Medically reviewed by Dr. Meinolf Dorka, Medical Director, last reviewed September 2026
Search for erectile dysfunction treatments and you will find a great deal of noise: old standbys, new devices, injections, drops, and a steady stream of things sold with big promises. It is hard to tell what is established from what is merely marketed. This guide sorts the two, plainly, so you can see what actually works, what is still being studied, and what calls for caution.
Erectile dysfunction, often shortened to ED, is common and, in many cases, treatable. The useful starting point is not a product but a question: what is causing it. The right treatment follows from that, and everything below is organised around that idea.
When it needs urgent care
A firm erection that will not go down and lasts longer than a few hours needs emergency care rather than watchful waiting. This is called priapism, and it can happen after some ED treatments, particularly injections and, less often, oral medicines. Left untreated for too long, it can damage the erectile tissue. In Switzerland, call 144 for a medical emergency. ahtida Health is not an emergency service.
First, the honest frame
The right treatment is the one matched to the cause, not a single answer that suits everyone. That is why a good process starts with an assessment rather than a prescription. Treating ED that comes from high blood pressure looks different from treating ED that comes from anxiety, and sometimes treating the underlying condition settles the ED on its own. Skipping the assessment is the most common way people spend time and money on the wrong thing.
It is fair to want to know how quickly something will help. Here honesty serves you better than a promise: no responsible clinician will offer a timeline in advance. What can be offered is an assessment, a plan matched to the cause, and a point at which it is reviewed.
What actually works: the established options
These are the treatments with the strongest track record. A clinician will usually work through them roughly in this order, depending on the cause and on what suits you. The order is a guide, not a ladder everyone has to climb, and many people do well on the first option that fits.
Lifestyle and treating the underlying cause. In milder cases, regular physical activity, stopping smoking, and reducing alcohol can help, and managing conditions like blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol often helps the erection as a side benefit. This is unglamorous and genuinely effective, and it tends to be the foundation the other options build on. It also improves the odds that the other treatments work, because a medicine can only do so much against unmanaged blood pressure or heavy smoking.
Oral medicines. The most common medical treatment is a group of tablets called PDE5 inhibitors, which improve blood flow so that an erection is easier to reach and hold. The generic substances in this group are sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil, and avanafil. Two points matter as much as the names. First, they do not create an erection by themselves; they work only alongside sexual stimulation. Second, they are not suitable for everyone. They can be dangerous when combined with nitrate medicines used for chest pain, and they may not be safe with certain other medicines or after a recent heart problem. Common side effects include headache, flushing, indigestion, and a blocked nose. This is exactly why they need a clinical assessment rather than a guess, and in most cases a prescription. Used appropriately, they help a large share of the people who try them, which is why they are usually the first medical option offered.
One safety point belongs here. These are prescription medicines for good reason, and buying them from unregulated online sellers carries real risks, because such products are sometimes counterfeit, wrongly dosed, or contaminated. Getting them through a proper assessment is not only about the paperwork; it is how the interactions and heart-related cautions above are actually checked.
Vacuum devices. A vacuum erection device draws blood into the penis mechanically, and a ring holds the erection in place. It works for many people, has no drug interactions, and is often a good fit for those who cannot take oral medicines.
Injections and urethral treatments. Where tablets are not suitable or do not work, medicines can be delivered by a small self-injection or as a pellet placed in the urethra, both of which act locally and quickly. These are clinician-guided, and they are one reason the priapism warning above matters.
Testosterone, only where it is low. If blood tests show low testosterone, treating that can help, sometimes alongside other treatments. It is not a general ED remedy, and it does little for men whose testosterone is normal. That distinction matters, because testosterone is sometimes offered as a general answer when it is not one.
Penile implants. For the smaller number of people who do not respond to medicines or injections, a surgically placed implant is a well established option that reliably produces an erection. It is usually considered after other approaches, not before, and its reliability is why it remains a mainstay for more difficult cases.
Psychological and sex therapy. Where stress, anxiety, or relationship strain are part of the picture, talking therapy or work with a sex therapist can address the cause directly, on its own or alongside a medical treatment.
How the right option is chosen
With so many options, it helps to know that you are not expected to pick one yourself. A doctor will usually start from the cause rather than the menu, checking your general health and any conditions that might be driving the ED, and only then matching a treatment to what they find. Where oral medicines are suitable, they are often the first step, because they are simple and well understood; where they are not, or do not work, the other options are there. The plan is meant to be revisited, so a first choice that does not suit you is a step in the process, not a dead end.
What’s newer, and how strong the evidence is
This is where the marketing runs ahead of the science, so it is worth being clear about what the evidence actually shows.
Shockwave therapy. Low-intensity shockwave therapy uses sound waves, not electrical shocks, to try to improve blood flow in the penis. It is the most studied of the newer options, and the honest summary is that it is promising but not settled. A 2025 Cochrane review found that it may improve erectile function in the longer term and may improve firmness in the short term, but rated the certainty of that evidence as low, noting that many studies were small, varied widely, and were often funded by device makers. It is not established as a replacement for the standard treatments, and the evidence for it remains limited. If you are considering it, one practical caution: seek it from a medical setting, because similar sounding “wave” treatments are advertised at non-medical venues where the standards are not the same.
Regenerative injections. Approaches using platelet-rich plasma or stem cells are marketed for ED, but they are not established treatments and are still being studied. It is reasonable to be interested and unreasonable to be sold certainty about them.
Supplements and herbal products. The effectiveness of over-the-counter supplements for ED is not clear, and some can interact with prescribed medicines or contain undisclosed ingredients. It is worth speaking to a doctor before trying any, rather than after.
What “actually works” means for you
Put together, the pattern is simple. The foundations, that is lifestyle, treating the underlying cause, oral medicines, devices, and, where needed, injections or an implant, are the options that hold up under the evidence. The newer options may add something for some people, particularly milder vascular cases, but they are not a shortcut past an assessment. Anything sold with a guarantee, a fixed timeline, or a promise to work for everyone is worth stepping back from, because that is not how any of this honestly works. A fair conversation with a clinician will tell you which of these fits your cause, and will be honest about what it cannot promise.
How do you get support in Switzerland?
A doctor is the place to start: a GP, or a urologist. They can identify the cause and set out which of these options fits, rather than leaving you to choose blind.
If you would rather begin more privately, ahtida Health is a structured digital medical clinic that includes sexual health among its areas of care, with Consultations available in German and English. You can learn more about sexual health care before deciding anything.
One reminder that applies throughout: ahtida Health is not an emergency service. For a medical emergency in Switzerland, call 144.
Frequently asked questions
Do the tablets work for everyone?
Is shockwave therapy worth trying?
Do supplements or “natural” pills work?
Are ED treatments bought online safe?
How is the right treatment chosen for me?
What if the first treatment does not work?
Choosing well, without the noise
There are more ED treatments than ever, and most of the noise around the newest ones fades once you look at the evidence. What holds up is unglamorous and reassuring: established options, matched to the cause, chosen with someone who can tell you what fits. If you now have a clearer sense of the landscape, you have what you need to take the next step when you want to.
When you are ready, you can explore your sexual health treatment options. It commits you to nothing beyond the conversation.
References
World Health Organization. ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics: Male erectile dysfunction (HA01.1). 2025.
Cleveland Clinic. Erectile Dysfunction (ED). Last updated 28 August 2023.
Mayo Clinic. Erectile dysfunction: Symptoms and causes. 1 March 2025.
Mayo Clinic. Erectile dysfunction: oral medications. 2024.
Ergun O, and others. Low-intensity shockwave therapy for erectile dysfunction. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2025, Issue 7, CD013166.