What Happens If You Take ED Treatments and You Don’t Really Need Them

Men who say they don’t have any problems achieving or maintaining erections say that using ED treatments dramatically changes the sexual experience, but not always in a good way.

They say taking Viagra gives them a far more rigid erection that is so intense that it’s almost uncomfortable, causing them to lose some sensation and making it difficult to finally achieve orgasm. One person described the feeling like puffing your cheeks full of air and then pushing them out as hard as you can.

Those who have used ED treatments “recreationally,” however, say the drug, nonetheless, makes it much easier to sustain an erection and achieve a second erection relatively quickly after orgasm.

Pfizer balks at the notion of a recreational use for Viagra, contending that if someone can feel the effect of Viagra, then they, by definition, have lost some sexual function. And the reality is, sexual function starts to fade in the 20s.