A comparative scientific analysis of seven common erectile dysfunction (ED) treatments revealed that although Viagra (sildenafil) is more effective than other ED treatments, it is also associated with more side effects.

Viagra is the most effective treatment for men who cannot get an erection, but users suffer more side effects, such as Viagra skin cancer, while taking the drug compared to other erectile dysfunction treatments, according to a large analysis published in the journal European Urology.

Men who have trouble getting or keeping an erection have a variety of medication options. The first to hit the market was Viagra (sildenafil) followed by Cialis (tadalafil), Levitra (vardenafil) and Stendra (avanafil). The drugs are in a class of medications known as phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, or PDE5 inhibitors, which recent research suggest could be linked to invasive melanoma skin cancer.

All three erectile dysfunction drugs work similarly, start to work as soon as 20 to 30 minutes after taking the pill and can last up to four to 36 hours. They even carry similar side effects, including headaches, flushing, indigestion and nasal congestion. However, researchers at the University of Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands found that while Viagra users had better outcomes, they experienced side effects more often than users of other ED drugs.

Researchers combed through 150 clinical trials on the drugs’ effectiveness as well as numerous studies exploring side effects. They found that the 50 or 100 mg doses of Viagra were the most effective while the 50 to 200 mg doses of Stendra were the least effective.

The 50-mg dose of Stendra produced the lowest rate of adverse events. Levitra had the highest rate, followed closely by Viagra and Cialis.

Viagra side effects are most often mild, but a newly revealed side effect of the drug has raised red flags among the medical community. Viagra affects the same genetic pathway that allows melanoma skin cancer to be more aggressive. This finding has led to research that found that men who are using Viagra – as well as men who have used the drug but are no longer taking it – are at an increased risk of melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.

Viagra Melanoma

Viagra (sildenafil citrate) is one of the best known brand-name medications. It was introduced by Pfizer in 1998 and approved by the FDA for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. However, it appears that Pfizer may have withheld critical information about Viagra side effects and the risk of melanoma, as providing consumers and the medical community with warnings that the drug may cause skin cancer likely would have greatly reduced the number of men who would choose to take the drug for erectile dysfunction.

Hundreds of men who have taken the erectile dysfunction drug may file Viagra melanoma lawsuits or join Viagra melanoma class action lawsuits against erectile dysfunction drug treatment manufacturers.