Steps before trying Erection Drugs.

Help boost effectiveness. For men who respond poorly to erection drugs, it may help to combine the medication with the over-the-counter supplement, ArginMax. Researchers at University of California, Davis, worked with men with ED, who did not get much benefit from Viagra. The men took Viagra plus either ArginMax or a placebo. After four weeks, erections improved significantly in 22 percent of those taking the placebo, but among men using ArginMax, the figure was 60 percent.

Know the erection drug’s intended use. Viagra was originally approved for medically diagnosed, persistent ED. The original ads featured elderly Senator Bob Dole talking about how it helped his medical problem.

But once a drug is approved for any reason, doctors are free to prescribe it for other, so-called “off label” uses. Today, all erection medications are most widely used as “erection insurance” for men in their 40s to 60s who have balky erections and don’t want to worry about them. Current ads for Viagra feature young, healthy, professional baseball players saying: “I take batting practice. I take fielding practice. I take Viagra.” Ads for **** and **** are similar, featuring men who appear to be in their 30s or early 40s, and healthy, but just a little concerned about erection reliability.