Your treatment options, without the sales pitch

Prescription ED treatment mostly centers on a class of medications called PDE5 inhibitors — they improve blood flow in response to arousal. Within that class, the practical differences are onset speed, how long effects last, and format.

Standard single-ingredient tablets

Sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra®) and tadalafil (Cialis®) are the workhorses. Sildenafil is taken as needed; tadalafil comes in as-needed and daily low-dose versions. Generics have made both far more affordable than a decade ago. For many men, these work well.

Compounded multi-ingredient treatments

Some doctor-supervised telehealth programs offer compounded treatments that combine multiple active ingredients in a single dissolvable (sublingual) dose. Providers may consider these when single-ingredient tablets haven't worked well or when a dissolvable format is preferred. They're prescribed only when a licensed provider determines they're appropriate.

Beyond medication

Lifestyle factors — cardiovascular fitness, sleep, alcohol, smoking — genuinely move the needle, and addressing underlying conditions matters. Devices, therapy for psychological factors, and other clinical options exist for men who don't respond to medication. A provider can walk you through the full landscape.

How to choose

Honestly: you don't choose the medication — a licensed provider does, based on your health. What you can choose is the program: its cost, format options, provider access, and shipping. That's what our quiz matches on.