Vitaros cream is a medication that is used to treat erectile dysfunction by making it easier for you to get an erection. Vitaros cream contains the active ingredient alprostadil.

Vitaros cream is applied directly into the opening of your penis (the urethra) using a syringe-like device called an applicator.

An applicator is included if you order Vitaros cream with Superdrug Online Doctor.

What is alprostadil? 

Alprostadil comes from a family of medicines called prostaglandins. These medicines relax the blood vessels in your body causing them to widen, allowing more blood to flow. 

You can use alprostadil cream to treat erectile dysfunction by applying it directly to your penis. As your blood flow increases with the help of the cream, you may find your erectile tissue to become firm which results in an erection.

Vitaros comes in an applicator, a tube of cream, which contains enough cream for one use. Vitaros should be stored in the fridge as it can only be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days. 

To use Vitaros cream you must:

• Wash your hands with soap and water

• Take an applicator of Vitaros out of the fridge, a few hours before you plan to use it or warm it by rolling the applicator between your hands. Squeeze the head of the penis to make the opening wider 

• Hold the tip of the barrel as close as possible to the tip of your penis without putting it inside 

• Push the plunger to apply the cream into the penis until the full amount of cream in the applicator has been used 

• Hold the penis upright for 30 seconds to let the cream take effect

• Push any cream that doesn’t go in straight away into the tip of the penis using your finger. Don’t use a second tube to make up for cream that doesn’t go in 

Vitaros should start working within 30 minutes of applying it, but for some people, Vitaros cream works within 5 minutes. The effects normally last for 1 to 2 hours. 

We recommend that you pass urine before using Vitaros. You should avoid passing urine immediately after using the cream as it may come out before it has enough time to work.

Vitaros won’t normally give you an erection unless you’re aroused. 

If you find you still don’t get and keep an erection hard enough for sex with Vitaros cream, your doctor might be able to increase your dose. 

If your partner is pregnant, try to avoid getting any Vitaros cream on them. To do this, we recommend that you have sex using a condom after you’ve applied the cream. 

Can you inject alprostadil? 

You can’t inject Vitaros cream, but there is an alprostadil injection that you can get prescribed.

The alprostadil injection is not a service that we currently offer at Superdrug Online Doctor. If you want to find out more about the alprostadil injection, you should talk to your GP. 

You can buy Vitaros through our Online Doctor service. 

• Fill in a short online questionnaire about your general health and your erectile dysfunction (ED). This should only take a few minutes to do

• A doctor will review your questionnaire to see if Vitaros is suitable for you 

• We will mail the Vitaros discreetly to the address of your choice. Or, you can choose to collect your order from your nearest Superdrug Pharmacy

You can’t get Vitaros through your NHS GP. GPs can prescribe tablets for ED, but they can’t prescribe creams, injections or devices. 

As Vitaros cream is applied directly to the penis, the side effects often mostly affect your penis and your partner’s genitals. 

The most common side effects are: 

• pain, itching or tenderness in your penis 

• tingling or throbbing of your penis 

• swelling in the skin of your penis 

• inflammation or irritation around the head of the penis 

• mild burning and itching in your partner’s genitals during or after sex

Side effects should improve after 1 to 2 hours. 

If you get side effects, you should speak to a doctor. 

Your doctor might be able to reduce your dose of Vitaros to see whether your side effects get better. There are other treatments available if you get side effects with Vitaros such as:

• tablets for ED such as Viagra; see our full range of erectile dysfunction treatments

• devices to help such as penis pumps

Stop using Vitaros cream and call your doctor at once if you have:

• a light-headed feeling, such as feeling like you may pass out;

• a painful erection that lasts 4 hours or longer;

• new or worsening pain in your penis; or

• redness, swelling, tenderness, lumps, unusual shape or curving of the erect penis

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

We recommend that you look at a few different websites for reviews of Vitaros cream. This way, you get reviews from people of different ages and backgrounds. 

We recommend these review sites: 

drugs.com

uk.trustpilot.com