What are the best erectile dysfunction pills in the UK?

If you occasionally can’t get an erection, it’s usually nothing to worry about. Lots of people with penises can have trouble getting an erection if they’ve been using alcohol or other substances or are feeling nervous, tired or stressed. But if you’re unable to keep or maintain an erection regularly, you may have erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence.

As ED only affects people in private, it can be easy to think that you’re alone in struggling with it. But ED is actually very common, with half of all men aged 40 to 70 estimated to struggle with the condition.

But no matter where you are in life, ED can cause significant distress, affect your self-confidence, and make it difficult to be intimate with your partner. Thankfully, there are effective treatments available that can put the love back in your love life. Let’s find out what these are and take a deeper dive into the best erectile dysfunction pills in the UK.

Erectile dysfunction treatments

There are a variety of different treatments available for ED. The one that’s right for you will depend on the underlying cause of your erection problems. For example, ED can have both psychological and physical causes, though it is predominantly caused by physical health conditions and specific medications. As a result, your GP may focus on treating your ED by addressing the physical cause first.

Treatments for ED include:

• erectile dysfunction pills – the main treatment for ED. These medicines—sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil and avanafil—increase blood flow to the penis in response to sexual stimulation
• alprostadil – a synthetic hormone that helps stimulate blood flow to the penis. Alprostadil can be injected or placed into your urethra (the tube that pee leaves your body through) with a special applicator
• hormone replacement therapy – synthetic testosterone that can be injected to bring your testosterone levels back to normal
• penis pumps – a hand or battery-operated pump that fits over your penis and creates a vacuum to pull blood into your penis and make it erect 
• penile implants – an implant fitted during a surgical procedure that can either keep your penis firm all the time or allow you to inflate it when you want to have sex
• mental health support – therapeutic interventions can be used to treat ED caused by underlying anxiety, depression or emotional concerns
• lifestyle changes – sometimes ED can be improved by making lifestyle changes like losing weight, quitting smoking, getting regular exercise and reducing your stress levels

Best erection pills

The main medications used to treat ED are phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors. These work by enhancing the effects of a chemical called nitric oxide that the body makes to relax the muscles in the penis. This process temporarily increases blood flow to the area to help you get an erection when you’re sexually stimulated.

In the UK, there are four types of PDE-5 inhibitors available, including:

Sildenafil (Viagra, Aronix, Liberize, Almus)

Sildenafil takes effect within 30 to 60 minutes and typically lasts between 4 to 5 hours. You can take it up to four hours before you want to have sex.

Sildenafil tablets for ED come in different strengths ranging from 25mg to 100mg, though the usual dose is 50mg. It can also be used to treat pulmonary hypertension in 10mg and 20mg strengths.

Sildenafil can cause side effects, though these don’t normally affect people taking it for ED as you’re only taking it for a short time. Side effects can include:

• headaches
• nausea
• hot flushes
• indigestion
• blocked nose
• dizziness

Serious side effects are rare, but you should call 999 or go to A&E if you have:

• a seizure or fit
• a prolonged or painful erection
• chest pain

Sildenafil isn’t suitable for everyone. You should speak to your doctor or pharmacist before taking sildenafil if you:

• have ever had an allergic reaction to sildenafil or any other medicine
• are taking medicines called nitrates for chest pain (angina)
• have a serious heart or liver condition
• have recently had a stroke, heart attack or a heart problem
• have low blood pressure (hypotension)
• have a rare inherited eye disease, such as retinitis pigmentosa
• have sickle cell anaemia (an abnormality of red blood cells), leukaemia (cancer of blood cells) or multiple myeloma (cancer of bone marrow)
• have a deformity of your penis or Peyronie's disease (curved penis)
• have a stomach ulcer
• have a bleeding problem, like haemophilia

Tadalafil (Cialis, Stamiz, Avarante)

Tadalafil takes effect within 30 to 60 minutes and can last for between 24 to 36 hours. You should take it at least 30 minutes before you want to have sex.

Tadalafil comes as 2.5mg, 5mg, 10mg and 20mg tablets, though the usual dose is 10mg. 20mg tablets taken twice a day can be used to treat pulmonary hypertension. 2mg and 5mg tablets can also be used to treat a benign prostate enlargement. Usually, 5mg is prescribed for benign prostate enlargement, taken once a day.

Tadalafil can cause side effects, but most people don’t experience these or only have minor ones. Side effects can include:

• headaches
• nausea
• hot flushes
• indigestion
• blocked nose
• muscle aches

Serious side effects are rare, but you should call 999 or go to A&E if you have:

• a sudden loss of vision
• sudden problems with your hearing
• a prolonged or painful erection
• chest pain
• a seizure or fit

Tadalafil isn’t suitable for everyone. You should speak to your doctor or pharmacist before taking tadalafil if you:

• have ever had an allergic reaction to tadalafil or any other medicine
• are taking nitrates for angina
• have a serious heart or liver condition
• have recently had a stroke or a heart attack
• have hypotension or hypertension
• have ever lost your vision due to reduced blood flow to the eye
• have sickle cell anaemia, leukaemia or multiple myeloma 
• have Peyronie's disease or a similar problem with your penis
• have a liver or kidney condition
• have a heart condition

Vardenafil (Levitra)

You should take Vardenafil 25 to 60 minutes before you want to have sex. It can last for four to five hours.

