The Idiot’s Guide to ED Pills: What Every Guy Should Know Before He Pops One

Perhaps you’re frustrated about being too soft for sex and are thinking about taking an erectile dysfunction pill. But how much do you really know about these ED medications? 

For example, did you know that about 30% of men who take ED medications do not experience any benefit?(1) And for other men, the drugs are effective at first, but over time, they stop working.(2) 

In this blog post, we’ll dive into everything you need to know about ED pills, so that you can make an educated decision about whether they’re the right solution for you. 

How ED Pills Work

When a man becomes sexually aroused, blood vessels leading into the penis become wider so that more blood can flow through them—this is known as dilation. 

As the penile vessels dilate, blood fills the erectile tissue called the corpora cavernosa, which lines the penis shaft. Filling the corpora cavernosa with an ample supply of blood leads to an erection.

ED pills temporarily dilate the blood vessels leading into the penis, which widens the vessels and increases blood flow to the corpora cavernosa, resulting in an erection. 

ED medications widen vessels by inhibiting phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5), an enzyme that constricts penile blood vessels and blocks blood flow. This is why many ED medications are called PDE5 inhibitors.

What ED Medications Do and Don’t Do

ED pills do not permanently fix the leading cause of ED, impaired blood flow. They only temporarily widen blood vessels to cause blood to flow around the plaque that is blocking the penile vessel. They do nothing to get rid of the root cause and are only a band-aid solution. 

They Can Stop Working Over Time

Men who notice that ED pills suddenly stop working may have become desensitized to the medication, a condition known as tachyphylaxis. This causes the drug to become ineffective over time, even when larger doses are used. It can happen with any drug, but is more common in drugs that act on the nervous system. Research has shown that in many men, erectile dysfunction medications can stop working within two years or less.(2) 

Other Reasons Why ED Pills Stop Working—Or Never Work To Begin With

A number of possible reasons exist why ED Pills do not produce erections in some men. Here are some of the most common:

You’re Not Aroused Enough

In order for ED pills to produce an erection, you must be sexually aroused. Being too tired for sex or experiencing relationship issues are two factors that can rob men of their sexual desire and cause ED drugs to be ineffective. Men who are suffering from performance anxiety also find that ED pills don’t always work. 

Taking ED Pills With a High-Fat Meal

ED drugs work best when taken on an empty stomach. Taking them with a large or high-fat meal will decrease their absorption, make them less effective, and take longer for them to start working. So much for engaging in sexual activity after a romantic meal.

Using ED Meds with Alcohol

Drinking a lot of alcohol on a regular basis may lead to ED. In alcoholic men, some research has found ED pills can improve erections, but this may not be the case for every man. Drinking more than a moderate amount of alcohol can damage health in many ways, so talk to your doctor about whether reducing alcohol intake or eliminating it altogether is a good option.   

Not Giving Them Enough Time to Work

Taking an ED pill right before sexual activity probably won’t work, unless you’re one of the lucky few men who find that its effects begin in 14 minutes. In most men, ED pills’  effects start to kick in 30 to 60 minutes after taking the medication. In some cases, they can take up to two hours to be effective. 

Low Testosterone Levels

Testosterone is a hormone closely tied to healthy erections and libido. Testosterone levels that are too low can interfere with a man’s ability to have an erection. Taking an ED medication might compensate for these low levels.(3) However, eliminating the root cause of ED in these cases—low testosterone—may be the more effective option.  

The Dose Needs Adjustment

When an ED medication is not effective, talk to your doctor about whether taking a higher dose is warranted. 

It’s important not to try to increase the dose on your own. Also, avoid taking more than your prescribed dose every 24 hours. Taking ED pills too often can cause harmful levels to build up in the body. This can lead to a painful erection that lasts more than four hours, a medical emergency known as priapism that can cause long-term damage to the penis if not treated right away. 

How Many Guys Experience Serious Adverse Events?

An article in Psychology Today reported on a study from Ohio State University in which the researchers used the Freedom of Information Act to access the FDA’s entire catalog of adverse event reports for ED pills.(4) 

Over a decade, there were 26,451 reports, which amounted to 220 adverse event reports per month. 

Some of these adverse event reports involved serious cardiovascular events and even deaths. Psychology Today points out that with 5 million American men taking ED pills, the chance of suffering a serious side effect or death is “tiny.”  

Even the study’s authors estimate the risk of serious adverse events to be around 0.006 percent, just six in 100,000. Even so, Psychology Today pointed out that 220 adverse events per month is concerning, as is the fact that some of those adverse event reports involved death. 

Psychology Today recommended that men who have risk factors for cardiovascular disease avoid ED drugs. 

Other Side Effects of ED Pills

Some of the most common side effects of ED drugs include problems that are frustrating and not life-threatening:

• Headaches

• Flushing

• Indigestion 

• Nasal congestion

• Runny nose

• Dizziness

• Muscle aches

• Back pain 

More serious side effects include:

• An erection that lasts four or more hours (priapism). This is a medical emergency and can damage your penis if not treated.

• Sudden vision or hearing loss

• Chest pain

• Allergic reactions 

You Can Use ED Pills with Li-ESWT and the Smart Ring

Many guys choose to use at-home acoustic soundwave therapy (Li-ESWT) and The Smart Ring as their main solutions for ED. However, some guys use a combination of ED pills together with acoustic soundwave therapy and The Smart Ring. 

You can choose whatever works best for you.

Low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (Li-ESWT), also called acoustic sound wave therapy, is an effective way to support blood flow to the penis. 

For an erection to take place, blood must flow into erectile tissue. Li-ESWT uses powerful soundwaves to safely eliminate plaque in the vessels leading to the penis, improving blood flow. It also promotes the growth of healthy new blood vessels, further enhancing blood flow to the penis.     

Urologists have treated men with this type of therapy for over a decade with a great deal of success. There are more than 40 clinical trials and case studies showing Li-ESWT is effective. You can read more about the science behind Li-ESWT in a previous blog post. 

Recently, an innovative Li-ESWT device became available to use in the comfort and privacy of home to avoid the expense and embarrassing conversations associated with in-clinic Li-ESWT treatments. This at-home device does not need a prescription.

The Smart Ring can be used together with acoustic soundwave therapy to trap blood in the penis and to track important measures of erectile health, such as whether or not you’re having nocturnal erections. The Smart Ring is also a good way to find out whether your erection is getting stronger after Li-ESWT treatments. 

The Truth Behind ED Pills

ED pills can help some guys, but they’re not without risks. What’s more, in some men, they either don’t work at all or they stop working within a couple of years or less. A possible alternative is Li-ESWT (acoustic soundwave therapy), which can be used with The Smart Ring to support healthy blood flow. 

 Sources:

1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/when-drugs-for-erectile-dysfunction-dont-work-whats-next

2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11490248/

3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25648342/

4. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-about-sex/201412/warning-men-erection-drugs-just-might-kill-you