Alprostadil

Alprostadil is a type of vasodilator that healthcare providers most commonly prescribe to treat erectile dysfunction (ED or impotence). Vasodilators help increase blood flow through the blood vessels (arteries) by relaxing their walls and making them wider. Alprostadil is identical to a naturally occurring substance in your body that helps keep the blood vessels open.

You might take alprostadil if pills to treat ED don’t work or cause side effects. This medication is considered the next step up in therapy.

Before taking alprostadil, tell your doctor if you:

• Have had an allergic reaction to alprostadil.
• Have allergies to foods, preservatives or dyes.
• Are taking any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medications, including herbal or dietary supplements.
• Have a penile implant.
• Have a history of painful, long-lasting erections (priapism).
• Have any medical conditions, including congenital conditions (abnormalities since birth) that affect your penis, severe curvature when you have an erection (Peyronie’s disease), a penile infection or a condition that slows down your blood flow (such as leukemia, multiple myeloma, polycythemia vera, sickle cell disease or essential thrombocythemia).