Although you probably think Viagra when you think about treating Erectile Dysfunction (ED), that may very well not be your best choice. Read on to find out more…
Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Viagra in March of 1998, the term Erectile Dysfunction (ED) has become a household phrase.
Thanks to the advent of the near-magical blue pill, men around the world are 
copulating like never before now that there’s some lead back in the ole’ pencil. Many have even went so far as to say that Viagra has spawned a modern day sexual revolution of sorts. According to Viagra sales, millions of men agree.
For a few years, Viagra, whose chemical name is sidenafil citrate, had no competition in the ED market. That has recently changed with the approval of
Levitra. In August of 2003 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of vardenafil HCl, brand name Levitra, to treat Erectile Dysfunction.
Like Viagra, Levitra usually begins working in about 30 minutes and lasts for about fours. One possible advantage to Levitra is the fact that food does not seem affect the rate of absorption of the drug. Viagra, on the other hand, will take longer to get into the system and exert its effects if taken after a meal containing a significant amount of fat.
Just when excitement had begun to subsided in Woodville, along comes Cialis in November of ’03, the third drug approved by the FDA to treat erectile dysfunction.
Cialis, generically called tadalafil, does offer one major advantage over its 
predecessors. It exerts its performance-enhancing characteristics for up to 36 hours! For that reason, one dose may very well be enough to facilitate two nights of cardio between the sheets – hence the drug’s nickname: “the weekender pill.” And like Levitra, Cialis does not seem to be affected if taken with food.
The trio of ED drugs work by blocking an enzyme called phosphodiesterase (PDE) type 5, which allows more blood to enter and stay in the penis. Just as with a normal erection, it’s still necessary for the male to be sexually aroused.
The drugs do not (thank goodness) cause an erection in the absence of stimulation. Likewise, the drugs do not increase sexual desire. They simply function to allow a man to have a firmer and longer-lasting erection when stimulated.
People who use any nitrate drug, including nitroglycerine and the group of recreational drugs called “poppers,” should avoid using drugs for ED. Likewise, those using alpha-blockers or other drugs for high blood pressure should stay away from the ED meds altogether, unless given the go-ahead from their physician.
As for which of the drugs patients prefer, that depends. After skimming the results of three different studies, I found the results conflicting. Each of the medications ‘won’ preference in one of the three studies; we’ll call it a tie.
Because of the increased freedom that comes with a larger “window of opportunity,” I suspect that Cialis will slowly win the hearts of consumers who have entrusted their sex lives to the old stand-by, Viagra. Because of the newness of Levitra and especially Cialis, it’s still to early to tell who will win the proverbial “battle of the bulge.”
Yours in health,
Dr Clay
