ED treatment for diabetic men

Which is the best ED pill for diabetics?

If you’ve got diabetes, the best pill to treat erectile dysfunction can depend on a few factors, including whether you’re on blood pressure lowering treatment, and how severe your ED is.

Several ED pills, including sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra) and tadalafil (Cialis) have been shown in clinical studies to be effective at treating ED in men with diabetes.

But if you’re taking other medications to treat diabetes or associated metabolic disease, it’s more likely you’ll be recommended vardenafil.

Vardenafil has been found to be well-tolerated in men with impotence associated with diabetes. But because it’s a potent drug in comparison to other treatments, it can be more effective at lower doses; the median or starting dose of vardenafil for example is 10mg, compared to 50mg if you’re using sildenafil. So because you don’t need as much of it to treat ED symptoms, the risk of side effects with vardenafil is thought to be lower.

There is a trade-off for this though – vardenafil tends to be a more expensive option than sildenafil, and the branded version (Levitra) tends to be pricier (than Viagra) too. So when choosing a treatment, this is another factor that could influence your decision.

Oral treatments are the preferred first choice for men with diabetes but, if these don’t work, alprostadil is another option. This is often given in the form of an injection (like Caverject or Viridal) but you can get it as a cream too (Vitaros). It’s shown to be well-tolerated and effective in men with diabetes.

Can you take Viagra if you have diabetes?

Sildenafil, which is also known by the branded name Viagra, is a safe treatment for diabetic men with erectile dysfunction to use. One study into the use of the drug in just over 100 men with ED and diabetes found that 55% were able to have at least one successful sexual intercourse’ after using it (compared to 15.6% in the placebo group).

Another study analysing sildenafil use in just over 250 men with diabetes and ED reported improved erections in 56% of participants (compared with 10% in the placebo group).

So if you have diabetes, Viagra can be an effective treatment for you. But if you have diabetes and Viagra doesn’t quite work well enough or gives you side effects, you might be recommended a different treatment, like Vardenafil (Levitra), rather than a higher dose of sildenafil. This is because higher doses of ED drugs like sildenafil pose a higher risk of side effects or interactions with other treatments.

Does insurance cover Viagra for diabetics in Canada?

In Canada, coverage for prescription drugs varies significantly. There is no single national program that makes medications free for people with diabetes.

Coverage depends on your specific circumstances:

• Provincial and territorial health plans: Each province has a public drug plan that may cover a portion of the cost for certain medications, but usually only for specific groups like seniors, people on social assistance, or those with catastrophic drug costs. Coverage for ED drugs is often limited or not included.
• Private insurance: If you have a private health insurance plan, often through your employer, it may cover ED treatments. However, plans differ greatly. Many have annual or lifetime maximums for these types of drugs.

To find out if Viagra is covered for you, you’ll need to get a prescription from your doctor, then check the details of your provincial drug benefit program and/or your private insurance plan.

Can diabetic erectile dysfunction be reversed?

Because diabetes can cause damage to blood vessels and the nervous system, it’s not always possible to fully reverse erectile dysfunction related to it. Sometimes, you might need to use ED treatment long-term to counter the problem.

But it is possible to prevent diabetes and any erectile dysfunction symptoms associated with it from getting worse, by controlling your blood sugar and following your diabetes treatment plan.

Some men who have diabetes and intermittent erectile dysfunction may find that their symptoms pass if they follow a healthier diet and get plenty of exercise. If you have diabetes and think you might be experiencing ED though, it’s worth seeing a doctor so they can make sure your diabetes is well-controlled – as well as give you advice and treatment recommendations for your ED symptoms.