The Popular Treatments and Drugs for Erectile Dysfunction

Experiencing erection problems? Whether you are 25 or 60 + years old, surely you are not alone.

About 20 million American men suffer from erectile dysfunction or ED. Ironically, while ED is often thought of as a condition that affects middle-aged and older men, about a quarter of all people under 40 regularly experience ED.

Luckily, there are a number of therapies available to treat the ED symptoms and help you develop and maintain an erection without any problems.

Sildenafil (the active ingredient in Cenforce), vardenafil (Vilitra), and tadalafil (Tadalista) are the three most popular erectile dysfunction treatments on the market. These are all ED therapies of the first generation which were implemented in the 1990s and early 2000s.

There is also avanafil or Avana-a new erectile dysfunction medication of the second generation that treats erectile dysfunction with a lower rate of side effects than medications of the first generation.

These four therapies for erectile dysfunction provide the same key benefit— better blood flow to the penis, and less difficulty maintaining an erection. These also have other variations, however, ranging from shorter or longer half-lives to different side effect profiles.

Below, we compared sildenafil (the active ingredient in Cenforce), vardenafil (the active ingredient in Vilitra), tadalafil (the active ingredient in Tadalista) and avanafil (the active ingredient in Avana) to give you a more comprehensive understanding of today's most popular erectile dysfunction medications.

Sildenafil (the active ingredient in Cenforce) 

Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Cenforce, is one of the most common and widely used treatments available today for erectile dysfunction.

In the late 1990s, sildenafil was originally developed as a high blood pressure treatment and was approved as an ED drug. Cenforce was by far the most commonly used erectile dysfunction drug on the market from its release until 2007, accounting for 92 percent of global sales in 2000.

Although sildenafil is not as influential as it once was, the ED treatment is still by far the most common.

Sildenafil works by increasing blood flow to the penis ' spongy erectile tissue, which makes it easier for you to get an erection. It usually works within 30 to 60 minutes of consumption and lasts 3 to 5 hours, depending on the person.

You can take sildenafil with or without food, though it may slow down your body's absorption of the drug after a big meal with lots of fat.

Sildenafil's potential side effects are identical to most other ED drugs— headaches, nasal obstruction, flushed skin, and heartburn. These side effects are usually mild and stop in three to five hours as your body decreases the amount of the drug.

Sildenafil can also potentially lead to more severe side effects, especially in people with heart conditions or those taking other prescription drugs. More specifically, it may interact with some of the nitrates used to treat hypertension and cause low blood pressure issues.

Because of this, it is important to speak with a qualified doctor before considering using sildenafil or any other ED medication on prescription.

Sildenafil comes in a range of doses, from 20 mg to 100 mg. Higher doses are typically used for treating more severe erectile dysfunction cases for people who do not respond to tablets of 20 or 50 mg.

All in all, for one reason sildenafil is popular— it works. For most men, sildenafil facilitates the development and maintenance of an erection and acts as a reliable, safe erectile dysfunction treatment.

Tadalafil (the active ingredient in Tadalista)

Tadalafil was developed in the 1990s and approved by the FDA in 2003, and is a longer-lasting ED drug that has similar effects to sildenafil.

Tadalafil is better known under the Cialis brand name. With a half-life of 17.5 hours, tadalafil remains active until 36 hours after it has been taken, making it the longest-acting erectile dysfunction drug available today.

A typical dose of sildenafil lasts about three to five hours to put that in perspective. You'd need to take multiple sildenafil pills over the course of two days to get the same effects as you would get from a single dose of tadalafil.

After you take it, Tadalafil will start working anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes. It can be taken with or without food like sildenafil.

tadalafil side effects are similar to sildenafil, with the most common being headache, stuffy nose, heartburn, and facial flushing. Tadalafil can also cause muscle aches and back pain, which is typically a consequence of the vasodilatation effect of the drug.

Tadalafil, sildenafil, can interact with certain medications used to treat hypertension and other cardiovascular conditions. Hence, before considering tadalafil, you should let your doctor know if you are using any other drug.