Vardenafil comes as 5mg, 10mg and 20mg tablets, though the usual dose is 10mg. You should not take more than one dose of vardenafil within 24 hours.

Vardenafil can cause side effects, though most people don’t experience them. Side effects can include:

• headaches
• hot flushes
• indigestion
• blocked nose
• dizziness

Serious side effects are rare, but you should call 999 or go to A&E if you have:

• a sudden loss of vision
• sudden problems with your hearing
• a prolonged erection
• chest pain

Vardenafil isn’t suitable for everyone. You should speak to your doctor or pharmacist before taking vardenafil if you:

• have ever had an allergic reaction to vardenafil or any other medicine
• have angina
• have a serious heart, liver or kidney condition
• have recently had a stroke or a heart attack
• have hypotension
• have an eye condition that has caused loss of vision
• have sickle cell anaemia, leukaemia or multiple myeloma 
• have Peyronie's disease or a similar problem with your penis
• have a condition that causes bleeding, like a stomach ulcer
• are using or taking any other prescription or non-prescription medicines

Avanafil (Spedra)

Avanafil reaches maximum concentration within 30 to 45 minutes. You should take it 15 to 30 minutes before you want to have sex.

Avanafil comes as 50mg, 100mg and 200mg tablets, though the usual dose is 100mg. You should not take more than one dose of avanafil within 24 hours.

Avanafil can cause side effects, though most people don’t experience them. Side effects can include:

• headaches
• hot flushes
• blocked nose

Serious side effects are rare, but you should call 999 or go to A&E if you have:

• a sudden loss of vision
• sudden problems with your hearing
• a prolonged erection
• chest pain

Avanafil isn’t suitable for everyone. You should speak to your doctor or pharmacist before taking avanafil if you:

• have ever had an allergic reaction to avanafil or any other medicine
• have angina
• have a serious heart, liver or kidney condition
• have recently had a stroke or a heart attack
• have hypotension
• have an eye condition that has caused loss of vision
• have sickle cell anaemia, leukaemia or multiple myeloma 
• have Peyronie's disease or a similar problem with your penis
• have a condition that causes bleeding, like a stomach ulcer
• are using or taking any other prescription or non-prescription medicines

Comparing erectile dysfunction pills

Active Ingredient	Product Name	Availability	Price Range	Ideal For
SILDENAFIL	Sildenafil	Prescription-only, in stock	£4.39 – £74.69	Individuals looking for Viagra or a cheaper alternative to Viagra
	Viagra	Prescription-only, in stock	£29.99 – £39.19
	Viagra Connect	Over-the-counter (OTC), in stock	£22.99 – £121.99
	Noxtio	OTC, in stock	£27.49
	Liberize	OTC, in stock	£21.89
	Almus	OTC, out of stock	£9.99 – £17.69
TADALAFIL	Tadalafil	Prescription-only, in stock	£16.99 – £21.99	Individuals who want a medication that is effective for up to 36 hours. Cialis comes in low dose versions (2.5–5 mg) that can be taken daily if you want to be ready to have sex more often.
	Cialis	Prescription-only, in stock	£84.99 – £98.99
	Cialis Together	OTC, in stock	£21.99 – £8.49
	Staynix	OTC, in stock	£10.99
	Aserbidox	OTC, in stock	£11.99 – £39.99
VARDENAFIL	Vardenafil	Prescription-only, in stock	£9.89	Individuals who want a treatment that lasts up to five hours
	Levitra	Prescription-only, out of stock	£28.99 – £429.99
AVANAFIL	Spedra	Prescription-only, in stock	£18.99 – £32.99	Individuals looking to get an erection within 15–30 minutes

How well do ED pills work?

PDE-5 inhibitors are extremely well-studied; around 70% of men report having improved erections after taking one of these medicines. But these results can vary from person to person. For example, someone whose nerves or arteries have been damaged by surgery, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease will not respond as strongly to PDE-5 inhibitors.  

How to use ED pills properly

One misconception about male enhancement pills is that they can turn an erection on by themselves. However, this isn’t the case.

Because PDE-5 inhibitors work by encouraging blood to flow into your penis, they are simply helping your body to do what it should be able to do naturally when you are sexually stimulated. As a result, they only work in combination with sexual stimulation. That means you need to engage in foreplay with your partner for PDE-5 inhibitors to start to work. 

Non-prescription erectile dysfunction pills

You can get some ED pills without a prescription in the UK. The best ED pills over the counter are:

• Viagra Connect
• Cialis Together
• Aronix
• Liberize
• Stamiz
• Avarante
• Almus

The best erectile dysfunction pill without side effects

Unfortunately, there is no ED pill that comes without any potential side effects. All the medicines listed above can cause potential side effects but rarely do so. Before deciding whether to take medication for ED, you should speak to your GP or a pharmacist to get personalised advice. 

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