Best (And Cheaper) Viagra Alternatives That Work

Medically reviewed by: Thomas Fischer (Pharmacist). This article has been written according to strict guidelines and medical standards. More Info

Medically reviewed by: Thomas Fischer (Pharmacist) More Info

According to the studies, more than 30 million men in the United States have erectile dysfunction (male impotence). Viagra is commonly prescribed as a remedy for erectile function, but it is not the best option for everyone. 

Are you looking for alternatives to Viagra? Viagra is commonly prescribed as a remedy for erectile function, but it is not the best option for everyone. Check out all the possibilities by reading further.

Order Sildenafil (Viagra) Online!
As a 4romeo member, you can request an online prescription for sildenafil (Viagra Generics) and have the medicine discreetly shipped right to your door!

Prescription Sexual Enhancers as an Alternative to Viagra

Viagra is considered to be one of the most commonly used medications for erectile dysfunction (ED), but it is certainly not the only one. If Viagra doesn’t work for you, maybe one of the other alternatives will.

All of these drugs work by increasing blood flow to the penis to allow a man to get an erection and maintain it. Below are some of the most popular ED medications.

Tadalafil (Cialis)

Tadalafil is sold in the US in generic form and as the brand name Cialis. This drug is in the form of a pill that is taken orally. It starts working about a half-hour after you ingest it.

Tadalafil is purported to improve erectile function for up to 36 hours. You may take it with or without food. 

cialis online

Cialis is available in a variety of doses, from 2.5mg to 20mg. It can be taken as needed or as frequently as once a day.

Vardenafil (Levitra)

Both generic vardenafil and name-brand Levitra are sold in the United States. They come in doses from 2.5mg to 20mg, with the starting dose usually being 10mg.

Levitra

This medication cannot be taken more than once a day. The pills can be ingested with or without food.

Vardenafil (Staxyn)

Staxyn is also a form of vardenafil (the same active ingredient as in Levitra), but it is not a pill that you swallow. You place the tablet on your tongue and allow it to dissolve.

The pills are sold only in the 10mg dosage. The tablet should not be crushed or split before consumption. You may take it with or without food, but it is not to be taken with liquids. 

Staxyn

This medication should be taken about an hour before you expect to engage in sexual activity (s. also Erectile Dysfunction Treatments – The Best ED Cure in Check). You may not take it more than once a day.

Avanafil (Stendra)

Avanafil is currently sold in the United States only under the brand name Stendra. The pills come in doses of 50, 100, and 200mg. 

This medication should be taken approximately 15-30 minutes before you have sex. You can take it with or without food, but no more than once daily.

Generic Viagra as a Cheaper Alternative

A comparison of prices at major US pharmacies shows that generic sildenafil is much cheaper than Viagra. All amounts are for the price of 30 pills. 

Viagra is not as widely available as sildenafil. We were only able to find it at three popular pharmacies, and the price didn’t vary much. No matter what the dose, the standard price for 30 tablets after discount was $1919.74. This works out to almost $64 per pill.

Viagra vs Sildenafil

Sildenafil as an Alternative to Original Viagra

Sildenafil is available at many pharmacies, and it is also far cheaper. The lowest price we found for 30 pills was $15.19 at the dosage of 100mg. This comes out to just 51 cents per tablet. 

Thus, as long as you have no objection to taking generic medications, you probably want to opt for generic sildenafil (s. also Is Sildenafil As Good As Viagra? – Sildenafil vs Viagra). It will save you a lot of money.

Experience with Viagra Replacement

Many men have had a positive experience with Viagra substitutes. There are many different options available. In addition to the drugs already mentioned above, there are several other alternatives to Viagra. Some of these are:

If you are thinking about trying one of these, read on to learn more. One of these therapies may be the right one for you.

Self-Injection Therapy

Self-injection therapy can be a highly effective treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED). It has been used since the 1980s. It has even been found to work when the nerve pathways necessary for an erection are disturbed, like in cases of paraplegia or accidents.

There are several different medications or combinations thereof that can be used for these injections:

Caverject (Alprostadil Injection Therapy)

Caverject is just one of the possible medications listed above to be used with self-injection therapy. It is a powder form of the medication alprostadil. This powder is then used to prepare an injectable drug that is applied directly to the penis.

Caverject

The medication is injected into the side or base of the penis to improve blood flow. This allows you to get an erection.

Vitaros

Vitaros is a topical cream containing the active ingredient alprostadil. It is applied to the penis to serve as a vasodilator. As blood flow increases, an erection can result.

Vitaros is approved for use in Canada and some European, Latin American, and Middle Eastern countries. It is still considered to be in development in the United States and is awaiting FDA approval.

Another Viagra alternative: MUSE (Medicated Urethral System for Erection)

MUSE also involves the use of the active ingredient alprostadil. However, in this case, the alprostadil is in the form of a suppository.

This suppository is inserted in the urethra with the help of a special applicator. The pellet, about the size of a grain of rice, dissolves inside the urethra. It then takes action to increase blood flow, which in turn allows an erection to occur. This system is not widely used because of high costs and inconsistent results.

