Why Over-the-Counter ED Drugs May Not be Worth the Risk

Published: March 30, 2021

Updated: December 13, 2024

4 mins

When you have a bad cold or flu, you can go to your doctor and get a prescription that will help make symptoms more mild and help you feel better faster. Or, you can pick up some meds at a drug store over the counter (OTC). For headaches, it’s the same thing: prescription meds often work faster and better than over-the-counter alternatives, but OTC is convenient and often cheaper.

For many medical issues, going to a doctor is one option, but you can also take care of it yourself with legal drugs bought over the counter. 

But what do you do if you have erectile dysfunction? Brand name ED drugs will require a prescription, and depending on where you buy them, can be expensive. The hassle of getting a prescription and the price of these medications often drive men to seek out an over-the-counter alternative treatment for erectile dysfunction. But are these OTC ED drugs worth the risk? 

What are the Most Popular Over the Counter ED Drugs? 

Walking down the aisles of a drug store will provide you with all kinds of different over-the-counter options for treating erectile dysfunction. Some of the most popular medications and supplements:

• Extenze

• Libido Max

• Male Extra

• Virectin

• VigRX Plus

• Vimax

A large majority of these over-the-counter erectile dysfunction remedies are labeled and marketed as “male enhancement” pills. Most of them will claim to have been designed for more than just fighting erectile dysfunction, but also to increase stamina, improve libido, and boost levels of testosterone. 

In the following, we explore more details about common OTC medications and supplements for erectile dysfunction.

Extenze

One of the more popular male enhancement products on the market, Extenze claims to be a 100% natural product and more effective than other options. However, these bold claims are a little hard to support, as most of the ingredients involved have not been clinically proven to be effective.

The manufacturer has faced multiple lawsuits that challenge the legitimacy of their product claims, most notably their claim that this can increase penis size.

In addition, there is a notice by the Food and Drug Administration against Extenze which states this product has been found to contain undeclared amounts of sildenafil. This is the well-known ingredient in Viagra® and is required by law to have a doctor's prescription. Finding it in an OTC product suggests something is amiss.

Libido Max

This product claims to be made with natural ingredients such as L-arginine, horny goat weed, and Yohimbe and is designed to boost circulation and testosterone levels to enhance male sexual performance. While these ingredients are all-natural, this supplement has had many users reporting negative side effects and some people have found it to be ineffective.

While these natural ED remedies have long been used in holistic medicine, the effectiveness claims haven't been supported by detailed research yet.

Male Extra

Manufactured by Marlia Health Innovations in the United Kingdom, this product claims to produce bigger and harder erections while also boosting sexual ability. It contains key ingredients of pomegranate, L-arginine, and creatine to better improve circulation.

Like the other products on this list, there is not very much in the form of effective clinical information or research to support Male Extra’s claims.

Virectin

The price for one bottle of this product is about $45. This medication is intended to boost libido, improve testosterone levels, and also enhance sexual pleasure.

It is composed of 16 key ingredients that include amino acids and pro-sexual nutrients that are designed to improve blood vessel dilation. At the end of the day, this is a supplement that lacks an FDA-approved label to treat ED.

VigRX Plus

This product is intended to be used long-term and contains 10 natural ingredients that include ginkgo leaf, Asian red ginseng, and Catuaba bark to enhance stamina and male sexual performance.

It will take about 30 to 60 days of daily usage to build up the effectiveness, directions say, and the manufacturer claims that it is over 70% effective. This product is also not a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA), the gold standard in drug development.

Vimax

Made with ingredients that include ginseng, ginkgo biloba, and saw palmetto, this product is a natural male enhancement supplement, although reviews suggest that dosages for the active ingredients should be higher. It also lacks L-arginine, which is believed to be one of the most beneficial natural supplements for treating erectile dysfunction.

The Food and Drug Administration has advised consumers not to purchase or use this product. It can contain undeclared amounts of tadalafil, the active ingredient found in Cialis, which needs to be prescribed by a physician and should not be found in OTC products.

Risks of OTC Medications for ED

It’s important to remember that products marketed as nutritional supplements are not held to the same regulatory standards as prescription medications approved and regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Just because something is being sold at a drugstore, does not necessarily mean that it’s safe. 

There are several products that the Food and Drug Administration has issued health warnings about, some of them include:

• Man Up Now

• Stiff Nights

• Rock Hard Weekend

• Duro Extend Capsules For Men

• Vigor-25

• Magic Power Coffee

• Time Out

• Mr. Magic Male Enhancer

• Vitalex

• Xiadafil VIP Tabs

For most of these products, a health warning was issued due to a problem with the purity or safety of their ingredients.

For example, one supplement called Man Up Now is made with sulfoaildenafil, a chemical that is similar to the active ingredient in Viagra®, sildenafil. The Food and Drug Administration has demanded recalls on products with hydroxyhomosildenafil and sulfoaildenafil.

Most of the products on both of these lists contain other chemicals, some of which have not been tested. It’s important to keep in mind that even if a product is described as “natural” or as an “herbal remedy” on its label, it's not necessarily explicitly "safe" as these FDA actions demonstrate.

Health claims like these are not always closely regulated, and there's no officially approved definition or requirement from the Food and Drug Administration. 

What Are Possible Alternatives and Natural Remedies? 

There are a lot of risks involved with taking some of the over-the-counter products listed. There are natural alternatives you may want to consider instead. if you do not have access to a prescription medication.

The following list includes a few natural remedies that men have gravitated towards, many of which have been used in traditional and Eastern medicine for centuries.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)

This is a hormone that may improve sexual satisfaction and some symptoms of erectile dysfunction. However, symptoms caused by other health conditions like diabetes or nerve disorders may not improve with this hormone.

Although the human body will naturally produce DHEA, levels will decrease as you age. Research into DHEA is a little lacking, but it does indicate that when taken daily, it may help to improve erectile function.

L-arginine

Another supplement that may help to boost erectile dysfunction is this amino acid that supports nitric oxide production in your body. Nitric oxide plays a role in relaxing the corpus cavernosum smooth muscles in order to improve blood circulation and erectile function.

There is research to suggest that it may be beneficial, but more research is needed to confirm these findings. There have been some studies that concluded L-arginine offers no more improvement in erectile function than a placebo.

Pycnogenol

This nutritional supplement is derived from French maritime pine bark extract and may offer similar benefits to L-arginine. They are sometimes used together to attempt to boost erectile function. At the end of the three-month study, 92.5% of patients had experienced an erection.  

Other supplements that are alleged to help boost circulation and improve sexual function include:

• Ginseng

• Ginkgo biloba

• Rhodiola Rosea

• Horny goat weed

How Rex MD Can Help

There are dozens of options for over-the-counter treatments for erectile dysfunction, but many of them are not approved by the FDA.

If the cost of prescription ED medications is what worries you, there are plenty of ED drug options that are reasonably priced and available affordably as generics, and even online.

Rex MD specializes in exactly that: generic and affordable prescription medications that are delivered to your door with no hassle but the safety of a doctor's prescription. The risks and costs that are involved in taking over-the-counter supplements may not be worth it.

Be sure to reach out to a licensed healthcare provider about the safest options for treating any symptoms of erectile dysfunction. If not possible, Rex MD offers options for treatment for erectile dysfunction.