When it comes to treating erectile dysfunction, medications and their dosage have different effects on different people. What works for someone else won’t necessarily work for you.

So if your current treatment isn’t working, you don’t need to panic! Here are 5 things you can try:

1. Give It Time

If you’ve recently started taking ED medication, it can take your body time to adjust. So you might not experience the desired effects the first time you take it. 

If this is the case, take the medication for several consecutive days and see if you start to experience the effects after this.

2. Increase Your Dose

When you start taking ED medication, you generally start off with the lowest dose. But if you have tried this and it hasn’t worked, you may need to increase your dose. 

Instead of taking more than one tablet, get a higher strength of medication instead, e.g. 20 mg instead of 10 mg. Try not to go for the highest strength possible straight away, as higher strength medication usually comes with increased side effects.

3. Try Different Medication

If increasing your dosage doesn’t give you the desired effects, or if you experience too many side effects, you can try a different type of ED medication. 

Viagra (Sildenafil), Levitra (Vardenafil), Cialis (Tadalafil) and Spedra (Avanafil) are all slightly different. So if one type doesn’t work for you, try out another. 

The branded and generic version of the drug contain the same active ingredients. So if the branded version doesn’t work for you, it is unlikely that the generic version would. 

Sildenafil, Vardenafil, Tadalafil and Avanafil are the generic versions of Viagra, Levitra, Cialis and Spedra, respectively.

4. Get An ED Trial Pack

The ED trial pack contains a selection of popular ED medications in different strengths. This can be a great place to start if you’re still trying to find which treatment works best for you. 

One type may have fewer side effects than another, or you may find a type that works faster or lasts longer. So it’s a good idea to try them all if you can.

5. Treat Underlying Health Conditions

ED is often caused by health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as lifestyle factors such as smoking and drug use. Treating these health conditions could help improve the effectiveness of your ED treatment. 

Try to exercise regularly, eat healthily and lose weight if you need to. If you’re struggling to lose weight, there are medications available to help you. There are also products available to help you stop smoking. 

ED can also have psychological causes. Stress, depression and performance anxiety are common psychological causes of ED. A psychologist, counsellor, sex therapist or doctor may be able to help you tackle these mental health issues. 

There also are various self-help guides available and you could try taking up a stress-reducing activity such as yoga, mindfulness or meditation. 

Treating the other health factors that could contribute to your ED, will help prevent your ED from becoming any worse. You may find that lifestyle changes help you overcome your ED entirely, reducing your need for ED medication.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on August 9, 2018. It has been updated for accuracy, readability and comprehensiveness.