Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors (PDE-5 Inhibitors) for Erection Problems and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

All PDE-5 inhibitors are very effective in treating erection problems, no matter what is causing the erection problem.^{Reference 1}

How well the PDE-5 inhibitors work depends on the person taking it and how much he takes. But these medicines seem to work in about 7 out of 10 men who use them for erection problems.^{Reference 2}

The medicine needs to be taken before you plan to have sex:

• Sildenafil starts to work as soon as 30 minutes and up to 4 hours after you take a pill.
• Vardenafil starts to work as soon as 30 minutes and up to 4 hours after you take a pill.
• Tadalafil starts to work as soon as 20 minutes and up to 36 hours after you take a pill.

PDE-5 inhibitors, such as tadalafil, may help reduce BPH symptoms in men (whether or not they have erection problems). Men have about a 5-point reduction in their symptom scores on the Reference American Urological Association symptom index.^{Reference 3}

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