Mechanical Sexual Enhancers as a Substitute for Viagra

You can also use mechanical devices, such as vacuum pumps, to obtain an erection. These devices are made up of a plastic cylinder that is placed over the penis. It is connected to a pump that creates suction in the cylinder.

The vacuum action of the pump pulls blood into the penis, producing an erection. Once an erection occurs, you can maintain it by placing a tension band around the base of the penis.

Overview of Inexpensive OTC Viagra Alternatives

In general, medications for erectile dysfunction require a prescription in the United States. If you are looking for something over the counter, you will mostly find herbal remedies.  You may choose OTC Viagra substitutes for financial or medical reasons. Many manufacturers of natural medications claim their remedies are effective.

It is important to understand that natural remedies typically do not provide quick results as prescription medications do. However, they can provide long-term results. The herbal ingredients in over-the-counter Viagra alternatives work by stimulating your body to produce nitric oxide. High levels of this compound are necessary to enable erections to occur.

Herbal supplements for erectile dysfunction also improve circulation. This can help blood flow freely into the penis to produce an erection. 

Additionally, some OTC herbal medications improve erectile function by strengthening the sex drive and endurance. This means these natural supplements can positively affect men’s sexual health. Some of their effects even improve overall health.

Some of the herbal alternatives currently advertised online are:

You can find more details about these products in the next section.

Herbal Alternatives to Viagra

As explained above, natural alternatives to Viagra do not claim to provide instant improvement in erectile function. However, they may have fewer side effects than prescription medications and can improve sex drive and testosterone levels. Long-term use can resolve erectile dysfunction issues.

Food Products and Supplements

There are several food products, herbal preparations, and dietary supplements that are sold as remedies for ED. For example, the following substances are typically considered to be safe and are available for purchase online or in health food stores:

Herbal Preparations Made from Mixtures of Ingredients

There are many products made from a combination of natural ingredients that claim to be useful for the treatment of ED. Here are a few details about some of the most popular preparations:

It is crucial to exercise caution with any alternative products. The Food and Drug Administration has issued statements warning consumers that such products are not always safe. 

Some of these supplements have been found to contain harmful ingredients, and most do not have sufficient research to report their claims of safety and effectiveness. The FDA reports that many foods and supplements marketed as sex enhancers contain undisclosed ingredients.

How to Know Which Viagra Substitutes are Legal and Avoid Counterfeiting

To make sure your Viagra substitutes are legal, purchase at a pharmacy that is authorized to sell drugs in the US. If you search at online pharmacies, be sure that the pharmacy is connected with a pharmacy that sells drugs in person as well.

Herbal supplements are legal in the United States and are available online as well as in registered pharmacies. They must meet specific standards of quality in manufacturing, but the FDA does not certify the quality and effectiveness of the products. The FDA does, however, have the right and responsibility to ban any supplement that is found to be dangerous.

You may also choose to obtain your medications through an online doctor service. These services follow state and federal guidelines regarding issuing prescriptions and dispensing drugs. You can be sure that medicines obtained through their pharmacies are FDA approved for quality and purity.

References:
We at Viagra-Prescription.com only use accredited sources and references for content creation. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we determine medical facts and prepare our content in a technically correct, reliable and trustworthy manner.
  1. Feldman HA1, Goldstein I, Hatzichristou DG, Krane RJ, McKinlay JB.: Impotence and its medical and psychosocial correlates: results of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. In: National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. URL: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
  2. One Patient out of four with newly diagnosed erectile dysfunction is a young man. Paolo Capogrosso MD et al (2013). URL: onlinelibrary.wiley.com.
  3. Stief CG, Hartmann U, Höfner K, Jonas U: Erektile Dysfunktion und Therapie. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1997.
  4. Montorsi F, Deho F, Salonia A, Cestari a, Guazzoni G, Rigatti P, Stief CG: Pharmacological management of erectile dysfunction. BJU Int 2003; 91: 446–454.
  5. Anele UA, Morrison BF, Burnett AL. Molecular pathophysiology of priapism: emerging targetsCurr Drug Targets. 2015;16(5):474-83. doi:10.2174/1389450115666141111111842.
  6. Yafi FA, Jenkins L, Albersen M, et al. Erectile dysfunction. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016;2:16003.  doi:10.1038/nrdp.2016.3. URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/nrdp20163
  7. Delgado PL, Brannan SK, Mallinckrodt CH, Tran PV, McNamara RK, Wang F, Watkin JG, Detke MJ (2005). “Sexual functioning assessed in 4 double-blind placebo- and paroxetine-controlled trials of duloxetine for major depressive disorder”. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
  8. Rao AR, Thwaini A, Ahmed HU, Shergill IS, Minhas S (July 2007). “The phosphodiesterase inhibitors and non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy: increased vigilance is necessary”. BJU International. 100 (1): 3–4.
  9.  Kloner, RA (26 December 2005). “Pharmacology and Drug Interaction Effects of the Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors: Focus on α-Blocker Interactions”. The American Journal of Cardiology. 96 (12 (Suppl. 2)): 42–46.