If you watch TV, you know that there are a variety of treatments for erectile dysfunction (ED). The most widely used, of course, are drugs such as Viagra (sildenafil), Levitra (vardenafil), and Cialis (tadalafil). These drugs improve blood flow to the penis. If the drugs don't seem to work immediately, it may be worth continuing to use them because responsiveness improves somewhat with continued use.
No one of these medications is superior to the others, but many people report that one or another works better for them. These drugs are very expensive; if you don't need the maximum strength, you can often save money by buying the highest dose and cutting the tablets. The drugs tend to lower blood pressure, and there can be a dangerous fall in blood pressure if they are used in combination with nitroglycerine, used to treat coronary heart disease, or longer-acting medicines in the same family.
If your doctor has given you a prescription for nitroglycerine tablets to have "just in case," he may be reluctant to also give you a prescription for an ED medicine. Speak to your doctor if you don't use the nitroglycerine; he might decide you no longer really need the prescription. If you do take the ED medicine, avoid sexual activity that's too strenuous; this could cause chest pain or even a heart attack. Remember that the physical exertion of sex is like any other exercise: you need to build up your activity gradually.
Talk to your doctor about using other drugs that lower blood pressure, including the alpha blockers (Hytrin [terazosin], Cardura [doxazosin], Flomax [tamsulosin], and Uroxatral [alfuzosin]) that are used to treat prostate enlargement, in combination with Viagra, Levitra, or Cialis, as they can also cause dangerously low blood pressure.
