written by
Anne Truong

Over The Counter ED Pills And Alternatives

podcast Blood Vessels 6 min read

If you're looking for over the counter ED pills that can help, or a substitute for viagra. I'll share five of the best options available.

Erectile dysfunction is a common problem, but many men are too embarrassed to ask for help. Before choosing an over the counter ED pill or substitute for viagra, be sure to talk to your doctor to see if it's the right choice for you.

Over The Counter ED Pills Episode Contents

Over The Counter ED Pills Episode Video

Introduction

Anne: Well, hello there modern man. In this episode, I am going to talk about some over-the-counter ED pills, alternatives that you can try out. You know that you can't get Viagra over the counter and it has to be a prescription, but there are other alternatives that you may consider doing. And again, these are not FDA-approved, but there are some studies that may show that it does help. We're going to go over those five supplements today.

First Thing To Do When You Find Out You Have ED

Over The Counter ED Pills - First thing you do when you discover you have ED
Photographer: Garin Chadwick

Anne: My suggestion first is that if you find that you have ED, first find out the cause first. Don't try to take the pill.

In my previous episode, I talk about the six systems that is involved with sexual arousal and erection is that starts in the brain and the emotion and the hormone, the nerve, the blood vessels, and the muscle. So evaluate those six systems and determine whether the brain and emotion is involved or the hormone is involved and you find that you have ED.

Now, people say, "Well, I'm older, therefore, I have ED. That's a natural progression." Well, that's not true. It's just that older men have a higher propensity to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, being overweight, under stress, and not sleeping well. Well, all those factors compound to affect the six systems that I talk about. And therefore, they're more common in older men and they contribute to ED. But it's not necessarily when you get older that you cannot get an erection. Please keep that in mind.

Disclosure

Anne: Let's talk about the first one. Now, I want to stress again, these are not FDA-approved. FDA do not evaluate supplements. Another disclosure. This is for educational purposes only. And if you are getting supplements, there are hidden ingredients that are in there, and that some of these supplements can react with your prescription medication. And, of course, always talk to your doctor first, before you start taking these alternatives and always find out the cause of why you have ED rather than trying to take a pill. And start with your diet, and first change your diet to a Mediterranean diet, and also evaluate your exercise regime.

Over The Counter ED Pills, Alternatives and Substitutes

Over The Counter ED Pills, Alternatives and Substitutes
Photographer: freestocks

DHEA

Anne: The first one is DHEA, and that's a long name for that, but it's essentially the father of testosterone. It is the metabolite, the first ingredient the testosterone needs in order for it to become testosterone in your body. But DHEA actually comes from cholesterol. It's important to know that you want to lower your cholesterol, but you don't want to lower much lower than 140 because you need that to make your sex hormone. And DHEA is the father of testosterone. DHEA naturally decreases with age, but if you take a supplement of maybe 10 milligrams to 25 milligrams, it can help with making more testosterone, therefore can help with ED. But be really careful because it can also elevate estrogen or estradiol as well too.

L-Arginine

Anne: So number two is L-arginine. L-arginine actually helps with increasing blood flow by making nitrous oxide more available. And that's why it's been widely used. And L-arginine is something that you can take as a supplement as well and ranges from about 200 milligrams to 1,000 milligrams. But you got to be really careful because taking too much will cause cramping and nausea.

Korean Red Ginseng

Anne: Number three is Korean Red Ginseng or Panax Ginseng. It actually helps increase blood flow. We talk about blood flow in the previous episode where you need to have increase in blood flow to get an erection. And the blood flow depended upon the arteries. You need to have the blood vessel be able to expand. And if you have the narrowing of the arteries, then you'll have decreased blood flow to the penis. And the Panax Ginseng or Korean Red Ginseng helps with increasing blood flow. However, the side effects of that, it can interfere with blood clotting and it can also cause trouble sleeping.

Yohimbe

Anne: Number four, Yohimbe. Yohimbe increases norepinephrine, which is a neurotransmitter release that will help with an erection. And norepinephrine is also responsible for orgasm and ejaculation. However, norepinephrine or Yohimbe, which affects the norepinephrine pathway also have multiple side effects such as increasing blood pressure, increasing your heart rate. It can cause dizziness, nausea, and insomnia as well as anxiety. Be very careful when you take Yohimbe, it should not be taken lightly.

L-Carnitine

Number five is L-carnitine. It increases blood flow and again, blood flow helps with erection. However, it has side effects of nausea, vomiting, and pain in the stomach, as well as chest pain. It has a fishy odor. Once you take, you have a fishy odor in your breath and in your urine.

Notes When Buying Supplements

And again, these supplements are not FDA-approved. If you get the supplement, make sure you get it from a provider that is able to get it from an FDA-approved facility with a good pure component. Because sometimes when you buy the supplements over the counter or on the internet, you don't know what the hidden ingredients are, whether they're pure or is full with filler.

It Can React With Your Other Medications

And keep in mind that these supplements can interfere and react with your prescription medication. And it does have side effects. So it's not to be taken lightly. Again, if you have ED, find out the cause of your ED first and work upon that. And start with just sleep de-stress, improve your diet. I advocate a Mediterranean diet.

Start Exercising, Stop Smoking, Eating Simple Carbohydrates And Drinking Soda

Photographer: Total Shape

And stop eating simple carbohydrates and stop drinking sodas. And also stop smoking because smoking will definitely interfere with your blood flow capacity. You smoke, it's the number one risk factor for ED as well as a lot of alcohol. How much is a lot? More than two ounces of hard liquor a day or two glasses of wine a day.

Final Thoughts

And also always talk with your doctor first, before you initiate these ED pill alternatives and make sure that it doesn't interfere with the medication, make sure it is safe. Check your blood pressure. Again, this is only for educational purposes only, and it's something to consider cause you know that Viagra or Tadalafil, you cannot take over the counter and that those have very serious side effects.

Again, if you have chest pain, if you take nitrate, then you should not take the supplement. And they're actually not indicated for taking Sildenafil or Tadalafil. So having said that, I just want to briefly just show you some of these five alternatives for you to consider.

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