Is Viagra or Other ED Drugs Covered Under a Person’s Health Care Prescription Drug Plan?

Q. After getting a prescription from my doctor, I recently began taking Viagra, which is working just fine for me. However, the pills are more expensive than I can readily afford. Are Viagra and the other oral ED drugs usually covered under health care insurer’s prescription drug plans?

A. If your health care insurance includes reimbursement for prescription medications, you’ll have to check to determine whether ED drugs such as Viagra are covered. Be warned that many plans do not offer such coverage. Medicare’s Part D prescription coverage doesn’t reimburse for ED drugs. However, some relief from high prices is just around the corner. The arrival of generic competition beginning in December 2017 will help to bring prices down. The more generics that enter the market, the lower the average price for the drug will drop. In the meantime, you may be able to reduce what you pay for the drug by using manufacturer discounts and coupons.

What are some of the treatments for premature ejaculation?

Some doctors will prescribe drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to treat premature ejaculation. Though these are antidepressants, they’re prescribed “off-label” for premature ejaculation because of their common side effect of dampening sexual stimulation. Another medical treatment option is an anesthetic cream, like lidocaine.

Some men have had luck treating the problem with a drug called Tramadol, but this drug can potentially be addicting, so doctors are cautious about prescribing it.

Certain drugs can help men address premature ejaculation.

Newer research is finding that drugs in a class known as PDE-5 inhibitors (which include Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, and other erectile dysfunction drugs) are helpful in men whose premature ejaculation results from erectile dysfunction. In some men, a PDE-5 inhibitor plus an SSRI works better than either of those two options alone.

There is a small subset of men with primary premature ejaculation who have a short frenulum, which is the elastic band of tissue that connects the penis to the foreskin. Normally the frenulum is long and supple enough that it doesn’t cause problems, but when it’s too short, premature ejaculation can be a result. Fortunately, frenulectomy (removal of the frenulum) can successfully treat these cases.

Pelvic floor exercises can strengthen weak pelvic floor muscles, and a weak pelvic floor can impair a man’s ability to delay ejaculation. You can find instructions on doing helpful Kegel exercises on many reputable medical websites. Another exercise recommended by some doctors is known as the pause-squeeze technique. Here’s how you do it:

Start sexual activity as usual and continue until you are almost ready to ejaculate

At this point, have your partner firmly (but not painfully) squeeze the end of your penis where the head joins onto the shaft, squeezing for a few seconds, until the urge to ejaculate abates.
Repeat as necessary. Keep in mind that the pause-squeeze technique requires practice.

A 2015 meta-analysis of behavior therapy, drug therapy, and combination therapy found a small, but statistically significant improvement in results when drug therapy for premature ejaculation is combined with behavioral therapy (like the pause-squeeze technique, masturbating an hour or two before sex, or strengthening the pelvic floor).

Premature ejaculation happens on occasion to just about all men. It’s only considered a disorder if it happens consistently and causes personal distress. Though it’s not the easiest topic to broach with your doctor, talking to a professional is the first step in treating premature ejaculation. Left untreated, it can cause greater personal stress and even relationship problems. For couples trying to conceive, premature ejaculation can cause problems if ejaculation doesn’t occur intravaginally.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to treat premature ejaculation, from the mechanical (condoms) to the behavioral to the pharmacological. There’s simply no reason to suffer in silence if premature ejaculation is a problem. Solutions exist, and you deserve a satisfying sex life as much as anyone else!

What are some of the treatments for premature ejaculation?

Some doctors will prescribe drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to treat premature ejaculation. Though these are antidepressants, they’re prescribed “off-label” for premature ejaculation because of their common side effect of dampening sexual stimulation. Another medical treatment option is an anesthetic cream, like lidocaine.

Some men have had luck treating the problem with a drug called Tramadol, but this drug can potentially be addicting, so doctors are cautious about prescribing it.

Certain drugs can help men address premature ejaculation.

Newer research is finding that drugs in a class known as PDE-5 inhibitors (which include Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, and other erectile dysfunction drugs) are helpful in men whose premature ejaculation results from erectile dysfunction. In some men, a PDE-5 inhibitor plus an SSRI works better than either of those two options alone.

There is a small subset of men with primary premature ejaculation who have a short frenulum, which is the elastic band of tissue that connects the penis to the foreskin. Normally the frenulum is long and supple enough that it doesn’t cause problems, but when it’s too short, premature ejaculation can be a result. Fortunately, frenulectomy (removal of the frenulum) can successfully treat these cases.

Pelvic floor exercises can strengthen weak pelvic floor muscles, and a weak pelvic floor can impair a man’s ability to delay ejaculation. You can find instructions on doing helpful Kegel exercises on many reputable medical websites. Another exercise recommended by some doctors is known as the pause-squeeze technique. Here’s how you do it:

Start sexual activity as usual and continue until you are almost ready to ejaculate

At this point, have your partner firmly (but not painfully) squeeze the end of your penis where the head joins onto the shaft, squeezing for a few seconds, until the urge to ejaculate abates.
Repeat as necessary. Keep in mind that the pause-squeeze technique requires practice.

