It’s only human nature to be cautious about the potential side effects that medications can cause. All types of medications have side effects. There are even people who react harshly to the effects of Tylenol, for instance. So, based on that, I thought it was time for a post to dive deep into what ED medications essentially help with.
Before I tried Sildenafil, I wasn’t terrified, but I was cautious, as I knew about the potential side effects, from the mild ones to the exceptionally rare ones. This post is to ease the minds of gentlemen who are on the fence about using ED drugs—along with information on which drug has the least amount of reported side effects.
Starting with the most widely used ED medication: Viagra. It was developed in 1998 by Pfizer and quickly approved by the FDA.
Viagra is available in the following doses: 25, 50, and 100 mg. While the 25 mg dose is usually only prescribed to men who are prone to side effects, the 50 mg dose is the one most commonly prescribed to the majority of new users.
Cialis has been around since 2003 and was quickly approved by the FDA. The active ingredient in Cialis is Tadalafil.
Cialis is available in the following doses: 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 mg. As always, the higher the dose, the greater the risk of side effects, but we will get to that.
Sildenafil is the active ingredient in Viagra, but it’s much cheaper than the little blue pill. This ED medication is my personal favorite. It has the same potential side effects as the branded Viagra.
Stendra/Spedra is the newest drug in the ED medication market. Introduced in 2013, it doesn’t have as many reported side effects as other ED medications. However, it does have an advantage over the others: its active ingredient, Avanafil, is very fast-acting—taking only 15-25 minutes to take effect!
The difference between Viagra/Sildenafil/Cialis and Spedra is that while they all are PDE-5 inhibitors, Spedra (Avanafil) is more selective in its action, which leads to fewer and milder side effects. Spedra specifically targets the PDE-5 enzyme responsible for erectile function with greater precision, minimizing its effect on other enzymes.
Sildenafil (Viagra), on the other hand, not only targets PDE-5 but can also inhibit PDE-6, an enzyme found in the retina. This inhibition of PDE-6 is associated with visual side effects such as blurred vision or color distortion, which are less common with Spedra. By being more selective, Spedra offers a faster onset of action and a lower likelihood of side effects like headaches, flushing, and nasal congestion, making it an appealing choice for individuals concerned about these issues.
There are also topical gels that can help. Since they are gels, they act locally and directly, without circulating through the rest of the body. These do have side effects to though only locally.
Before I tried Sildenafil, I wasn’t terrified, but I was cautious, as I knew about the potential side effects, from the mild ones to the exceptionally rare ones. This post is to ease the minds of gentlemen who are on the fence about using ED drugs—along with information on which drug has the least amount of reported side effects.
- Viagra
Starting with the most widely used ED medication: Viagra. It was developed in 1998 by Pfizer and quickly approved by the FDA.
Viagra is available in the following doses: 25, 50, and 100 mg. While the 25 mg dose is usually only prescribed to men who are prone to side effects, the 50 mg dose is the one most commonly prescribed to the majority of new users.
Most reported mild side effects (occurring in about 15% of users on average):
- Headache
- Flushing
- Nasal congestion
Most reported serious side effects (occurring in about 2% of users on average):
- Blurred vision/light sensitivity
- Nausea
- Muscle/back pain
- Cialis
Cialis has been around since 2003 and was quickly approved by the FDA. The active ingredient in Cialis is Tadalafil.
Cialis is available in the following doses: 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 mg. As always, the higher the dose, the greater the risk of side effects, but we will get to that.
Most reported mild side effects (occurring in less than 11% of users on average):
- Flushing
- Upset stomach
- Nasal congestion
Most reported serious side effects (occurring in less than 1.5% of users on average):
- Visual disturbances
- Severe drop in blood pressure
- Sildenafil
Sildenafil is the active ingredient in Viagra, but it’s much cheaper than the little blue pill. This ED medication is my personal favorite. It has the same potential side effects as the branded Viagra.
- Stendra (US)/Spedra (Europe)
Stendra/Spedra is the newest drug in the ED medication market. Introduced in 2013, it doesn’t have as many reported side effects as other ED medications. However, it does have an advantage over the others: its active ingredient, Avanafil, is very fast-acting—taking only 15-25 minutes to take effect!
Most reported mild side effects (occurring in less than 9.5% of users):
- Headache
- Flushing
- Nasal congestion
Most reported serious side effects (occurring in less than 0.5% of users):
- Severe drop in blood pressure
- Visual disturbances
The difference between Viagra/Sildenafil/Cialis and Spedra is that while they all are PDE-5 inhibitors, Spedra (Avanafil) is more selective in its action, which leads to fewer and milder side effects. Spedra specifically targets the PDE-5 enzyme responsible for erectile function with greater precision, minimizing its effect on other enzymes.
Sildenafil (Viagra), on the other hand, not only targets PDE-5 but can also inhibit PDE-6, an enzyme found in the retina. This inhibition of PDE-6 is associated with visual side effects such as blurred vision or color distortion, which are less common with Spedra. By being more selective, Spedra offers a faster onset of action and a lower likelihood of side effects like headaches, flushing, and nasal congestion, making it an appealing choice for individuals concerned about these issues.
There are also topical gels that can help. Since they are gels, they act locally and directly, without circulating through the rest of the body. These do have side effects to though only locally.
