I have been using Viagra for about 4 years (I'm 55 years old). I've been trying Cialis recently. I am EXTREMELY disappointed. For me, Cialis virtually does not work AT ALL. On some occasions, it was like I had not taken anything, and at it's best it never worked really well. This was even after a 20 mg dose taken 2 days in a row. [Note, because Cialis is so long-lasting, if you take it daily, the blood level continues to rise for 5 days because not all of the previous day' dose is out of your system. After 5 days of daily dosing, you end up with 1.6x the effective does. That is, after 5 days of 20 mg doses each day, you would effecively have the blood level of having taken a 32 mg dose. Beyond 5 days, there is no further increase. This effect is taken into consideration in the dosage requirements, although most of us will probably not take it daily for 5 days].
I plan to try Levitra but have not yet done so.
My experience with Viagra is fairly typical, and I may end up using it as my choice of the three after having evaluated all 3. The problem that I have with Viagra is that it only works well for me on an empty stomach, and even 3-4 hours after a heavy meal it's efficacy is drastically reduced. I've started splitting 100 mg pills and taking half 30 to 60 minutes before dinner, and the other an hour to 90 minutes before I want it to be effective; I may even try taking the entire 100mg before dinner. But the business with sensitivity to food has been an issue for me. Levitra is supposed to be "better" in this regard, but clinical data still suggests an 18% to 50% reduction in efficacy if take with food, depending on the nature of the food.
It's definitely worth shopping around for any of these drugs (or any drugs at all, for that matter). I'm lucky, my insurance co. pays for these, less a 20% co-pay (they didn't used to, and many still don't), but we are required to use their mail order pharmacy. Since this takes 4 weeks, on any new prescription, they will let us get ONE prescription filled locally (we need to ask the Dr. for two separate prescriptions, one for a 30-days supply, no refills, one for a 90 day supply with 4 refills, the Drs. around here are used to this). Even when it's the Ins. company's money, I shop to get the lowest price, I feel that's my responsibility in holding down both healthcare and insurance costs. I shopped 5 pharmacies for Levitra and Cialis (which were priced either exactly identically, or nearly so). Prices ranged from $9.30 to $13.70 per tablet (20 mg, ten tablets). The best price was at Wal-Mart. I should have, but forgot to, check the pharmacy at our Sam's Club (I am a member), which would likely have been even a bit less than Wal-Mart (Sam's Club is owned by Wal-Mart). Still, those are huge differences.
These are prescription drugs. Legally, they require a prescription. You can buy them on the internet (and, lately, almost ANY drugs, for that matter). The internet pharmacies have a Dr. who works for the pharmacy that writes a prescription based on a questionaire. Often the Dr. and/or the pharmacy are outside of the US. The whole thing is either illegal or only barely and marginally legal, but you can do it. There are several serious drawbacks:
1. They charge really, really high prices, 50% or more above what you can buy the stuff for locally (the prices that you see advertised are, note, "per dose", not "per pill". These places expect you to buy one pill and "cut" it into multiple doses (they even supply the pill splitter for this purpose, in some cases).
2. You might get outdated drugs that are less effective
3. You might even get fake drugs that don't do anything at all
These drugs are really very safe, and most Doctors will write a Rx for them from an existing patient on just a request (and if you are new to these drugs, they will often give you free samples, in most cases -- and it's ok to ask if they don't offer).
The one really serious thing that will keep these a prescription drug is that there are some interactions with other drugs (primarily taken by heart patients) that are FATAL. So they want to involve someone who knows about these interactions, and who also knows what else you are taking.
You are absolutely correct that embarrasment is the issue for most of the people who buy these on the internet.
However, I've asked 3 different doctors for Rx for these, and I've not been asked ANY personal questions, nor have any of the doctors suggested ANY tests or even exams (I didn't even have to take my pants off). One Dr. (a urologist) suggested some tests and I just told him "look, I don't want to -- and won't -- do any diagnostic tests to evaluate the "root cause" of this. I just want to try treating it empirically and seeing if it helps." He wrote the prescription and gave me samples with no further questions.
20 million men are taking or have tried viagra. That's about 20% (one man in 5) of the entire US population between ages 35 and 70. The drugs themselves are no big deal, the real risk is for the interaction with a FEW other drugs, interactions that can be FATAL. So all 3 doctors DID talk to me about that, because if you have a heart attack, the ambulance drivers and the ER will usually give you nitroglycerin, and nitroglycerin within 24 hours of these drugs (48 hours for Cialis) can be FATAL, they want to know what you are taking, and they want YOU to know that you MUST let other people know that you are taking these drugs if you have a heart attack (and I've made sure that my wife knows about this, in case I'm unconscious). Note, these drugs themselves do not cause or contribute to heart attacks, but in people with heart disease, having a heart attack after sex is not at all uncommon.
If a doctor suggests tests that you don't want to do, tell them that you won't accept that. I very strongly take the attitude that the Doctor is not in charge of my health care, I am. And I am very up front about that -- in just those point-blank words -- with my doctors. You will run into some physicicans who won't want you as a patient, but you know what? I don't want them as doctors anyway. Pardon the pun, but screw the CAUSE of the impotence. I don't CARE what's causing it. I just want to try these treatment, if one of them works fine, if not, tell me what my options are, but the decision is mine, not yours, and I'm simply not doing any invasive tests or surgery, end of story. I have not seen a physician who would not write a prescription for these on that basis, although there probably are some. [By the way, if you do a lot of expensive, painful, embarassing, invasive tests, after you do the tests, guess what the "treatment" will be? Because short of surgery, these drugs are just about the ONLY effective treatments for ED anyway. So what did the tests really accomplish?]
