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For those experiencing the symptoms of erectile dysfunction, there are several different medications available. We took a closer look at some of the best services offering ED pills online.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a health condition that can prevent you from having an erection or cause you to lose your erection before ejaculation. ED is a fairly common condition that affects between 3 and 76.5% of men worldwide and is more likely to occur as you age.

ED can be treated with a combination of diet and lifestyle changes as well as ED medications that can treat the underlying physical problems of ED by improving blood flow to the penis. These medications do require a prescription and are not available legitimately over the counter.

Here’s an overview of the best places to connect you with a prescribing doctor and legitimate ways to purchase ED pills online. We also look at what types of ED pills might be best for you and answer some of the most frequently asked questions about ED pills.

We have compared numerous online pharmacies and healthcare services to find the companies most likely to meet the needs of those who experience ED. Here are some of our top choices for treating ED and ordering ED pills online without needing to make an in-person doctor’s visit.

While investigating online services and pharmacies to build our list of the best online services for ED pills, we looked at how each company met or fell short of our priorities and standards. Each company on this list needed to meet our requirements before being considered for inclusion. Here were our top priorities:

  • Meets our internal vetting standards: Healthline assesses brands and products for criteria based on medical and business standards. Read more about our process.
  • Company reputation: We compared customer reviews to help gauge user satisfaction and noted their Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating and review to ensure there weren’t an unusually high number of complaints or examples of poor business practices.
  • Price: The cost of medication is typically one of the first priorities for new customers, and we wanted to make sure that we included affordable options alongside higher-priced services as well.
  • Doctor’s consultation: Since these ED medications all require a prescription, we only chose companies that could connect users to a prescribing doctor either free of charge or for a very low fee.
  • Healthline scores: After finishing our investigation, we awarded each company an average score out of 5 based on a number of different factors that could influence a user’s experience with each telehealth service. For a more in-depth explanation of our scoring rubric, you can read more at Healthline Scores: How We Evaluate Men’s Telehealth Platforms.

Almost all ED pills on the market, including Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, and Stendra, are PDE5 inhibitors.

PDE5 inhibitors help improve blood flow to the penis by focusing on an enzyme called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) that’s involved in restricting blood flow.

When too much PDE5 is present in your system, you might not be able to have as efficient blood flow to your penis as you might have had in the past. This can stop you from being able to get an erection or maintain enough blood flow to keep an erection to the point of ejaculation when you have sex or masturbate.

PDE5 inhibitors were originally meant to treat heart conditions like high blood pressure but have become more commonly used as ED treatments because of how effective they are in helping people get and keep erections.

PDE5 inhibitors also make a natural chemical called nitric oxide that works more effectively in relaxing your penis muscles and allowing blood to flow more efficiently into your penis tissues for a harder and longer-lasting erection. This is also why it is so important to discuss your medical history and any medications you are currently taking with your doctor before taking any new medications. ED medications like Viagra can have very serious — even fatal — side effects if combined with certain medications, specifically heart medication.

Make sure that any site you shop for ED pills only offers ED medications that are approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Medications like sildenafil and tadalafil have been FDA approved for many years and are generally considered safe to take in both brand-name and generic forms.

Do not buy any ED pills online that are not FDA approved or that are made from ingredients that are not FDA approved.

Many of the over-the-counter ED “treatments” you may find are likely not FDA approved or supported by substantial research. They may contain unsafe chemicals or herbal supplements in unsafe doses that can lead to dangerous side effects or interactions with other medications you may be taking.

Also, it’s worthwhile to look into whether an online service has experienced any data breaches in the past that exposed users’ personal information and what steps it took to prevent another breach from occurring.

Consider talking with a doctor if you’re concerned about any long-term sexual dysfunction or underlying health conditions that might be contributing to your ED symptoms.

You may also want to consider asking your doctor about any conditions you may have that can increase your risk of side effects from taking ED pills, such as:

Also, it’s important to get medical attention if you notice any side effects of ED pills that you buy online, including:

  • significant body pains and aches
  • changes in your digestive system, such as constipation or diarrhea
  • changes in your vision or hearing
  • erections that last longer than 4 hours (priapism)

It’s safe to buy ED pills online that are FDA approved or contain FDA approved ingredients.

ED pills that are not FDA approved or pills that contain unapproved or unlabeled ingredients can be ineffective or dangerous.

ED pills may also be unsafe if you have an underlying condition, such as diabetes, that can increase your risk of side effects from ED treatments.

Changes to your diet or lifestyle might be able to help you get hard without ED pills.

Reducing how much you smoke, drink alcohol, or take recreational drugs if you engage in these behaviors can help you have better erections. If applicable, getting in more physical activity and sleeping regularly can also help.

Anxiety and depression can also contribute to ED symptoms. Taking advantage of mental health resources like therapy can help you treat these conditions and improve your ED symptoms.

Using an online service is the easiest way to get safe, FDA-approved ED pills.

However, it is important to keep in mind that legitmate ED medications are only available by prescription so meeting with a doctor online or in-person will be your first step. Any website offering easy access medication without a prescription is likely selling fraudulent or unsafe pills.

You may also want to visit a primary care professional (PCP) if you have any other health conditions before you use an online service to get ED pills. This can make it easier for you to understand what side effects or interactions you might experience when you take ED medication.

You cannot buy ED pills over the counter.

All FDA-approved ED pills must be prescribed by a licensed medical professional in person or through an online service and sent to a pharmacy licensed to dispense medications in the state where you receive the prescription.

It’s not safe to buy ED pills without a prescription.

ED pills can have dangerous side effects or interactions with other medications or substances. That’s why you’re required to contact a medical professional and receive a prescription before you’re legally allowed to purchase ED pills.

There’s nothing you can buy over the counter that can replicate the effects of sildenafil (Viagra) or other FDA-approved ED medications.

But there are a few alternative options that you can try, such as red ginseng, yohimbe, and L-arginine, but research into the effectiveness of these alternatives is extremely limited, so there is a good chance that they will not be able to treat your ED symptoms as effectively.

Contact a doctor before you try any alternative treatments for ED to understand what side effects or interactions are possible.

It’s easy to buy ED pills online under the supervision of licensed medical professionals through a number of telemedicine platforms.

Hims, Roman, Lemonaid, and Rex MD are all trustworthy, legitimate providers of ED pills and other treatments for hair loss, weight loss, and mental health conditions that can contribute to your ED symptoms.