28 pages
Medications used in men's health care
Plain explanations of the medicines behind TRT, ED care, weight loss, hair and aesthetics, with each one's FDA status.
ED Medications
- Avanafil (Stendra): The Fast-Onset ED Medication Avanafil (Stendra) is an FDA-approved PDE5 inhibitor for erectile dysfunction whose label allows the 100 and 200 mg doses to be taken as early as about 15 minutes before sex.
- Phentolamine in Trimix: What It Does for ED Phentolamine is an alpha-blocker, and in Trimix its job is to stop the nerve signal that tightens penile arteries and ends an erection.
- Priapism Reversal: Phenylephrine and Your Safety Plan An erection that lasts four hours after a Trimix or Quadmix injection is a medical emergency, because the trapped blood runs out of oxygen and can scar the penis.
- PT-141 (Bremelanotide) for Men: Uses and Status PT-141 (bremelanotide) activates melanocortin receptors in the brain to increase sexual desire, rather than widening blood vessels like Viagra or Cialis.
- Sildenafil (Viagra): How It Works, Dosing and Safety Sildenafil (Viagra) is an FDA-approved PDE5 inhibitor that strengthens erections only when you are sexually aroused.
- Tadalafil (Cialis): Daily vs As-Needed Dosing Explained Tadalafil (Cialis) comes in two schedules. A low daily dose of 2.5 to 5 mg keeps a steady level in your blood, so sex does not need to be planned, and 5 mg daily is also approved for enlarged-prostate urinary symptoms.
- Vardenafil (Levitra): Uses, Onset and Side Effects Vardenafil (Levitra) is an FDA-approved PDE5 inhibitor for erectile dysfunction, taken about 60 minutes before sex.
Testosterone Therapy (TRT)
- Anastrozole on TRT: When an Estrogen Blocker Is Used Anastrozole (Arimidex) is FDA-approved only for breast cancer in postmenopausal women; in men on TRT it is an off-label estrogen blocker.
- Clomiphene for Men: Off-Label Use for Low T Clomiphene citrate (Clomid) is FDA-approved only to treat ovulation problems in women.
- Enclomiphene for Men: What It Is and Its 2026 Status Enclomiphene is one of the two forms in clomiphene. It blocks estrogen feedback in the brain, which raises LH, FSH and testosterone while sparing sperm production.
- Testosterone Cypionate: How It Works, Dosing and Monitoring Testosterone cypionate (Depo-Testosterone and generics) is an FDA-approved, Schedule III testosterone injection dissolved in cottonseed oil.
- Testosterone Enanthate for TRT: What to Know Testosterone enanthate is an FDA-approved, Schedule III testosterone ester dissolved in sesame oil.
IV Therapy
- Glutathione IV: What It Can and Cannot Do Glutathione is a small molecule your cells make to neutralize oxidative damage.
- High-Dose Vitamin C IV: Uses, Evidence and Safety High-dose IV vitamin C bypasses the gut, so it can push blood levels many times higher than anyone can absorb from pills.
- Saline and Lactated Ringer's: The Fluids in IV Hydration Normal saline is salt water with 154 mEq/L each of sodium and chloride.
- Vitamin B12 Injections and IV: Who Actually Benefits B12 by injection clearly helps men with a documented deficiency, which is common with long-term metformin, acid-reflux medicines, strict plant-based diets, pernicious anemia or stomach and bowel surgery.
Medical Weight Loss for Men
- HCG for Weight Loss: Why the HCG Diet Is Not a Treatment HCG does not cause weight loss. Its own FDA label states it has not been shown to be effective for obesity, a 1995 meta-analysis found no scientific evidence that it works, and the FDA says over-the-counter HCG drops are illegal.
- Retatrutide in 2026: Status, Trials and Safety Retatrutide is an experimental weekly injection from Eli Lilly that activates GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors.
- Semaglutide for Men: How It Works, Side Effects and Status Semaglutide is a once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist, sold as Wegovy for weight and Ozempic for diabetes, that slows stomach emptying and reduces appetite.
- Tirzepatide for Men: How It Works and Side Effects Tirzepatide (Zepbound for weight and sleep apnea, Mounjaro for diabetes) is one molecule that activates both GIP and GLP-1 receptors, slowing digestion and cutting appetite.
Hair Restoration (PRP)
- Finasteride for Hair Loss: How It Works and Side Effects Finasteride 1 mg (Propecia) blocks the enzyme that turns testosterone into DHT, the hormone that shrinks hair follicles in male pattern hair loss, and it is FDA-approved to slow loss at the crown and mid-scalp.
- Oral Minoxidil for Hair Loss: Low-Dose Off-Label Use Oral minoxidil is FDA-approved only as a tablet for severe high blood pressure.
- Topical Minoxidil for Men: Foam, Solution and Shedding Topical minoxidil is an over-the-counter, FDA-approved treatment for male pattern hair loss at the crown, sold for men as a 5% foam or solution.
Peptide Therapy
- Bacteriostatic Water: Mixing and Storing Injectables Bacteriostatic water is sterile water with 0.9 percent benzyl alcohol, a preservative that slows bacterial growth, so a vial can be entered more than once.
Wrinkle Relaxers
- BOTOX Cosmetic for Men: How It Works and How Long It Lasts BOTOX Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA) is FDA-approved to soften frown lines, forehead lines, crow's feet and vertical neck bands.
Dermal Fillers
- Hyaluronidase: How Filler Dissolving Works Hyaluronidase is an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid, so it can dissolve HA fillers such as JUVÉDERM and VOLUMA, usually within hours to two days.
Aesthetics for Men
- Topical Numbing Cream Before Laser and Injections Numbing creams such as lidocaine, or compounded blends of benzocaine, lidocaine and tetracaine (BLT), are applied before laser, PRP or filler to dull pain.
Preventative Blood Testing
- Vitamin D3 for Men With Low Levels: Dosing and Retesting A 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood test shows how low your stores are and guides how much vitamin D3 a clinician suggests.
Ready when you are
Start with a free phone call.
Ten minutes. No pressure. We tell you honestly whether we can help.