Oral and non-oral combination therapy for erectile dysfunction

Abstract

An estimated 30 million men in the United States suffer from varying degrees of erectile dysfunction. Increasing age and comorbidities are likely to increase the number of men who are initially refractory or become refractory to phosphodiesterase (PDE)-5 inhibitors, the most popular oral therapy. Combination therapy, a concept well proved in other areas of medicine, is therefore of increasing importance. Combination oral and non-oral (intracavernosal injection and intraurethral application) therapies have been shown to salvage monotherapy. The early introduction of combination therapy has been shown to expedite both the return of natural function and PDE-5 inhibitor responsiveness in post-prostatectomy patients with no reports of serious adverse events. Larger controlled studies are needed to corroborate those encouraging findings.

Keywords: Alprostadil; Erectile dysfunction; Intracavernosal injection; Intraurethral application; Phosphodiesterase inhibitors.