Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Have Side Effects

In an analysis conducted for more than 150 trials, Viagra was found to be more hamful.

Being the most effective treatment for the dysfunction, it has a side effect known as tadalafil.

Tadalafil is composed of possible side effects like headaches, flushing, indigestion and nasal congestion.

According to researchers report in European Urology Viagra is known generically as sildenafil.

Many men have trouble getting or keeping an erection, especially as they age, but erectile dysfunction – also known as ED – is not a natural part of aging, according to the US National Institutes of Health.

The new review compares seven common ED therapies, all belonging to a class of medications called phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5i’s).

They work by inhibiting an enzyme that may reduce the potency of an erection.

Exploring side effects

Viagra, Cialis, Levitra (vardenafil) and Stendra (avanafil) all work this way and are approved for use in the U.S.

The additional drugs Zydena, Helleva (lodenafil) and Mvix (mirodenafil) are only approved for use in other countries.

PDE5i's are considered the first-choice therapy for ED, but they're only effective for 60 to 80 percent of men who try them, and many will stop taking them, according to Dr. Alexander W. Pastuszak of Baylor College of Medicine's urology department in Houston, Texas. He was not part of the new study.

Researchers at the University of Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands reviewed 82 studies of the drugs’ effectiveness and 72 studies exploring side effects.

These treatments are all more effective than placebo for treating erectile dysfunction, and are generally safe and well tolerated, the authors note.

A 50- or 100-milligram (mg) dose of Viagra appeared to be the most effective treatment and It performed about 50 percent better than a placebo while Smaller doses were less effective.

Stendra, in doses ranging from 50 to 200 mg, was among the least effective – only 20 to 30 percent more effective than a placebo.

The 50-milligram dose of Stendra was associated with the lowest rate of side effects of any medication – 8.5 percent of the time.

By Musalia Wycliffe

Source: Reuters