Which ED Medications Won’t Make You Throw Money: Types and Prices
Many men cannot but wonder which is the ideal erectile dysfunction treatment. For more than 10 years, new drugs have changed the management of erectile dysfunction. But what are the uses and expectations of men and women using these treatments? Discover the results of the exclusive AAPA Pharmacy survey, as well as the different treatments for erectile dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction results in the inability to obtain or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual activity. We talk about erection problems when the troubles occur for more than three months. Indeed, occasional erection failure is quite commonplace and should not worry the couple. Do not hesitate to go to a doctor to talk about it, to define the cause and get appropriate treatment.
In 2018, 2563 people responded to our online survey of ED treatments. The majority of respondents were men (87%) aged 50 to 79 (68%). However, we find 21% of 35-49-year-old individuals and even 7% of 25-34-year-old ones. Overall, there is a majority of retirees or early retirees.
Lack of Information Related to Treatment
The causes of these intimate problems are relatively well known: a psychological origin, age, physiological causes (particularly diabetes and cardiovascular disease), medication, a lack of interest in sex, and prostate surgery as per Harvard scientists. Conversely, information on treatment suffers from a real lack of knowledge: almost a third do not know that these problems can be treated.
Among those who actively seek information, the Internet is the main source (53%), far ahead of the trade press (20%) and television (19%). The mainstream press, radio, or thematic channels remain far behind.
The Importance of Talking to Your Doctor
In the event of erectile dysfunction, the respondents would naturally turn to their general practitioner (48%), even to their partner/friend (19%) and a sexologist/sex therapist (17,4%). According to their statements, the choice of going to another doctor, an andrologist, or friends remains quite rare. Some also tend to discreetly consult online pharmacists where their persona remains confidential.
For those affected by this problem (81%, including 26% from time to time, 23% fairly regularly, 16% regularly and 14,1% all the time), the reality is quite different: only 43% admit having talked about it with their doctor, but 16% have talked about it with another doctor, a sexologist or an andrologist. And 41% have never talked about it!
Among them, 43,6% of men benefited from a drug (mainly Tadalafil at 54% and Sildenafil at 22%), 12% turned to alternative solutions and 45,7% did not benefit from medication management. The reason: fear of talking about it (24%) and fear of side-effects (15%).
The Ideal Treatment Must be Effective and Well Tolerated
Among the treated patients, 31% experienced side-effects (including 78% often to very often, 22% rarely or very rarely): headache, redness in the face, stuffy nose, digestive problems, problems with the vision, dizziness.
But overall, are patients satisfied with their treatment? There is a very slight predominance of dissatisfaction (52%), a feeling mainly related to a lack of effectiveness (38%) and the cost of the drug (20%). Then comes the fact of having to take it at each report (14%) and there is a lack of spontaneity that this generates (13 %). Different sources of dissatisfaction among women (56% are satisfied with the treatment, 44 % – aren’t) who cite first the lack of spontaneity in the reports and the lack of effectiveness on the erection.
What would be the ideal treatment for you? The main characteristics sought by all respondents (men, women, all ages) are good efficacy (31%), good tolerability rate (17%), rapid action (16%), and simplification of use (13%). The price and its reimbursement are not a priority, the expensive aspect comes after efficiency.
New Solutions Exist: Oral or Local Treatment
Oral treatment is generally offered as first-line treatment. We find Sildenafil (Viagra), Vardenafil (Levitra), Tadalafil (Cialis), and Avanafil (Spendra). Either we anticipate and we take drug three-quarters of an hour, an hour before intercourse, or we do not want to anticipate and we take daily treatment in small doses, a little less powerful but more effective. We need to program. We can try both modes of treatment and choose the most suitable. For example, tadalafil 5mg has been extensively studied and then approved for daily use.
Acting on the relaxation of the smooth muscles of the corpora cavernosa, these molecules increase the blood flow causing the erection. To be effective, they must be combined with sexual stimulation such as foreplay, caresses, etc. Please note, these treatments may be subject to contraindications or interactions with other treatments, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Hormone treatment may be a solution if a biological assessment shows a drop in testosterone associated with clinical signs such as fatigue and a significant increase in abdominal fat. Testosterone can help regain sexual desire and also increases muscle strength. This treatment is only temporary and should be monitored by blood testosterone tests.
