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Erectile dysfunction is a common condition affecting many men. If you are looking to order a prescription for an erectile dysfunction treatment, we can help. To place an order fill in our brief questionnaire, so our doctor can make sure that the medication you would like is suitable for you.
Order a prescription for Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, Spedra or 'Generic Sildenafil' online - or ask our doctor to recommend a medication.
Once your prescription has been approved, you have two delivery options. Prescriptions for urgent treatment can be delivered by Pharmacy Collect, usually within an hour. Or you can choose for your prescription to be delivered to your address. Prescriptions can be used at a pharmacy of your choice.
A consultation for erectile dysfunction treatment costs €20.
When a man becomes sexually aroused, his brain sends nerve signals to his penis causing an erection (the nerves increase the blood flow to the penis and the tissue expands and hardens). Erectile dysfunction, sometimes referred to as ED or impotence, is when a man cannot get or keep a firm enough erection to have satisfactory sex. The term can also refer to a lack of sexual desire (a reduced libido). Erectile dysfunction treatment can help men achieve an erection and enjoy sex. Which treatment is best depends on what is causing the problem.
Erectile dysfunction is very common and is thought, in some way, to affect roughly 50% of all men aged 40-70. Erectile dysfunction is very different to issues with ejaculation (for example, premature ejaculation – where arousal, orgasm and ejaculation happen quickly.)
It is also possible for some medicines to cause erectile dysfunction.
You might find that you sometimes experience difficulty getting an erection and other times find it very easy. For example, you might get an erection in the morning and when you masturbate, but not when you try to have sex with your partner. In this type of scenario, it is likely that the cause of your erectile dysfunction is psychological. It could be stress related, for example. If you can’t ever get an erection, under any circumstances, the causes of your impotence are probably physical.
Erectile dysfunction can also be the result of psychological causes like depression and anxiety. Emotional issues can also affect whether you feel physically able to get and keep an erection. If you are having relationship problems or starting a new relationship, if you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing when it comes to sex, if you have had sexual issues in the past or have experienced sexual abuse, then you may find that you are experiencing erectile dysfunction. Counselling can help to resolve these issues.
It is possible to get erectile dysfunction that is caused by both physical and psychological factors. An example might be, if you have multiple sclerosis and find it difficult to get an erection, you may then be worried about this. The two factors together can lead to an episode of ED.
If you drink alcohol heavily, take illegal drugs like heroin, cocaine or cannabis, or if you are very tired, this can result in erectile dysfunction, too.
If you’re worried that your medication is causing erectile dysfunction, speak to your GP as there might be other options that you could try. Don’t stop taking a medicine that your GP has prescribed without discussing it with a qualified professional though.
For advice on how to prevent erectile dysfunction, please read our article.
Viagra and Levitra are erectile dysfunction treatments, which work for between four and eight hours after you take them. Cialis lasts for longer – about a day and a half – so is more suited if you need a longer-lasting treatment, for example, over a full weekend. All three erectile dysfunction treatments start working within half an hour to an hour. The medication will work faster if you take it on an empty stomach. You can then eat an hour after taking it without affecting its effectiveness.
You should talk to your doctor about which erectile dysfunction treatment might be best for you, depending on whether you have taken one before and how often you intend to have sex.
If you find that PDE-5 inhibitors don’t work, you might want to consider whether you waited long enough for the erectile dysfunction treatment to kick in, whether you waited too long for the medication to kick in, whether you had a high enough dose, and whether you felt sexually aroused. You still need to feel sexually stimulated to get an erection when taking an erectile dysfunction treatment.
There are different types of treatment depending on the causes of your impotence.
The most common types of treatment include:
Read on for more advice on coping strategies if you have erectile dysfunction.
You can often improve the erectile problems by switching to live a healthier lifestyle.
Some changes that you can make yourself include:
If you are suffering from erectile dysfunction as a result of an underlying health condition, you’ll usually need to treat the underlying condition first, before you embark upon a course of treatment for impotence. You may then find that by treating the underlying condition, this solves the problem of your erectile dysfunction too. Speak to your doctor about the fact that you are struggling with ED as well as your underlying condition, so that they can factor this into your treatment plan.
If you are taking medication for another condition and you think that this is causing erectile dysfunction, have a chat with your doctor about it. It may be that they can suggest an alternative type of medication. Make sure that you talked to your doctor or healthcare professional before you stop taking any medication that you’ve been prescribed.Counselling can be very helpful for people who have erectile dysfunction that is caused by psychological problems like anxiety or depression. Another type of treatment for people who have ED that has a psychological cause is called Sensate Focus.
Sensate focus is a type of sex therapy. You and your partner agree not to have sex for a set period of time. During this time, you can still touch each other, but you agree not to touch each others’ genitals (or a woman’s breasts). During the agreed timeframe, you then set aside time to spend together as a couple to explore each others’ bodies without having sex. Clothed or naked, you can massage each other, explore touch, and stroke each other. Once the agreed timeframe has passed, you can then start to touch each others’ genitals, you can start to use your mouth as a way of exploring each others’ bodies through kissing or licking your partner, for example. Gradually, you can then build up to penetrative sex together.Like acupuncture claim to improve impotence. The evidence of whether this is effective is limited. If you decide to try to treat your erectile difficulties with complementary therapies, speak to your doctor first because sometimes they can interact with other medicines.
