Careful shoppers can minimize the cost of their erectile dysfunction drugs in a variety of ways. Here are some recommendations on how to get more for less.

The cost of Erectile Dysfunction Drugs remains relatively high despite the recent introduction of generic alternatives to Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra. Although the eventual arrival of more generic competition will likely bring the prices of both brand-name and generic equivalents lower, what can you do in the meantime to save?

Here are four suggestions that should help you to minimize the cost of your ED treatment:

1. Opt for a Generic Alternative

Although they all are relatively new on the market, generic alternatives are available for Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra, the “big three” among available ED Drugs. Each of these generics offers a significant savings over the brand-name medication for which it is an alternative. As more generic drugs come to market, competitive forces should lower prices even further.

Using the average of current prices at CVS Pharmacy and online facilitators eDrugstore.com as a yardstick, a 50-milligram Dose (the recommended starting dose, or RSD) of sildenafil citrate costs $21.14, compared with a price of $42.49 for the same dose of Viagra. A 10-milligram dose (the RSD) of tadalafil will set you back an average of $27.60, still a significant savings over the average of $41 you’d pay for a similar dose of brand-name Cialis. And finally, a 10-milligram dose of vardenafil hydrochloride costs an average of $26.68, compared with $32.32 for the same dose of brand-name Levitra.

2. Find the Drug That Works Best

All oral ED drugs belong to a family of medications known as PDE5 inhibitors. They all work in much the same way, although each differs from the others in subtle ways and in its precise chemical composition. Because one of these drugs might work significantly better for you than any of the others, it makes sense to use that drug. You may well find that you can get the desired results with an even lower than recommended dose, which can save you money.

3. Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle

The key to prolonging healthy erectile function is a healthy lifestyle. Even if you’ve already lost some degree of that function, trading your bad habits in for healthier ones can help to stabilize your condition and may even help you to regain some of that lost function.

That means eating a healthy diet, high in fresh fruits and vegetables and sparing in terms of red meat consumption; regular exercise; weight control; no smoking; low to moderate alcohol consumption; and management of medical conditions that can lead to ED.

4. Look for Discounts, Coupons

The currently posted prices for ED drugs represent a starting point. You can often pay less by searching for applicable coupons at websites such as GoodRx and ScriptSave WellRx. Such coupons usually are good for a specific drug purchased at a specific pharmacy retailer or chain.

At eDrugstore.com, you can sign up for a mailing list that will deliver special discount offers to your email inbox on a regular basis. Look for Special Offers near the bottom of each web page. You will also find pop-up discount offers ranging from 7 to 10 percent on the website. Just click on one of those pop-ups to get the details. Such discounts are applicable to any of the brand-name or generic ED medications sold at eDrugstore.

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You may find that you can save both time and money by ordering your ED drugs — both brand-name and generic — from online facilitator eDrugstore.com. In business since the late 1990s, eDrugstore is based in Tempe, Arizona, and sells only FDA-approved medications. To learn more, visit its Erectile Dysfunction page.