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Which erectile dysfunction medication works best, and what drugs does Hims offer access to that are comparable?
Is it hard to get an ED prescription via Hims? Can they offer the same quality of medicine as your doctor?
The short answer is: yes, Hims offers access to legitimate ED medicine, if prescribed – the same active ingredient is found in Viagra and for a great price. You’ll even get a free visit with a licensed medical provider. But before we dive into how they do it, let’s quickly go over the causes of ED and talk about how these drugs, including the ones offered by Hims, work.
Erectile Dysfunction happens more than you think
Even if you are a healthy male, erectile dysfunction can happen. In fact, the Cleveland Clinic says that they think that about 40% of men will be affected by ED by the age of 40.
And the older that you get, the more likely it is to happen to you, even if you are otherwise healthy. Why a healthy man has this problem can be pretty medically complicated, but the good news is that there are some proven, generally quite safe, treatments available. Tadalafil is one of these treatments.
Thanks to some aggressive advertising by the drug companies, most men know about Cialis and Viagra. But the generic versions of these medicines aren’t quite household names. For Cialis, that generic drug is Tadalafil. Since the medicine in Tadalafil and Cialis are the same, let’s explain how these combat ED.
Does Tadalafil, accessible through Hims, work?
Yes – it does. Through Hims, you can speak to a licensed medical provider who can prescribe Tadalafil, the generic version of the well-known erectile dysfunction drug Cialis, if appropriate. This medicine is a PDE5 inhibitor, which makes it easier for men to get and maintain an erection by improving blood flow to the penis. Let’s explore more about how it helps men get erections.
How Tadalafil works
As most men know, the way you get an erection is for blood to flow into your penis. The way that Cialis and the Tadalafil offered by Hims work is by helping blood flow to your man bits.
Paraphrasing from the Mayo Clinic, this drug is a phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor. By controlling (i.e., inhibiting) the enzyme phosphodiesterase, it’s easier for your penis to maintain an erection.
One of the really nice things about this medicine is how long it stays effective – up to 36 hours. That is why it’s often taken every day, so that men with erectile dysfunction can be prepared for sex regardless of when they expect it to happen, any day of the week. (This contrasts with the active ingredient in Viagra, which is generally considered effective for two to three hours, although it can last as long as five hours for some men.)
So, to answer a very common question:
How do you get Cialis through Hims?
Hims offers access to licensed medical providers who can provide medical advice in all 50 states (this is pretty awesome, not many businesses can cover all states.)
The consultation is really simple – and for men who are worried about the embarrassment of talking about erectile dysfunction: don’t. The process is 100% online. Usually, you answer a series of online health questions about your condition. Here is how it works:
- Head to ForHims.com: This link will take you to the erectile dysfunction page, where you can begin your visit.
- Create an account: Having an account lets you review treatment options and confirm that you’re in a state that allows telehealth.
- Take the quiz: This has some simple online questions about your health and your particular erectile dysfunction problem to better inform your provider.
- Select your treatment preferences: Don’t worry, the prices are all listed, and we’ll break down the cost of Him’s Tadalafil further down this page.
- Confirmation: Because you are seeing the doctor online, you need to snap a photo of your driver’s license or ID to confirm you are who you say you are.
- Purchase: You’ll put in your credit card.
- Provider review: This is where the magic happens – a licensed medical provider will review everything and decide if a prescription makes sense. If so, they’ll pass your information over to a pharmacy, and the medicine will be shipped to you.
Super simple! Not embarrassing. Oh, and inexpensive!
How much does it cost to get Tadalafil or Cialis through Hims?
Hims generic Cialis (Tadalafil) starts at $82/mo. It’s an everyday prescription, so this comes to about $2.70 per day per daily dose ($82 divided by 30 days). You also need a prescription, which they can offer you for free via their online telemedicine doctors (it’s a fee, online doctor’s visit). Sometimes they offer special discounts; click here to see if there is one running now.
What do erectile dysfunction medicines cost when accessed through Hims?
Tadalafil daily isn’t the only erectile dysfunction medicine Hims offers access to if prescribed. Through forhims, you can also get as-needed ED pills, including as-needed generic Cialis, generic Viagra (Sildenafil), and brand name Viagra.
The price of a generic Viagra tablet varies based on the strength of the dose of sildenafil it contains but generally costs anywhere from about $4 to $10 per dose, compared to $50 to $70 per dose for brand-name Viagra.
Tadalafil is available in various forms, including as-needed or daily ED pills. The generic options (both daily and as-needed) are $82/month, while the brand name Cialis is $958/mo.
What are the possible side effects of Hims ED meds?
This is a real medicine that has been shown to work in many, many studies (like this one, which compares the results from several clinical trials, with each trial having over 1,000 men in them). In these clinical trials, the drug has been shown to work, improving the “success rate” of sex for the men taking the medicine. But, like all medicines, there are side effects.
Some common, minor side effects include stomach upset, belching, and heartburn. Less common but more serious side effects could be arm/back/jaw pain, blurred vision, check pain or tightness, chills, cold sweats, confusion, dizziness, fainting, fast/irregular heartbeat, headache, hearing loss, pounding in the ears, sweating, unusual tiredness or weakness, vomiting. A rare but serious potential side effect would be an erection that lasts for a long time; Hims’ site says to call a doctor if your erection lasts longer than 4 hours.
The medical provider you meet through Hims will share more detail on what side effects to look out for. But the good news is that this medicine has been well studied and is used by a large enough group of men that the side effects are pretty well understood, and they, in general, are not common and minor.
Make sure you are honest and open during the online doctor’s consultation. It’s important to help the Hims physician understand if you have any health issues that might make Tadalafil more likely to cause you side effects.
Is Tadalafil or Cialis the right ED medicine?
You can ask your Hims medical provider if Tadalafil is right for you – but many men do prefer this drug to the others on the market for an obvious reason. Unlike Viagra, Tadalafil works all day, so you don’t have to plan ahead for sex.
With Sildenafil, you need to wait 30 minutes to an hour before it becomes effective, so you can’t be quite as spontaneous as you can with Cialis. The counterpoint is that this makes it an everyday drug, so you have to pay more because you’ll have doses everyday. Through forhims.com, generic, daily Cialis starts at $82/mo, compared to over $950 for the brand-name version.
The Verdict: should you get your Cialis or Tadalafil through Hims?
ED stinks. It interferes with your love life and probably with your relationship. So if you’re having erectile dysfunction problems, it makes sense to get help.
Hims offers an affordable way for men to virtually connect with a medical provider who can prescribe ED treatment if appropriate. Since the visit is free, why not give it a shot and see if treatment is right for you? Click here to visit Hims’ Tadalafil page.
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