I tried Muse also, before Viagra was available. Really uncomfortable to use, you have to stick a small diameter tube about 1.5" up your penis.
Muse is VERY different from the oral ED drugs, because it MAKES you hard, "no matter what". It is not a "natural" erection, and it's somewhat uncomfortable.
A very big drawback of Muse, the risk of "priapism" (an erection that won't go away) , which is fairly insignificant with the oral drugs, is much greater (although still small) with Muse. You REALLY don't want priapism, if you don't treat it you may never have another erection in your entire life, and the the treatement is terrible (in the worst cases, stick BIG needles into your penis and drain the blood through them while injecting other drugs to kill the erection (they normally give you a nerve block while doing this)). If you get one of these abnormal erections, you have 4 to 6 hours, at most, to deal with it before there is permanent damage to the penis.
I believe that the oral ED drugs have pretty much killed Muse, but it was a big seller back in the mid 1990's.
Actually, it is widley known that grapefruit or its juice can block the effects of many drugs and/or hold them in your system longer making them toxic !
After I read Derffinger's post about grapefruit I found a site that lists grapefruit interactions with all drugs. Then I visited the big 3 sites. Sure enough, grapefruit and cialis are a no-no.
What I can't get resolved is how long the grapefruit enzyme remains in one's body to the extent that it influences potency. Does it mean simply, do not take the med's with grapefruit at the same time? Or does it mean that grapefruit will continue to inhibit potency for a prolonged period of time? And, if the latter, how long?
I found out about the grapefruit interaction after taking three Levitra in a row with absolutely NO effect on my ability to get erect. I started to research the Levitra web pages and found the reference to a grapefruit interference buried deeply within it. I usually have a big grapefruit juice every morning for breakfast. I called the Levitra help line and asked about Levitra and grapefruit juice. Some sweet young thing called me back and confirmed that the two do not mix. I quit the morning grapefruit and a week later popped another Levitra. After about an hour - Bingo! - a good boner.
I never had the grapefruit juice problem with Viagra.
FYI, you can buy 100mg of generic VIAGRA in Tijuana for $6 a pill. I've tried it, it's identical to the brand version, which is $14 for one 100mg pill in Tijuana. No prescription needed. One non-generic Levitra in Tijuana is also $14 for the maximum stregnth pill, (i forgot the dose, but it's the highest dose they make). All of these are easily splitable. They showed me a Cialis, and it was $15 for one pill, but I didn't try it. The Viagra lasted about 5 hours for me, the Levitra lasted about 4 hours. Both were equally hard. The Viagra made my vision blue for a few hours, but goes away. The Viagra gave me a slight headache/thrush. THe Viagra seems to make my heart beat a bit faster.
I have not been on this board for several months. Age 61 with severe ED and low testosterone levels. Tried Cialis 10 mg once, but can't remember what happened.
Has anyone tried taking 10 mg. on one day, and then on the second day shortly before taking 10 mg Levitra or 50 mg Viagara? This would give the Cialis a boost. At 20 mg. Levitra I find it very difficult to even penetrate.
Some doctors do not want a guy to mix n match. However, I have mixed Levitra and Viagara last fall, and I thought performance was greatly improved.
I'm new here. My doctor switched me from Viagra to Levitira at my request because my insurance will only pay for Levitra. I have not tried it yet, but the Levitra comes in 10mg. tabs while the Viagra was 100 mg. This doesn't seem right to me. do I nieed to consult my doctor or should I just try it and see what happens? Thanks.
Buy the real thing for a few dollars more? the last time I bought viagra with a script from my dr. it cost me $60 for five 100mg tabs, I have bought the generics out of India 3 times now & they have worked just as well as "The Real Thing" the last batch I just received were in sealed 4 packs, 24 pills that do work for $60.00 is hardly a ripofff. I usually eat 1/2 & then about 2 hrs later eat the other & I'm good to go for about 6 hrs. of pretty much nonstop action.
I have not been on this board for several months. Age 61 with severe ED and low testosterone levels. Tried Cialis 10 mg once, but can't remember what happened.
Has anyone tried taking 10 mg. on one day, and then on the second day shortly before taking 10 mg Levitra or 50 mg Viagara? This would give the Cialis a boost. At 20 mg. Levitra I find it very difficult to even penetrate.
Some doctors do not want a guy to mix n match. However, I have mixed Levitra and Viagara last fall, and I thought performance was greatly improved.
Thanks.
GK
You could also try using l-arginine to increase blood flow. When I take 2g's at bedtime (no sex that night), I always wake up very hard - showing it works for me. I don't know how this works for low testosterone cases, but you could try it. Have you tried tribulus? I can pretty much vouch that it increases my libido...the word is that it increases testosterone by increasing lutenizing hormone, which signals the testes to make more testosterone. All I know is that I get horny when I take 1g or more a day.
