H05 -- January 2005 -- Erectile Dysfunction Drugs

Intro: If you’ve ever watched a prime time TV show you’ve seen the ads. Commercials promoting Viagra, Levitra or Cialis – erectile dysfunction drugs. Those medications have helped millions of men have a normal sex life. But how do you know which of those medications, if any, are right for you? Let’s go to Mayo Clinic to find out.

THREE BIG NAMES. THREE DIFFERENT DRUGS. ALL OF WHICH HAVE BROUGHT ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION INTO THE LIGHT.

“PATIENTS ARE ABLE TO CONVERSE MUCH MORE FREELY AMONGST THEIR FRIENDS, AMONGST THEIR PARTNERS.”

AND DR. AJAY NEHRA [AH-JAY NEH-RAH] SAYS TALKING TO A DOCTOR ABOUT ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION, OR E.D., IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD BEING TREATED SUCCESSFULLY WITH DRUGS LIKE VIAGRA, LEVITRA AND CIALIS. BUT WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE DRUGS AND HOW DO THEY WORK? TO GET THE ANSWERS YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND E.D. IT’S GENERALLY NOT A PHYSCHOLOGICAL PROBLEM.

“ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION IS REALLY SYNONYMOUS WITH WHAT WE CALL ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUCTION”

MEANING THAT THE INNER LINING OF YOUR BLOOD VESSELS DOESN’T FUNCTION PROPERLY. BLOOD DOESN’T FLOW AS IT SHOULD. IT CAN BE A COMPLICATION OF MANY ISSUES INCLUDING HEART DISEASE, DIABETES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, PROSTATE SURGERY, OR ALCOHOLISM.

NOW BACK TO THE DIFFERENCES. VIAGRA, WHICH HAS BEEN ON THE MARKET THE LONGEST, IS FAST-ACTING. IT STARTS WORKING WITHIN ONE TO TWO HOURS AND LASTS FROM SIX TO 12 HOURS.

LEVITRA IS SIMILAR BUT IT’S EVEN FASTER. IT WORKS WITHIN 30 MINUTES AND LASTS 6-12 HOURS.

CIALIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. IT TAKES THREE TO FOUR HOURS TO WORK AND IT LASTS FOR TWO TO THREE DAYS.

ALL THREE DRUGS ARE SAFE FOR MOST MEN, BUT THEY CAN CAUSE SIDE EFFECTS: HEADACHE, STOMACHACHE AND FLUSHING. CIALIS CAN ALSO CAUSE BACK OR LEG PAIN. SO THE DRUG YOU CHOOSE DEPENDS ON YOUR LIFESTYLE AND YOUR HEALTH.

FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I’M VIVIEN WILIIAMS.

Tag: E.D. drugs are effective for 50 to 60-percent of the men who take them. Be sure to talk to your doctor when considering these medications. That’s because these drugs can cause bad reactions if taken with certain others. For example, if you’re on nitroglycerine the combination can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure. Also, men with enlarged prostates may not be able to take E.D. drugs. For more information log onto our Website at…

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