How to Make ED Drugs Work Better
In this Article
If you take a prescription drug for erectile dysfunction (ED), you’ll want to do everything you can to make sure it’s doing its job. Take a few minutes to learn how to get the most out of your medication. It will pay off later in the bedroom.
Sometimes eating a big meal right after you take an ED drug may not always be the best idea. If you swallow sildenafil (Viagra) with a high-fat meal, such as a steak dinner, it may take longer for it to work.
You can take other ED drugs with or without food, such as:
Make sure you take the right drug for you.
While ED drugs work in similar ways, they’re each made up of different chemicals. This can affect how they work, how much time they take to kick in, and the different side effects that you may have.
Talk to your doctor about any health problems you have and other medications that you take. It will help your doctor find the ED drug that should work best for you.
Give it enough time to work.
For most ED drugs, you need to wait a while before you can expect them to start working. How long varies with the drug.
Viagra and Levitra take about 30 minutes to work, and the effects last for about 4 hours after you take the pill.
You should take Cialis at least 2 hours before you plan to have sex. The effects may last for up to 36 hours after you take it.
Check with your doctor to see if you need to increase your dose.
If the amount of medicine you use now doesn’t help you get an erection, you may need to take a bigger dose. But don’t do this on your own. Talk to your doctor to see if an increase in medication is the right for thing for you.
Take it slow.
Time is on your side. You can’t take an ED drug and expect to get an erection right away. The medications boost the effects of a chemical your body makes called nitric oxide, which relaxes the muscles in your penis. That improves your blood flow and helps you get an erection.
But for the drugs to work, you need to be sexually aroused. So don’t rush things. Take some time to get into the mood. Use all of your senses to get turned on.
Never mix ED drugs with nitrates.
Do you have a heart condition? Pay attention to this: Don’t take ED drugs if you also take heart medicines called nitrates. The combination can cause a dangerous drop in your blood pressure.
To make sure you stay safe, talk to your doctor about all of the medications you take.
University of California San Francisco Medical Center: “Oral Medications for Erectile Dysfunction.”
Mayo Clinic: “Erectile Dysfunction: Viagra and Other Oral Medications.”
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: “Erectile Dysfunction.”
Today on WebMD
Alternative Treatments
Do supplements, herbal remedies, and more work?
Get the Facts
How much do you know about ED?
What Causes ED?
Things that can deflate erections.
Treatments for ED
How medications work.
Recommended for You
Low Testosterone: How to Tell
What Is ED?
Life Cycle of a Penis
Embarrassing Male Body Problems
Low Sex Drive: Is Low T to Blame?
How Erections Change as We Age
10 Foods to Boost Men’s Health
Treatments for Erectile Dysfunction
Tools & Resources
Health Solutions
More from WebMD
WebMD Network
For Advertisers
© 2005 – 2019 WebMD LLC. All rights reserved.
WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
