Oral Medications for erectile dysfunction

Treatment

Sildenafil

Sildenafil ('viagra') is a selective PDE5 inhibitor (see neurophysiology section). During sexual stimulation, nerves in the penis release nitric oxide (NO). This molecule in turn causes an increase in the amounts of cGMP in the corpora cavernosa. It is this elevation of cGMP that is responsible for the vasodilation that produces erections. Sildenafil works by inhibiting the enzyme that breaks the cGMP down.

Sildenafil is supplied in 25, 50 and 100mg doses of sildenafil citrate. The tablet is taken one hour before sexual activity. It does not cause an erection unless the man is sexually stimulated.

The most common adverse side effects of this treatment are:

Headache
Flushing
Nasal stuffiness
Visual disturbances

There are other oral medications available such as:

Phentolamine
Yohimbine
Delaquamine
Trazodone
Apomorphine
L-arginine