If by “erection pills” you mean the prescription PDE5 inhibitors, they have proven effective among the vast majority of men who use them. In an overall evaluation of these drugs’ effectiveness published in the July 2013 issue of “P&T Journal,” pharmacology researchers Sharon A. Huang and Janette D. Lie reported that “PDE5 inhibitors have shown consistent improvement in erectile functioning compared with placebo.”
The researchers cited evidence accumulated in multiple clinical trials of specific PDE5 drugs. In 16 clinical trials evaluating the effects of sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, the mean per-patient percentage of successful sexual intercourse was 69 percent with the drug, compared with 35.5 percent with placebo. In 15 trials to assess the effectiveness of vardenafil, the active ingredient in Levitra and Staxyn, the success rate with the drug was 69 percent versus 33 percent with placebo.
Other so-called “erection pills,” widely advertised over the Internet, are mostly of dubious origin and range from ineffective to dangerous, depending on the materials with which they are made. Herbal remedies, such as Panax ginseng and Rhodiola rosea, have proven effective for some users. However, if you decide to try one of these natural remedies, buy the products from a reputable manufacturer of herbal supplements.