ED Treatment Options

Treatment Options for Erectile Dysfunction

There are a variety of methods for treating erectile dysfunction (ED). Your doctor can discuss all of these options with you in more detail. All decisions regarding your best option for treating ED should be made between you and your physician, with consideration given to your individual needs and the risks and benefits of each treatment option.

The treatment options include:

Drug Therapy
Non-drug Treatment Options
Penile Implants
Other

Drug Therapy

Drugs for treating erectile dysfunction can be taken orally, injected directly into the penis, or inserted into the urethra at the tip of the penis. The most commonly known drugs on the market today are Viagra®, Cialis® and Levitra®.

Oral Medication

There are several prescription medications that claim to help patients. These pills may help achieve erections in response to sexual stimulation:

Pills can help you achieve an erection quickly and may have an effect on sexual intimacy.
Do not provide automatic erections like injection drugs
Not effective in approximately 30% of cases¹
Must take at least ½ hour to one hour before anticipated sexual activity²

Some patients may experience side effects, including:

Headaches
Facial blushing
Upset stomach
Mild and temporary visual effects

Injections

Some men may be able to gain an erection by self-injecting drugs into their penis, causing it to become engorged with blood. Potential side effects of injection therapy include fibrosis (scarring) and long-lasting painful erections

Advantages of injection therapy:

It can easily be self-administered
On-set of erection within 5-20 minutes³
Injections are shown to have a long-term dropout rate of 37% – 76%.⁴

Reasons for dropping out of drug therapy include:

Desire for a permanent treatment alternative
Inadequate response
Fear of needles
Side effects

Non-Drug Treatment Options

Penile Pumps (Vacuum Devices)

Also called vacuum constriction devices, penile pumps are devices that are placed over the penis to draw blood into the shaft. Once the vacuum creates an erection, the retaining band is slid down to the lower end of the penis and the pump is removed. You can leave the band on for up to 30 minutes.

Advantages

On-demand use
Non-invasive
Drug Free

Disadvantages

Erection is not warm to the touch
Learning curve
Delayed ejaculation

Penile Implants

A penile implant is a device that is placed into a man’s body and is designed to help him get an erection. A penile implant is a long-term treatment, that is covered by many insurance plans, which allows an erection as often as you like, for as long as you wish.

Advantages

Easy to use
Totally concealed in the body
Erections when desired

Disadvantages

Surgical Procedure
No longer able to get natural erections

Other Treatment Options

Your doctor can provide you with specific details about the pros and cons of each of the following treatments:

Lifestyle changes like stopping smoking, losing weight and eating healthier
Oral testosterone
Intraurethral suppositories (ex. MUSE®)

Goldstein I, et al. Oral sildenafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. N Engl J Med. 1998 May 14;338(20):1397-404
http://uspl.lilly.com/cialis/cialis.html#ppi downloaded 2/14/17
http://www.caverject.com/faqs, downloaded 2/13/17
Rajpurkar A, et al. Comparison of satisfaction rates and erectile function in patients treated with sildenafil, intracavernous prostaglandin E1 and penile implant surgery for erectile dysfunction in urology practice. J Urol. July 2003; 170(1):159-163.

Cialis®, Levitra®, Viagra®, MUSE® are trademarks of their respective companies.