Pharmacy knowledge base
Health guides & medicine information
Plain-English explainers from our editorial team — what the medicines do, how the strengths differ, and how to use them safely.
Showing 277–287 of 287 guides
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Why ED Medication Sometimes Doesn't Work
Summary: When ED medication seems to fail, the cause is usually fixable: too little time, a heavy meal, alcohol, low arousal, or anxiety. The EMA product information for Viagra advises taking sildenafil about 1 hour before sex. A fatty meal in particular slows it. Try it several times in good conditions, and see a doctor if it still doesn't work.
ED Medication and Blood Pressure Tablets: What You Need to Know
Summary: Many common blood-pressure medicines can be taken alongside ED medication if a doctor approves. But nitrates for angina and recreational poppers must never be combined with PDE5 inhibitors, because blood pressure can fall dangerously. Alpha-blockers also need caution. Tell your doctor or pharmacist about everything you take before starting ED treatment.
What to Expect the First Time You Take ED Medication
Summary: The first time, take sildenafil about 1 hour before sex, as the EMA product information for Viagra advises, and expect to still need arousal. Mild flushing, headache or a blocked nose are common. The first attempt doesn't always go perfectly, so don't judge it once, and never combine it with nitrates or poppers.
How to Make ED Medication Work Better
Summary: To get the most from ED medication, allow enough time, take it on a lighter stomach, keep alcohol low, build arousal and stay relaxed. The EMA product information for Viagra advises taking sildenafil about 1 hour before sex. Looking after your overall health, including exercise, sleep and not smoking, helps it work too.
Stop-Start Technique for Premature Ejaculation
Summary: The stop-start technique is a drug-free way to build ejaculatory control. During stimulation, alone or with a partner, stop completely when you feel close to the point of no return, wait until the urge clearly subsides, then resume. Repeat the cycle three or four times before allowing ejaculation, and practise regularly without pressure.
Squeeze Technique: A Drug-Free Way to Last Longer
Summary: The squeeze technique is a drug-free method for premature ejaculation. When you feel close to ejaculating, firmly but painlessly squeeze where the head of the penis meets the shaft for several seconds until the urge eases, pause briefly, then resume. Repeated regularly over several cycles, it trains you to tolerate more stimulation.
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How to Last Longer Naturally: Drug-Free Strategies That Help
Summary: The best-established drug-free ways to last longer are the stop-start and squeeze techniques, plus regular pelvic floor exercises. The techniques train you to recognise and manage rising arousal. Reducing pressure, focusing on sensation rather than the clock, moderating alcohol and looking after your general health also help. Results build over weeks of practice.
Treating ED and Premature Ejaculation Together: Understanding the Overlap
Summary: Erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation often occur together, each feeding the other. Worry about losing an erection can make a man rush, and repeated early ejaculation can cause anxiety that affects erections. Treating only one may leave the other unresolved, so a doctor first works out which came first, then combines behavioural techniques and appropriate medicines.
Dapoxetine vs Numbing Sprays for PE: How the Options Compare
Summary: Dapoxetine is an on-demand SSRI tablet for premature ejaculation that acts on ejaculation signals in the brain; numbing sprays work on the skin. Sprays reduce penile sensitivity locally but can numb a partner if not used as directed. Dapoxetine is prescription-only in the EU/EEA and has more interactions, so check with a doctor first.
Performance Anxiety and Premature Ejaculation: Breaking the Cycle
Summary: Performance anxiety can drive premature ejaculation in a cycle: worry about next time speeds up ejaculation, and the worry deepens. It often starts with one bad experience. Reducing pressure, focusing on sensation and your partner rather than self-monitoring, slow breathing, behavioural techniques and counselling help break it.
Foods and Lifestyle for Ejaculatory Control: What the Evidence Suggests
Summary: No single food or supplement fixes premature ejaculation, and products promising dramatic results aren't supported by evidence. A balanced, heart-healthy diet, regular exercise, pelvic floor training, moderate drinking, not smoking, good sleep and stress management support the circulation, hormones and nervous system that ejaculatory control depends on.