ED treatment options

There are a number of different erectile dysfunction treatments available and you should talk to your doctor/nurse about one that’s right for you – even if you have tried one in the past. Lifestyle changes such as increasing exercise, losing weight and stopping smoking are all beneficial in helping treat your condition.

The treatment table below will show you some of the options available. You can discuss these options and your preferences with your doctor.

The variios treatments for erectile dysfunction.

Let’s TREAT ED
Treatment type	Product	How long does it take to work	Duration of effect	Maximum recommended dosing	Most Common side effects (over 10%)	Food interactions
Oral tablets In order for these medications to work, sexual stimulation is required. Alcohol may effect erections. Avoid excessive alcohol with oral treatments.	Product 1	At least 30 minutes	Up to 36 hours after dosing	Once per day as needed	Headache, indigestion	Can be taken with or without food
	Product 2	Approximately 25 minutes to 1 hour	For 4-5 hours after dosing	Once per day as needed	Headache, facial flushing	Can be taken with or without food. A high fat meal may delay onset
	Product 3	Approximately 1 hour	For 4-5 hours after dosing	Once per day as needed	Headache, facial flushing	Food may delay onset
Injections or insertion These are injected into the penis or inserted using a special applicator – usually just before sexual intercourse to produce an erection. You should discuss all possible side effects with your doctor/nurse.	Product 1	Not specified	Not exceeding 1 hour (dose dependent)	No more than once daily or 3 times per week	Penile pain	No interaction with food
	Product 2	5-10 minutes after administration	30 minutes to 1 hour	No more than twice daily in 24 hours (or 7 times in 7 days)	Urethal burning, penile pain	No interaction with food
	Product 3	About 5-15 minutes after the injection	Dose can be adjusted to give erection lasting 1 hour	No more than once per day, 2 or 3 times per week (with 24 hours between injections)	Burning sensation, pain/tension in penis or site of injection	No interaction with food
Vacuum pumps These work by drawing blood into the penis making it erect. A constriction ring is then placed around the base of the penis to trap the blood and maintain the erection.	There are 10 different vacuum pumps available	Immediate	Not exceeding 30 minutes (remove ring)	Use as often as required- but at least 1 hour interval between each treatment	Discomfort, bruising of penis	No interaction with food
Counselling All men with sexual dysfunction would benefit from counselling and it should be an integral part of treatment. Your doctor may be able to act as your counsellor. If your doctor feels you will benefit from specialist counselling, your doctor will be able to recommend one known to them.
Hormone treatment It is rare, but some men with sexual dysfunction receive hormones for their erection problem. This does depend on the cause of the problem as well as other factors.
Surgery Two types of surgery are available.They are usually only necessary if counselling or medical treatments haven’t worked or are not suitable. The most common surgical procedure is prosthetic implants, which involves the insertion of artificial rods into the penis. The second surgical technique involves repairing the blood vessels of the penis in men who have had an injury that has caused poor blood flow. Your doctor will be the best person to advise you as to whether this is a suitable option for you.
You may or may not be eligible to receive treatment on the NHS. Your doctor will advise you.In the majority of cases, erectile dysfunction can be treated, so you should do something about it and get it checked out as soon as possible.Do you realise that there are a number of different erectile dysfunction treatments available from your doctor? Remember different erectile dysfunction treatments work in different ways so it’s worth asking your doctor about this. Understanding the main differences between them could help you find a suitable treatment.