A handy, inexpensive pill-splitter can help you stretch the dollars you spend for ED medications as far as possible.
Consider an Online Facilitator
Quit Smoking, Moderate Drinking
Manage Chronic Health Conditions
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Introduction
While evolutionary psychologists will no doubt debate whether it’s an adaptive behavior or hard-wired into the human psyche, the quest to get the most bang for the buck seems to be a widespread phenomenon. Most folks like to believe that each of their hard-earned dollars is being stretched just as far as possible. We all love a bargain, and if one isn’t readily available, we will find a way somehow to get the best deal possible.
And so it is with erectile dysfunction drugs, which while hardly the most expensive drugs are nevertheless relatively costly considering that they don’t really fall into the category of life-saving medications. Paying $70 or more for a pill that allows a man to get an erection for four to six hours is a fairly steep price, but one that many men would rather pay than face the alternative.
Happily, after two decades on the market, these medications are finally facing generic competition, which will eventually exert downward price pressure on all of these drugs. But even before the introduction of generic alternatives, men were finding a variety of ways to make their purchases of Viagra, Cialis, and the other PDE5 inhibitors as cost-effective as they possibly could. Feel free to take advantage of these money-saving ideas if they appeal to you.
Basic Considerations
Under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s current regulations, oral ED drugs such as Viagra and Cialis are available only by prescription. While Pfizer recently won approval from U.K. regulatory authorities to market an over-the-counter version of Viagra in England, no such proposal has yet been made for the American market.
To get a prescription, you will need to interact with a licensed U.S. physician, which can be done in a variety of ways. By far the most familiar is a visit to the family doctor, which might be uncomfortable for men who feel somewhat embarrassed talking about sensitive personal matters such as sexuality or, more specifically, their inability to get and keep an erection.
A limited number of online facilitators market both brand-name and generic ED drugs. And a handful of those can arrange consultations with licensed U.S. physicians who can authorize prescriptions for prospective customers who are deemed appropriate candidates for the drugs.
These consultations are usually conducted via a medical questionnaire filled out by the patient. It details the patient’s current health complaints, including erection problems, as well as his medical history, and includes a list of prescription and over-the-counter drugs he’s taking.
Beware No-Prescription Deals
Although the online marketplace can be a big time- and money-saver for savvy shoppers, it can also be a very dangerous place to shop for prescription medications. Websites that claim to provide prescription drugs without a prescription and at prices too good to be believed should be studiously avoided. Almost certainly, the products they are selling are not the same FDA-approved medications you’re seeking to buy. In fact, such sites most often supply counterfeit drugs that often contain toxic materials used as fillers or coloring agents. In some cases, they do actually contain the desired drug’s active ingredient but in amounts either too low to be effective or so high that they could be dangerous.
Websites of the type described above are usually based outside the United States, although the text contained on the site might well lead the casual visitor to assume otherwise. Although the so-called bargains they advertise might be extremely tempting, they are almost certainly going to be a waste of your money. Getting worthless — or even dangerous — drugs at attractive prices is not a bargain at all. You’ll end up worse off than you started.
Consider an Online Facilitator
Based in Mesa, Arizona, eDrugstore.com is part of a network of online facilitators that market a select array of lifestyle medications, including ED drugs such as Viagra and Cialis. Partnering with Secure Medical, eDrugstore uses Secure Medical’s proprietary processing capabilities and data centers to quickly and accurately fill customer orders.
As with all Secure Medical partners, eDrugstore markets only FDA-approved medications, all of which are sourced from licensed U.S. pharmacies. For patients who would like to avoid the added cost and possible embarrassment of a visit to the family doctor, eDrugstore can set up a complimentary consultation with one of its team of licensed U.S. doctors. That represents considerable savings for the patient, eliminating the need for a visit to the doctor’s office and the co-pay or fee that could entail. To learn more about erectile dysfunction and the drugs available to treat it, click below to access eDrugstore’s Erection Problems page.
Using a Pill-Splitter
Further economies of scale can be achieved by using a pill splitter. All first orders from eDrugstore are shipped with a complimentary pill-splitter that enables men to take advantage of prices that are almost identical for different strength doses. For example, the cost for a 100-milligram tablet of Viagra is identical to that for a 50-milligram tablet of the little blue pill. The latter is the recommended starting dose for Viagra, and it works well in the vast majority of men.
If you find that a 50-milligram dose of Viagra is enough to allow you to get and keep an erection firm and long-lasting enough for intercourse, you can buy a 100-milligram tablet for the same price as a 50-milligram pill. You can then split the tablet to yield two 50-milligram doses for the price of one. If, however, you need 100 milligrams of Viagra to achieve and sustain an erection, you’ll be unable to take advantage of this bargain.
Diet and Exercise
If your erection problems are diagnosed early enough, you may be able to regain normal erectile function or at least reduce your dependence on outside help by eating a heart-healthy diet and exercising regularly. Viagra and the other PDE5 inhibitors work by temporarily improving blood flow to the penis. And eating a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and low in unhealthy fats can over time reinvigorate vascular function.
Adopting a regular program of physical activity likewise supports optimal vascular function and works with a heart-healthy diet to improve your overall health and possibly eliminate your need for help from Viagra or other drugs.
Quit Smoking, Moderate Drinking
Smoking almost inevitably leads to impaired blood flow and thus to erectile dysfunction. If you are smoking, get the help that you need to quit as soon as possible. If you have not yet started smoking, make sure that you avoid the temptation. If you are a smoker who’s using an ED drug to support erectile function, you may find that your need for that outside help will decline as vascular function returns to normal after you kick the habit.
As most men have found out the hard way, a drink or two can set the mood for romance. Drink any more than that, and it may be difficult to get romantic at all. Try to keep your alcohol consumption to a minimum. If you find that it’s consistently difficult, if not impossible, to say “no” to another, maybe it’s a sign you should stop drinking altogether.
Manage Chronic Health Conditions
It’s widely recognized that certain chronic medical conditions can lead to erection problems. High blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and even obstructive sleep apnea can make it difficult for you to get and keep an erection suitable for intercourse. Some of these health conditions may have a hereditary component and be difficult, if not impossible, for you to reverse on your own.
However, working with your doctor, you can do your best to manage these conditions so that they do as little as possible to compromise erectile function. You should be aware that certain medications taken to treat such conditions can have an adverse effect on erectile function. If you find this to be the case, talk to your doctor to see if he can find alternatives that are less problematic.
More Generics Are Coming
The closing weeks of 2017 brought the introduction of the first generic alternatives to Viagra, which was the first of the ED medications to debut nearly two decades ago. Although Pfizer’s patent on the little blue pill will not expire until April 2020, the company did negotiate deals with Teva Pharmaceuticals and others allowing those generic drugmakers to bring generic Viagra to market before that date. They must pay Pfizer a royalty for the right to do so.
Generic Cialis is also available in the U.S. now, and this can help men save money on ED medications. eDrugstore.com carries generic Viagra and generic Cialis.
Alternatives to ED Drugs
As previously noted, insufficient blood flow to the penis is the primary cause of erectile dysfunction. However, it is not the only cause. Some men may have psychological issues that make it difficult for them to become aroused. In such cases, they will probably need the counsel of psychological professionals to identify these underlying problems so that they can be addressed.
Some men whose ED is caused by compromised blood flow to the penis are not helped by the ED medications most often prescribed to treat the problem.
In such cases, alternatives to ED drugs should be considered. One such alternative is penile injection therapy.
While it may sound just a bit daunting to those who are needle-shy, it has a very impressive success rate and is not as painful as it might seem, according to those who’ve tried it.
Stay Abreast of Latest Developments
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