A 2015 meta-analysis of behavior therapy, drug therapy, and combination therapy found a small, but statistically significant improvement in results when drug therapy for premature ejaculation is combined with behavioral therapy (like the pause-squeeze technique, masturbating an hour or two before sex, or strengthening the pelvic floor).

Premature ejaculation happens on occasion to just about all men. It’s only considered a disorder if it happens consistently and causes personal distress. Though it’s not the easiest topic to broach with your doctor, talking to a professional is the first step in treating premature ejaculation. Left untreated, it can cause greater personal stress and even relationship problems. For couples trying to conceive, premature ejaculation can cause problems if ejaculation doesn’t occur intravaginally.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to treat premature ejaculation, from the mechanical (condoms) to the behavioral to the pharmacological. There’s simply no reason to suffer in silence if premature ejaculation is a problem. Solutions exist, and you deserve a satisfying sex life as much as anyone else!

Will Taking Viagra Eventually Help Me Cure My Erectile Dysfunction?

Q. I’ve been taking Viagra for the last few months. How long will it take before I can once again get an erection without using the pill?

A. Viagra is not a cure for erectile dysfunction, and you could take it for years without reducing your need for the drug. However, if your ED symptoms are relatively mild and you are taking steps to make your lifestyle healthier, you may indeed reach a point where you will no longer need the helping hand that the medication offers.

To achieve that goal, you should eat a healthy diet, incorporate physical activity — even brisk walking — into your daily routine, quit smoking, and drink alcohol in moderation.

If you’re suffering from one of the underlying medical conditions, such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, or high blood pressure, that can lead to ED, you need to work with your doctor to manage that condition and thus reduce your risk of impotence. It could already be too late to reverse your ED symptoms altogether. But taking these commonsense steps to live a healthier life can help to ensure that you’re around longer to enjoy sex and everything else that life has to offer.

I have an enlarged prostate gland. Can I take Cialis?

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is enlargement of the prostate gland that is not due to cancer. It can be uncomfortable, causing difficulty urinating, and can lead to infections of the urinary tract, which are miserable. The great news is, Cialis in a low dose on a daily basis is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of BPH.

The fact that erections may improve is an added bonus.

I have an enlarged prostate gland. Can I take Cialis?

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is enlargement of the prostate gland that is not due to cancer. It can be uncomfortable, causing difficulty urinating, and can lead to infections of the urinary tract, which are miserable. The great news is, Cialis in a low dose on a daily basis is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of BPH.

The fact that erections may improve is an added bonus.

Why did Cialis become the best-selling treatment for erectile dysfunction?

Cialis is the best-selling prescription drug for erectile dysfunction and is still considered a “blockbuster” drug.

Even though Cialis will lose patent protection in the United States and Europe later in 2017, it is still a blockbuster drug (defined as a drug that brings in at least $1 billion per year in revenues). It’s more popular than Viagra and Levitra primarily because it has a significantly longer half-life than Viagra and Levitra. In other words, for most men, it’s effective far longer than the alternatives.

That’s been a big selling point for Cialis, with ads nicknaming it the “Weekend Pill” because many men can take it on a Friday night and still experience its effects on Sunday. The half-life of Cialis is around 18 hours, compared to 4 to 6 hours for Viagra and Levitra. This allows a higher degree of spontaneity, and a lot of men prefer that to scheduling taking a pill 30 minutes to an hour before sex.

Why did Cialis become the best-selling treatment for erectile dysfunction?

Cialis is the best-selling prescription drug for erectile dysfunction and is still considered a “blockbuster” drug.

Even though Cialis will lose patent protection in the United States and Europe later in 2017, it is still a blockbuster drug (defined as a drug that brings in at least $1 billion per year in revenues). It’s more popular than Viagra and Levitra primarily because it has a significantly longer half-life than Viagra and Levitra. In other words, for most men, it’s effective far longer than the alternatives.

That’s been a big selling point for Cialis, with ads nicknaming it the “Weekend Pill” because many men can take it on a Friday night and still experience its effects on Sunday. The half-life of Cialis is around 18 hours, compared to 4 to 6 hours for Viagra and Levitra. This allows a higher degree of spontaneity, and a lot of men prefer that to scheduling taking a pill 30 minutes to an hour before sex.

Will Taking Viagra Cause Me to Have Erections at Inconvenient Times?

Q. Because of recurring difficulties in getting an erection, my doctor has prescribed Viagra for me. However, I’m worried that the pill would cause me to have erections at inconvenient times, causing me embarrassment. Is that a realistic concern?

A. You needn’t worry that you’ll start having spontaneous erections once you begin taking Viagra. The drug doesn’t work that way. You will still need to get your erections the old-fashioned way, either as a result of feelings of sexual desire or physical stimuli to your penis or other erogenous zones. Sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra, works by temporarily improving blood flow to the penis, which facilitates the erection process. But that surge of blood toward the penis probably isn’t going to get started until your brain gets signals from elsewhere in the body that sexual activity is imminent.