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ED Medicines in Japan: Sildenafil, Tadalafil and Vardenafil Compared
This guide to ED medicines in Japan covers erectile dysfunction treatment, PDE5 medicine differences and consultation checks. It separates medicine-specific information from the product and prescription checks needed for an individual consultation.
This page explains how ED treatment overview works, its directions, limitations and safety. For prices and individual prescriptions, see SWIFT’s relevant care information.
ED medicines are treatment options for difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection. Check cardiovascular status and interactions, as well as prices and duration. Online care also provides prescriptions after consultation; it differs from purchasing without examination.
Medical reviewer: Masashi Morita, MD
ED medicines are treatment options for difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection. Check cardiovascular status and interactions, as well as prices and duration. Online care also provides prescriptions after consultation; it differs from purchasing without examination.
- Ingredient/class
- PDE5 inhibitors (sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil)
- Eligible patients/indications
- ED can involve vascular disease, diabetes, nerves, medicines and psychological factors. Testing or consultation with other specialties may be needed; purchasing medicine alone does not necessarily resolve the cause.
- Assessing effects
- Onset and duration vary with ingredient and dosing conditions. Duration of action is not duration of an erection. Choose according to everyday needs, considering stimulation, food and alcohol.
- Clinic care
- Service information supported by public sources is identified in the article. Final prescribing decisions are made during consultation.
Points to compare before choosing treatment
| Medicine or route | Differences explained in this guide |
|---|---|
| Sildenafil | A relatively shorter duration of action. Consider food and dosing conditions, and medicine-specific visual changes. |
| Tadalafil | Relatively longer action. Check medicine-specific precautions, including back pain. |
| Vardenafil | QT prolongation precautions and a review of medicine history and interactions are important. |
This table summarizes the article. It does not establish the clinic’s actual products, prices or an individual prescription. Read each medicine’s information for directions and precautions.
What the medicine is
Main oral medicines are PDE5 inhibitors supporting penile blood flow during sexual stimulation. They do not increase libido or directly treat premature ejaculation. This page serves as a treatment-selection hub linking to individual medicine information.
Eligible patients and approved indications
ED can involve vascular disease, diabetes, nerves, medicines and psychological factors. Testing or consultation with other specialties may be needed; purchasing medicine alone does not necessarily resolve the cause.
Source: Medicine-specific primary documentation. The product used by the clinic is not assumed to be identical to the formulation in this documentation.
Treatment limitations and when diagnosis is needed
Not everyone benefits. Do not judge failure from the first response alone; check dosing conditions. Avoid stopping incompatible medicines to use an ED medicine or combining several ED medicines.
Formulations and basic directions
Doses and timing before intercourse differ by medicine. Check approved directions on the sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil pages and follow consultation instructions. Ingredient amounts do not form a strength ranking.
Source: Medicine-specific primary documentation. The product used by the clinic is not assumed to be identical to the formulation in this documentation.
Timing of response and decisions about continuation
Onset and duration vary with ingredient and dosing conditions. Duration of action is not duration of an erection. Choose according to everyday needs, considering stimulation, food and alcohol.
Side effects and symptoms to watch for
Headache, flushing, nasal congestion, indigestion and dizziness can occur. Check medicine-specific differences, including back pain with tadalafil, visual changes with sildenafil and QT-prolongation precautions with vardenafil.
Source: Medicine-specific primary documentation. The product used by the clinic is not assumed to be identical to the formulation in this documentation.
When to stop and seek medical attention
An erection lasting 4 hours or more or sudden vision loss requires assessment. For chest pain, fainting or severe breathing difficulty, stop sexual activity and seek emergency care; provide the ED medicine dosing time.
Restrictions and interactions
Nitrates/NO donors, riociguat and certain other medicines are contraindicated combinations. Check serious heart disease, recent myocardial infarction or stroke, liver and kidney function, blood pressure, HIV medicines and antiarrhythmics. Contraindications differ by ingredient; this hub summary alone cannot determine prescribing eligibility.
Source: Medicine-specific primary documentation. The product used by the clinic is not assumed to be identical to the formulation in this documentation.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and patient precautions
This article concerns adult male ED treatment. Do not give prescriptions to family or partners.
Additional care
Also consider smoking, excessive alcohol, insufficient sleep and management of lifestyle-related disease. For persistent ED, do not avoid tests out of embarrassment; assess the background during consultation.
Storage and quality checks
Follow storage requirements for each medicine and product. Medicines purchased online or personally imported without confirmed manufacturer or expiry are not equivalent in safety to legitimate prescriptions.
Differences from other medicines and treatments
Compare roles and precautions of sildenafil for a shorter period of use, relatively long-acting tadalafil and vardenafil, for which medicine-history checks are particularly important. Dapoxetine for premature ejaculation belongs to another class; combinations are not automatically recommended.
Discussing consultation and prescribing with SWIFT
SWIFT’s official ED/premature-ejaculation page provides availability and price information. Distinguish each clinic product’s strength and Japanese approval status. A Japanese label for the same ingredient does not establish that the clinic product is Japanese-approved. Confirm prescribing eligibility and latest costs after consultation.
Detailed information about each medicine
Frequently asked questions
For ED medicines, does online care mean no consultation?
A doctor’s consultation and prescribing assessment are required online too.
For ED medicines, which medicine is strongest?
There is no ranking that applies to everyone. Selection depends on medical history, medicine history and timing of use.
Can ED medicines also treat premature ejaculation?
ED and premature ejaculation differ; clarify concerns separately during consultation.
Medical supervision
Dr Masashi Morita (Board-certified specialist and supervising physician, Japanese Urological Association / Board-certified specialist, Japan Endocrine Society / Doctor of Medical Science).