Treatment of Impotence

You may be a good candidate to try a PDE5 drug. Most men find that these drugs are helpful, that they are easy to use, and that they cause few side effects.

However, some men can take PDE5 drugs because of underlying medical problems, or because of possible severe drug reactions. The following questions may help to determine of PDE5 drugs are right for you.

Let's start by finding out if you have heart disease. Many doctors worry that PDE5 drugs are not safe in some men with heart disease, particularly if the heart disease is severe or poorly controlled. Also, some men with heart disease take medications that can cause severe reactions when mixed with PDE5 drugs.

Heart disease can take many forms. For the purpose of this Decision Guide, you should consider that you have heart disease if you have ever experienced or been told that you have the following

• a heart attack

• angina (or a type of chest pain called unstable angina)

• heart failure (also called congestive heart failure, or CHF)

• a severe heart valve problem

• unexplained chest pain.

You should also consider that you have heart disease if you have ever had any of the following

• angioplasty

• a cardiac stent

• bypass or other type of open heart surgery

• a pacemaker or defibrillator.

Have you ever been diagnosed with heart disease?

Yes, I have been diagnosed with heart disease.

No, I have not.