Local treatment may also be prescribed. It comes in the form of injections into the cavernous body of the penis. Based on one study, the injections with Prostaglandin are best in producing artificial penile erection, and relatively safer compared to other vasoactive medications. Still, this method of administration is often scary but the injection is not painful and a doctor accompanies his patient step by step and for as long as necessary. They are only available on medical prescription and are reimbursed when erectile dysfunction is linked to a serious and well-defined physical impairment (following prostate cancer and prostatectomy, paraplegia or tetraplegia, multiple sclerosis, for example). This treatment allows a quick and good quality erection even without sexual stimulation.
The fitting of a penile prosthesis may be considered as a last resort. It is intended for men for whom other treatments prove to be ineffective or contraindicated for medical reasons. This choice must be made in a concerted manner between the patient, his / her partner, and a specialized medical team.
On a daily basis, men concerned admit that these disorders alter their life as a couple/family (85% of respondents) and the image they have of themselves (77%). Beyond the sexual problem, several feelings are mixed: impairment of their manhood, feeling of aging badly, guilt, shame, depression. So many negative feelings that can encourage breakdowns, which will then feed this fear of failure: the terrible vicious circle specific to erectile dysfunction.
If you are having a hard time with this situation, if it affects your personal and family life, talk to your doctor. It will help you find the most suitable treatment for finding a fulfilling sex life. In addition, erectile dysfunction can be the discreet sign of cardiovascular disease: it is, therefore, useful to speak about it during a medical consultation to rule out all physiological causes.
In general, ED problem is something a man is unlikely to feel open talking about, especially, it concerns some kind of embarrassment he may experience during the consultation with his doctor. By no means, you should take this disorder for granted, so think of turning to Canadian Pharmacy, a service with ready-made solutions for men suffering from decline in sexual potency. The company has two decades of experience in the field of sexual recovery solutions, and is the home to skilled specialists ready to help you choose the right ED drug and have it delivered to your door confidentially and reliably.
Price Comparison of Originals and Generics
The pharmaceutical market has a huge selection of medicines. To choose the necessary product, you need to know what it consists of, the mechanism of its action, the presence of positive and side effects. Many drugs with the same active ingredient are much cheaper than a drug similar in effectiveness. This is what distinguishes the original (patented) drug and the generic drug analog. To produce a branded product, not a small number of financial resources, clinical trials, and laboratory studies are required.
Only after all these procedures, the manufacturer receives a patent for the production and name of the medication. Generic drugs save the manufacturer money for additional studies of the safety and efficacy of drugs since the analog fully copies the principle of the brand name drug. Generics are medicines made on the basis of an active medicinal ingredient the patent of which has expired. But the manufacturer can provide the manufacturer with a license to manufacture a generic.
Generics are produced by a pharmaceutical company with an identical main component in the drug formula, but modified by additional composition and other production technology. From this, the quality of medicine does not deteriorate, and the pricing policy is advantageous for the consumer.
Generics also pass the necessary laboratory confirmations of the safety of the finished medicinal product, but trials on the production technology of the drug may not be carried out since the main active substance has already been tested and tested by the company that developed the patented medicinal ingredient. Of course, the original drugs and generics are different. The main differences between generics and branded products:
- Title. It may be consonant with the proprietary name of the product, or the manufacturer decides to introduce its own drug to the market;
- The full composition. In addition to the main drug substance (it has not been changed), additional components are added at the discretion of the manufacturer;
- Form, color, size of the drug. Determined by the drug manufacturing company;
- Production technology. The lack of a patent leads to a less rigorous manufacturing approach;
- Cost. The main distinguishing feature of generics.
High-quality generics are in no way inferior to analogs of branded productions. When choosing a product, it is necessary to consult a doctor and pay attention when buying, so that the package contains instructions for using the drug with the address and phone number of the manufacturer.