For most people, tadalafil's biggest advantage over sildenafil is its longer half-life. Usually, a single dose of tadalafil lasts for most of a weekend, eliminating the need to take the pill straight before sexual activity.

Typical doses of tadalafil are much lower compared with sildenafil. The normal starting dose is 10 mg taken one hour before sexual activity, with doses of 5 mg and 20 mg also used depending on the manner in which people respond.

Overall, tadalafil is a good option for men who are reluctant to take a pill right before sex and want a long-lasting erectile dysfunction pill suitable for whole days and weekends. You can buy tadalista online in the USA at a low price.

Vardenafil (the active ingredient in Vilitra) 

Vardenafil is another ED drug that similarly works with sildenafil and tadalafil. Unlike tadalafil, it was launched as an alternative to sildenafil at a slightly longer half-life in the early 2000s, making it a longer-lasting ED medication.

Levitra is the most popular brand name for vardenafil. Unlike sildenafil and tadalafil, in most countries vardenafil is used as a prescription medication, meaning you'll need to talk to a doctor before you can use it.

Compared to sildenafil, which lasts three to five hours, vardenafil typically lasts five to eight hours, after which it remains active in the body but does not produce an effect as strong.

Within about an hour, a normal dose of vardenafil takes action. You may take vardenafil with or without food, just like sildenafil and tadalafil.

Vardenafil is significantly stronger per milligram than sildenafil and is usually used at a lower dose. Vardenafil's normal starting dose is 10 mg, with tablets available in dosages of 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 mg.

The vardenafil side effects are similar to those of other ED medicines. Facial flushing, headaches, stuffy nose and heartburn are the most commonly reported side effects. These typically go through as the concentration of the medication in your bloodstream decreases over several hours.

It is also linked, like other ED medications, to more serious side effects in people with pre-existing heart conditions who use other medicines. In particular, vardenafil can interact with nitrates similar to sildenafil, tadalafil and other drugs used to treat ED.

Because of this, before considering vardenafil or any other ED treatment, it is important to talk to a doctor. Typically, vardenafil is suitable for people who want something longer-lasting than sildenafil, but do not need the 36 + hours of tadalafil treatment.

Avanafil (the active ingredient in Avana)

Avanafil (the active ingredient in Avana) is a new, second-generation drug for erectile dysfunction. Just like sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil, it is an inhibitor of PDE5, thus improving blood flow to the penis and making it easier to get an erection.

Avanafil was developed throughout the 2000s and approved in April 2012 by the FDA. In the United States, it is sold under the Stendra brand name. It is also sold under the brand name Spedra, in some non-US markets.

Unlike sildenafil and other therapies for first-generation erectile dysfunction, avanafil is much more specific in the tissue it is aiming for. It means it is less likely than older ED drugs to cause such symptoms.

Avanafil is a quick-acting medicine that takes effect in just 15 minutes. Avanafil acts on average as a cure for erectile dysfunction for up to six hours, which means it lasts slightly longer than sildenafil.

Avanafil's side effects are close to those of other ED drugs, with the most commonly reported being headache, nasal congestion and facial flushing. Because it targets specifically the PDE-5 isoenzyme, avanafil has a lower risk of causing side effects than other ED medicines.

Avanafil may interfere with some drugs used to treat high blood pressure and other medical problems, including nitrates, like other ED medicines.

Avanafil is sold in several dosages, between 50 and 200 mg. For use 15 minutes before sexual activity, the typical starting dose is 100 mg, while doses of 200 mg and 50 mg can also be used to treat extreme and moderate cases of erectile dysfunction, respectively.

Ultimately, avanafil is an enticing option for men who want a newer ED drug with Cenforce-like effects and a lower risk of causing side effects.

Which ED Treatment is Best For You?

All four of the above-mentioned ED treatments— sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil, and avanafil— are widely used and scientifically proven to treat erectile dysfunction, meaning you should achieve good results regardless of which medication you are taking.

Generally speaking, the biggest difference between these therapies is the overall length of each medication. Some are fairly short-acting, such as sildenafil, while others, such as tadalafil, are specifically designed to provide relief from ED, which lasts for several days.