More Viagra? No Thanks...

MichaelCastleman

Posted: Apr 3, 07 5:51pm

It's the dirty little secret of Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra. Half of men who fill an initial prescription don't refill it. Why? Could be several reasons:

The drugs have been over-hyped

Some of the ads show ballplayers with big, thick bats hitting balls out of the park. The implications are obvious. But erection drugs don't turn 55 year olds into 25 year olds. The drugs work in about 70 percent of men. But what does "work" mean? Many men believe that Viagra-type drugs produce the rock-hard erections they remember wistfully from young adulthood. They don't. They just make it a little easier to raise the kind of erections men have after 45--firm enough for lots of fun, but noticeably less firm than men would like.

They're not aphrodisiacs

Getting an erection is a two-step process. First the man has to become sexually aroused. Then extra blood must fill the spongy tissues in the penis to make it firm. All Viagra-type drugs do is coax more blood into the penis. They don't help with arousal. This disappoints many men who mistakenly believe that the drugs are aphrodisiacs. They're not. They have no effect on arousal. At some point, as they pass 45 or so, men are shocked to learn that arousal is no longer instant and automatic. An older man can be in a romantic setting with a woman he loves, who turns him on, and who fondles him enthusiastically, and it still might take a long time to start feeling aroused.

They don't cure relationship problems

Several studies have shown that erection drugs work best when combined with sex therapy. That's because relationship issues often play a role in the situation.

The novelty has worn off

Nine years ago, when Viagra was approved, the drug companies had visions of 60-year-old men pestering their wives for sex, sex, and more sex--and boosting sales of the little blue pill. In some couples, this happened and the women experienced a new form of marital distress dubbed "Viagra-vation." But surveys show that the most typical user of erection medication is a married man age 55 to 69 who wants to have sex with his wife a few times a month. Drug industry surveys suggest that most of these men are content with that frequency, and have no desire to use erection medications to greatly increase it.

Older lovers turn to non-intercourse lovemaking

Even with a boost from Viagra, many erections in older men are still not firm enough for intercourse. And even with a lubricant, many older women find intercourse uncomfortable. One practical, enjoyable solution is non-intercourse lovemaking--mutual manual stimulation and/or oral sex. Many men who need drugs for intercourse decide they prefer non-intercourse sex and don't need a firm erection for it. As a result they don't need the drugs.

The drugs cause side effects

In most cases, the side effects are not all that bad. The most common include: stuffed nose, headache, and flushing, kind of like a hot flash. But some men wonder why they should endure the side effects when the benefits are just not all that great.

So what do you think? Why do you think that half the men who get prescriptions for Viagra-type drugs don't refill them?