Natural Remedies for Erectile Dysfunction Are Risky

Unregulated supplements for sexual problems are an unnecessary gamble. You might be better off using a low-cost generic of Viagra or Cialis instead.

You have erectile dysfunction (ED). How do you fix the problem? This is one case where a pill could make an important difference.

Some 30 million men in the U.S. have ED, according to the American Urological Association. About half of American men over 40 have the problem to some degree. Men under 40 may be more likely to seek help, one study found.

But there’s a solution at hand. Your insurance may cover medication, and super-cheap generic options are available online.

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Some men, however, are drawn to the idea of a natural or herbal remedy sold as a dietary supplement or food. It’s important to remember that the natural label doesn’t mean that the product has been regulated. You’re trusting the manufacturer.

That’s a gamble you might rethink. In testing by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), nearly 300 of the non-pharmaceutical products sold to enhance sexual performance contained undisclosed drugs.

In fact, sometimes they contained some Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra, the popular prescriptions for ED. Yet the drugs weren’t listed on the labels, and the products may have contained other drugs or excessively high doses. Other products had tainted ingredients.

The problem became national news when former basketball Lamar Odom was rushed to the hospital, after reportedly taking 10 herbal “Viagras.”

“We’re finding an alarming number of these products sold online and in retail stores. They’re often sold in single-serving sizes in gas stations or vending machines,” says Gary Coody, RPh, former FDA national health fraud coordinator. “We’ve seen pills, coffees, chewing gum, and dissolvable oral strips that contain hidden drug ingredients or untested chemicals.”

You should be wary of products that promise quick results (as in a half hour) and are advertised as alternatives to FDA-approved prescription drugs. Other giveaways are single doses, advertisement via spam or unsolicited emails or texts, labels written in a foreign language, and directions that mimic those for FDA-approved products.

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Before you start taking something with a weird or exotic name, consider some measures you can take that might improve your condition.

ED is most often connected with less blood flow to the penis, and that can be caused by a poor diet, too little exercise, and being overweight.

Many factors can influence ED, to varying degrees. If you smoke, there’s a risk of ED because nicotine reduces genital blood flow and impairs your ability to obtain an erection.

ED might be a side effect of many prescription drugs. You might find an alternative drug that accomplishes the same therapeutic results without that side effect, so talk with your pharmacist or doctor.

Drinking too much alcohol can aggravate depression, which also affects sexual function.

ED can also be a sign of an underlying health condition or a risk of heart disease. Sometimes treating the condition may reverse your ED.

As reluctant as you may be, you need to seek professional help to deal with mental health issues and learn coping mechanisms. Make sure to talk with your spouse or partner as well. Communication goes a long way toward easing tension in a relationship.

You can also fight ED without drugs. Vacuum pumps draw blood into your penis and tension rings help you maintain an erection by stopping the blood from flowing out. You can also have self-injections with a special drug and the insertion of a medicated pellet into your urethra.

No matter how you tackle an erectile problem, start with a doctor consultation first. Try to remember ED is nothing to be embarrassed about. Millions of men have some sort of erectile problem, and millions have been successfully treated.

Just be very careful about what you put into your body. You can probably find a solution to your problem without risking your health. If it seems too good to be true, don’t believe it.

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