Erection problems? Get the four questions to take to your GP — and the one safety fact first.
For anyone who has erections and has noticed a change — including men, and trans women and non-binary people. This prepares you for a conversation; it doesn't diagnose anything or point you at a tablet.
A lot of people come to this looking for a quick way to get the little blue pill. Here's the thing worth knowing before you do: for many men, trouble with erections is one of the earliest signs that the blood vessels — the same ones that feed the heart — aren't working as well as they should. So the most useful thing this can do isn't hand you a tablet. It's get you a proper check, and give you the questions a good GP visit for this actually covers, including the one safety question that matters most.
Pick the one option below that sounds most like you. That's all it takes — everything else is optional.
This helps you prepare — it can't tell if something is serious. If you're worried it might be urgent, call 000 or your GP now.
Dr HB Lo
Integrative GP · ED visit checklist
Your situation
The thing to know first
This isn't just a bedroom problem. For many men, trouble with erections is one of the earliest signs that the blood vessels — the same ones that feed the heart — aren't working as well as they should. That's why the most useful thing this can do is get you a proper check, not just a tablet.
Ask whether you're due for a blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and heart-risk check, given the link above.
Question 3
"What can I change myself?"
Ask which lifestyle changes help — the same ones that protect your heart often improve erections. (Healthy Male.)
Question 4
"What are my treatment options, and how well do they work?"
There are several. Tablets are the usual first option for most men, but they're not the only one and they don't suit everyone. Ask what fits your situation.
Question 5 — the safety question
"Is anything I already take a reason to be careful?"
This is the safety question. Bring a list of ALL your medicines — including any heart or chest-pain medicines — so your GP can check what's safe for you. (See the safety note just below.)
The honest part — read this before you buy anything online
The one thing that can actually harm you
The common ED tablets (the PDE5 type — sildenafil, tadalafil) can be dangerous if you also take medicines with nitrates in them — these are some heart and chest-pain medicines. Taken together they can drop your blood pressure to a dangerous level. This is the single biggest reason these tablets are prescription-only and not safe to just buy online without a doctor knowing your full history. (Healthy Male.)
And they don't always work
The usual first-line tablets help around 7 in 10 men, which means they don't work for roughly 3 in 10. If they don't work for you, that's common and there are other options — it's a reason to go back, not to give up. (Healthy Male.)
Take it with you
Email yourself this one-page checklist to bring to your GP
Including the safety question and the medicines-to-list reminder — so you walk in ready.
I'll also send the occasional drhblo email. Unsubscribe anytime.
Past the edge
This is the general version. A full men's health visit kit walks through the actual numbers on how well each option works, the side effects, and the heart-and-hormone checks worth asking for — so you walk in fully prepared.