Forget Viagra, Best Drug For Men With Erectile Dysfunction

Men can today get hold of another erection pill over-the-counter, and it’s said to be even better than Viagra.

Boots is now selling Cialis without the need for a prescription.

It follows a rule change earlier this year to reclassify the impotence drug, in a move hailed as ‘good news for men’s health’.

Manufacturers of the drug claim it’s superior to Viagra because it works quicker — in just 30 minutes.

Its effects can also last up to 36 hours, or six times longer than that of the little blue pill.

Boots is now selling Cialis Together without the need for a prescription. It follows a rule change earlier this year to reclassify the impotence drug, in a move hailed as ‘good news for men’s health’.

Cialis Together — the brand approved to be sold over-the-counter — costs £21.99 for a pack of four at Boots.

Supplies are available online as of today, before being offered in hundreds of stores from next week.

Rival retailers are set to offer Cialis Together in the coming months.

Other versions of tadalafil — the generic ingredient in the drug — are prescription-only still.

It will only be available to men over the age of 18, following the licencing change by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Erectile dysfunction, also known as impotence, is when a man is unable to get or maintain an erection.

It is more common in the over-40s but affects men of all ages.

Failure to stay erect is usually due to tiredness, stress, anxiety or alcohol, and is not a cause for concern.

However, it can be a sign of an underlying medical condition such as high blood pressure or cholesterol, side effects of medication, or hormonal issues.

Lifestyle factors than can affect the condition include obesity, smoking, cycling too much, drinking too much, and stress.

Men with certain conditions, such as severe cardiovascular disorders, won’t be able to get the drug.

Sales are also to be limited to a box of 10mg pills — known as the ‘standard dose’.

The new rules will limit sales to pharmacies, meaning men will be questioned about their health before they are sold the pills.

This means men will not be able to buy the drugs at corner shops, supermarkets or petrol stations — as is possible with aspirin and other drugs.

According to the NHS, tadalafil can cause a temporary but dangerous drop in blood pressure.

The move comes some five years after Viagra got the over-the-counter green light in 2018.

Viagra Connect, the brand given approval, costs around £20 for a box of four.

Drugs like Viagra are used to manage erectile dysfunction in at least two thirds of cases, according to the NHS.

Erectile dysfunction is more common in the over-40s but affects men of all ages.

It impacts around 4.3million men in the UK and 30million in the US.

But experts say up to 70 per cent men are too embarrassed to seek advice over the problem, stopping them from seeking help.

Many men turn to the internet to buy supplies of the drug, often buying illegal or counterfeit versions from overseas, putting them at risk of taking dangerous fakes.

Boots pharmacist Vuyani Chinyowasaid: ‘Most men have difficulties getting or keeping an erection at some point in their lives and is nothing to be embarrassed about.’