A vacuum pump is made up of a clear plastic tube connected to a hand or battery activated pump. You put your penis into the tube and pump out all of the air. This increases the blood flow to your penis so that you can get and sustain an erection. You then put a rubber ring around the base of your penis to keep the blood there. Using this, you will be able to sustain an erection for about 30 minutes. It can take a bit of practice to get used to using the pump properly, but 90% of men who used it found that they were able to sustain an erection (regardless of the cause of their impotence).
You shouldn’t use the vacuum pump if you have a bleeding disorder or take anti-coagulant (blood thinning) drugs. Under a third of people find that they experience side effects of pain or bruising using the pump.
If you find that your erectile dysfunction is not responding to your course of treatment, or if you can’t use Viagra, Cialis, Levitra or the vacuum pump, then your doctor might suggest you try Alprostadil (a synthetic hormone that increases the flow of blood to the penis given either as injection into the penis or as a pellet placed inside the urethra). You can be trained in how to inject or insert the pellet of Alprostadil. It usually takes effect within five to fifteen minutes. The length of time that the erection lasts for varies with the dose. If your partner is pregnant, you’ll need to use a condom during sex.
Alprostadil when placed in the urethra is effective in 2 out of 3 men with ED. Alprostadil injections worked for just over 8 out of 10 men who found that Viagra, Cialis and Levitra didn’t work for them.Men with the following conditions should not use Alprostadil:
Men with the following conditions should not use Alprostadil:
If your doctor thinks that your erectile dysfunction is related to your hormones, chances are you will be referred to a hormone specialist (an endocrinologist) who will look to rebalance your hormone levels (probably with a series of hormone injections.)
Surgery is a last resort for treating impotence. It is normally only recommended for younger men who have seriously injured their pelvic area or men who have an anatomical problem with their penis.
It used to be the case that if a man had a blockage in the blood vessels leading to the penis, then surgery could be used as a way to unblock these to allow the blood to flow again. However, evidence shows that this surgery is often not successful in the longer term, so it is now rarely used to treat this problem.Please read our article on natural cures for erectile dysfunction for more information.
Men who have cardiovascular disease including conditions like coronary heart disease, should use PDE-5 inhibitors with caution. Speak to your doctor if this applies to you. Sex can be a good way to improve your cardiovascular health, but you need to ensure that you are fit enough to take the medication safely.
If you have an anatomical issue with your penis, like Peyronie’s Disease, again you need to consult your doctor to see if it is safe for you to take an erectile dysfunction treatment.
If you are taking medicines (for example, to treat angina) or using recreational drugs (such as butyl nitrate, also known as poppers) that contain nitrates, then you must not take PDE-5 inhibitors. Using the two drugs together can be very dangerous for your heart.
If you suffer from priapism (a painful erection that lasts several hours), or if you are taking long-lasting alpha-blockers (a type of medication used to treat high blood pressure), then, again, you need to be very cautious about taking any erectile dysfunction treatment, so speak to your doctor first.
Drug name | Viagra | Cialis | Levitra |
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Active Ingredient | Sildenafil | Tadalafil | Vardenafil |
How long it takes to work | usually works within thirty minutes | Cialis usually works in fifteen to thirty minutes, so it is slightly faster than Viagra and Levitra | usually works within just over half an hour |
How long it lasts | Normally about 4 hours (but up to 8 hours) | Up to thirty six hours. | Normally about 5 hours (but up to 8 hours) |
Some pros/cons | Reported to be the most effective of the three drugs, but also reported to have the most side effects of the three drugs | Because it lasts for up to 36 hours, the dosage cannot be repeated the following day, unlike Viagra and Levitra. | Reported to be the most suitable of the three drugs for diabetics. Fewest side effects out of the three drugs. |
Risks | Men with cardiovascular disease/anatomical issue with their penis/priapism/taking long-lasting alpha-blockers should use with caution and discuss with a doctor first. Do not mix with drugs/medications containing nitrates Do not take if you:
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Side effects | All can have the following side effects:
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If you have a question about this service, please email [email protected] with the question, and one of our doctors will get back to you within 24 hours.
If you need your medication urgently, choose DrEd's Pharmacy Collect service. This service is available between 9am and 4pm Monday - Friday. Orders placed outside of these hours will be processed the next working day. First, our doctors will review your treatment and approve if appropriate. We will then send an advanced notification of your prescription to a pharmacy of your choice. We aim to do this within an hour.
If your chosen pharmacy is unable to fulfil your prescription, we will get in touch with you to arrange alternative collection arrangements.
You can choose for your paper prescription to be delivered to your address. This takes 3-5 working days.
Complete a fast and simple online health questionnaire
Doctor reviews your suitability and if appropriate issues your prescription
We’ll send urgent scripts fast to any Irish pharmacy or the paper script to your address
You can complete one of our online assessments at any time, whenever it suits you. It’s as easy as 1,2,3.
We want to make it easier and more affordable for you to access the healthcare you need.
Orders placed before 4pm will be dispatched the same day.
Estimated Delivery:
Delivered to your chosen address within 3-5 working days.
Estimated Delivery:
For urgent orders, delivered to your chosen pharmacy from 1 hour of placing your order if placed Mon-Fri 9am-4pm.
Your prescription will be delivered in plain, unlabeled packaging
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