• Local ointment
  • Duration 1-2 hrs
  • Applied to the tip of the penis 5-30 minutes before having sex

Vitaros is a local cream towards impotence. It should be applied on the tip of the penis. It is used for erectile dysfunction problems in men over 18 years of age, just like  Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. Its active ingredient is alprostadil, which has been used as an injectable treatment since the early 1990s. Vitaros is a relatively new product.

What’s on this page?

The consistency of the cream

The active ingredient of Vitaros is called alprostadil. Other substances in the ointment are purified water, ethanol, ethyl laurate, guar gum (E412), dodecyl 2-N, N-dimethylaminopropionate hydrochloride, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, sodium hydroxide (lye, E524) and phosphoric acid.

The effectiveness of the cream

The distinction between Vitaros and other well-known ED pills, such as Viagra, Cialis, Levitra and Spedra is that it is an ointment and not a pill. What does this mean in practice? The active substances of the above products are PDE5 inhibitors or “the first-line treatments”. If these turn out not to be helpful to the patient, the doctor may decide to offer other options, such as Vitaros. Alprostadil works in the same way as prostaglandin E1 – the source of which is – and relaxes the muscles of the penis region. This enables vasodilatation, i.e. enlargement of the blood vessels in the swollen tissue, which in turn leads to a lasting erection.

Vitaros is well suited for those who can not swallow tablets. The drug is dosed with a syringe and each dose is for a single use. The syringe is emptied out of the sachet and is injected into the urethra. This can be done 5 to 30 minutes before sex. After applying it, you should be able to have sex for about two hours. The product can be used three times a week and within 24 hours you should not exceed the permitted daily dose.

Can I buy it without a prescription?

Vitaros is a form of erectile dysfunction treatment for those who have tried other methods but they haven’t been helpful. Therefore, it is not available without a prescription because only a healthcare professional can evaluate the patient’s needs for this drug.

Vitaros 300 micrograms 

There are two different strengths available from Vitaros, 200 and 300 micrograms. At the beginning of use, a stronger 300 microgram dosage is usually recommended because those who have prescribed alprostadil usually have a difficult ED problem. This means that for example, traditional PDE5 inhibitors would not help. If the 300 microgram dose produces bad side effects, you can go for a lighter 200 microgram dosage.

Side effects

No medication is ever totally risk-free, and Vitaros is not an exception. The speciality of this drug compared to PDE5 inhibitors, such as Viagra, is that it can cause side effects for the partner as well. The most common side effects (seen by one user in ten) are the following:

  • pain
  • burning sensation and redness in the penis
  • rash, tickling
  • penile swelling
  • tingling of the throat
  • tingling and numbness in the penis
  • The partner, on the other hand, may feel burning sensation and mild itching in the vagina as penetration may cause the ointment to enter the vagina

Rare side effects experienced 1 in 100 are the following:

  • dizziness
  • prolonged (over four hours) erection
  • loss of consciousness
  • hypotension
  • low blood pressure
  • tachycardia
  • heart failure
  • urethral pain
  • urinary tract infection
  • gingivitis
  • penile itching
  • pain in the scrotum and pressure sensation the genital area.
  • The partner may have itching in the vaginal region.

Most of these side effects are temporary and they pass in an hour or two. However, Vitaros may increase the risk of stroke or heart attack during sexual activity in those who belong to the risk group. If such symptoms occur, consult a doctor or pharmacist.

Price of Vitaros

Its price is about 10 pounds per dosage. The drug is therefore reasonably cheap. It is also possible to buy it from the internet. In this case, however, you should be careful and use only licensed internet pharmacies so that you will not be tricked by drug smugglers.