What if Viagra Doesn’t Work for Erectile Dysfunction?

Posted: February 23, 2022

If you have erectile dysfunction, you may be prescribed Viagra. However, what happens if that medication doesn’t work? The good news is that there are many options for treating erectile dysfunction. Let’s explore what Viagra is, why it may or may not work, and what to do if this treatment doesn’t improve your erections.

Our team offers custom treatment solutions for your erectile dysfunction to help you improve your sex life.

Does Viagra Always Work for Erectile Dysfunction?

Viagra is one of the most commonly prescribed medications for erectile dysfunction. Yet, like most medications, it might not be right for every case. There may be many reasons that Viagra doesn’t work for you, but fortunately there may be other treatment solutions.

How Viagra Works

Before we get into why it might not work for you, let’s discuss how Viagra actually works. Viagra is the brand name for the drug sildenafil, which is a PDE5 inhibitor. PDE5 is an enzyme that can make it difficult for your blood vessels and arteries to relax and dilate. This can reduce the amount of blood flow to various parts of the body, including the penis. PDE5 inhibitors reduce the amount of the PDE5 enzyme in your body to increase blood flow for your erections. Therefore, sildenafil and other PDE5 inhibitors address blood flow problems that may cause erectile dysfunction.

Viagra May Not Work for Everyone

While sildenafil is often the go-to for erectile dysfunction treatment, it may not work for everyone. In some cases, our providers may not prescribe it due to potential interactions with other medications you’re taking. In other cases, you may try it and notice it doesn’t help your erections. Some men find that it stops working as well over time. It’s important to talk to our providers if you experience these issues with sildenafil, as there are other options available.

For some men, Viagra just may not be the right medication. Other PDE5 inhibitors may work better for you. In other cases, it could be that another underlying condition may be interfering with how the drug works. For instance, if you have low testosterone, you might also have low sex drive, which can make it difficult to achieve an erection. If this is the case, you may need both testosterone therapy and erectile dysfunction medications. Nerve damage, which is common in those that have diabetes, can also interfere with other necessary interactions in your body needed for an erection. Another common issue is if you have clogged arteries, which can block the increased blood flow from sildenafil. Therefore, there may be many different reasons Viagra might not work for you.

How to Take Viagra Effectively for Erectile Dysfunction Treatment

While other health conditions can cause Viagra to not work, it could also be that you’re not using it correctly. In fact, some estimate that between 56% and 81% of sildenafil “failures” are actually due to incorrect use, according to Healthline. Therefore, it may be helpful to consider how you’re using sildenafil for your erectile dysfunction.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Large Meals Affect Viagra. If you’re eating a big or particularly fatty meal before taking your pill, it can actually affect how well your stomach absorbs the medicine. Try to time that big, romantic meal at least a couple of hours before you take your ED drugs.
• Alcohol May Interfere with Sildenafil. Have you ever noticed it’s hard to get an erection after drinking? That’s because alcohol can interfere with several elements of the erection process, including circulation, nerve sensitivity, hormone levels, and desire. The same is true even when you take sildenafil to achieve an erection. So, try to avoid alcohol before taking Viagra.
• You Must be Patient. Viagra is not instantaneous. You can’t take a pill and expect to immediately experience and erection. It typically takes 30 to 60 minutes for sildenafil to start working and it can continue working for up to four hours.
• Viagra Doesn’t Work without Stimulation. There’s a misconception that taking sildenafil always causes an erection, but that isn’t really the case. You need to be in the mood and have some sort of stimulation, whether physical, mental, or visual. So, make sure you’re aroused when you try Viagra.

If you’re still experiencing issues, then talk to our providers about how your treatment is going. Our team may have suggestions for correct use, or we may want to explore other options for erectile dysfunction treatment.

What if Viagra Isn’t Working for My Erectile Dysfunction?

If you’re taking your Viagra correctly and it doesn’t work, don’t get too discouraged. There are many ways to help with erectile dysfunction. One of the first steps to take is to try your medicine at least a few times in different scenarios. The next step is to talk to our treatment providers about next steps for your treatment.

Try it a Few Times in Different Scenarios

Let’s say you take Viagra the same night you pick up the prescription and you don’t like the results. It may not be time to throw the towel in just yet. Try using it more than once before you decide it doesn’t work for you. Also, consider taking Viagra under a few different circumstances.

For instance, if you tried it with your partner, it could be that you were feeling nervous, especially if it’s been a while or you’re feeling “rusty.” You might want to try using Viagra for masturbation to see if it helps you achieve and sustain an erection under those circumstances. If sildenafil doesn’t help after trying it a few times in different scenarios, the next step is to talk to our team about your erectile dysfunction treatment.

Talk to Our Providers

You tried Viagra and it’s not working out for you. It’s time to talk to our providers. It’s important to discuss your results (or lack of) with our providers so we can adjust your treatment plan. We are here to help find solutions that work for you, and fortunately there are several options we can take if your sildenafil isn’t working well for your erectile dysfunction.

What Will My Doctor Do if Viagra Doesn’t Work or Stops Working?

If you’re not getting the results you want from your current erectile dysfunction treatment plan, there are several things we can do to help. Our providers base treatment recommendations based on your individual circumstances, but some common options we may explore is increasing the dosage for your Viagra or prescribing different erectile dysfunction medications.

We May Increase the Dose

As with most medications, many doctors start you off at the lowest therapeutic dose and increase from there. For men between 18 and 64, the recommended dose for Viagra is 50 milligrams. For men 65 and older, the recommended dose is 25 milligrams. However, it may be that the dose is too low for you if it’s not improving your erectile dysfunction symptoms. Therefore, we may try increasing the dose until we find one that works well for you. Doses can go up to 100 milligrams, so we may try incrementally increasing the dose until we reach that point, depending on your unique situation.

You May Need Different ED Drugs

Another option our providers may recommend is trying different ED drugs for treatment. There are many different alternatives to Viagra that may work better for you. Our providers can help you find the right one for you.

For example, in some cases another PDE5 inhibitor may work better for you than sildenafil. Tadalafil (the generic name for Cialis) is another common erectile dysfunction pill that inhibits the PDE5 enzyme. However, this medication can last longer and may be taken as a daily pill instead of on an as-needed basis like sildenafil. This treatment option may work better for you if you’re not satisfied with your results from Viagra.

If PDE5 inhibitors don’t work well for you, then we may look at other treatment options. For instance, PT-141 peptide therapy uses special amino acids that can increase sexual arousal and desire in the brain, which may help with your erectile dysfunction. TriMix injections are another option that combines three erectile dysfunction medications to help increase blood flow to the penis for erections. Therefore, there are many erectile dysfunction treatment options available. Our team is here to work with you to find options that suit your needs and lifestyle.

Get Help for Erectile Dysfunction from Low T Center

If you’re struggling with erectile dysfunction or if one treatment option just isn’t working well for you, talk to our providers at Low T Center. Our goal is to provide quality health care for men. We offer diagnosis and treatment for many common health conditions, including erectile dysfunction. Getting treatment is simple, affordable, and convenient at our locations across the nation. Start living your best life and make an appointment at a clinic near you to address your health.

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Disclaimer: This article is made available for general, entertainment and educational purposes only. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Low T Center. You should always seek the advice of a licensed healthcare professional.