What you actually get

A pack is four single-use tubes, each holding 0.3 mL of gel. One tube is one attempt. There is no larger tube, no bottle and no economy size, because the format is deliberate — a single dose in a sealed tube keeps the volatile formulation from evaporating before you use it.

What it costs
Around $26 a pack at a US pharmacy, which works out at roughly $6.50 an attempt. Stocked at CVS and other major chains, and sold online.
What you do with it
Squeeze the tube onto the head of the penis, massage in for around fifteen seconds, wait about ten minutes.
How often
One tube per attempt. The manufacturer states it is proven safe and effective with one tube at a time, and doubling up is not a documented route to a bigger effect.
What you do not get
No account, no questionnaire, no prescriber, no subscription and no renewal price. It is a box off a shelf.

The trial data, including the number nobody quotes

Eroxon is the rare over-the-counter product where the question 'does it work' can be answered with published trial figures instead of reviews. Two Phase 3 studies underpin the FDA submission.

The Phase 3 programme
StudyDesignHeadline result
FM5712-week double-blind trial, around 250 men, mild to severe EDMet its endpoint. Across 3,792 intercourse attempts, an erection sufficient for sex within 10 minutes in about 60% of applications
FM7124-week pivotal trial61% reached the minimum clinically important difference across 1,551 intercourse attempts. Average IIEF-EF change of 5.73 points against a 4-point threshold
Comparison armMED3000 against sildenafil59% of men on MED3000 achieved a clinically meaningful improvement, against 83% on sildenafil
IIEF-EF is the erectile function domain of the International Index of Erectile Function — a 30-point scale used as the standard trial instrument. Figures from the manufacturer's published clinical summaries and FDA authorisation reporting.

Response was reported across mild, moderate and severe ED, with the threshold exceeded in each band — but the effect was strongest in milder disease, which is the pattern you would expect from a mechanism that amplifies local nerve signalling rather than forcing a vascular response. If your ED is severe or follows prostate surgery, set expectations accordingly and read our page on what to do when medication fails.

The safety case, which is the real selling point

The side effect profile follows from the mechanism. Because the gel acts on the skin rather than circulating through you, what men report is local: burning, tingling, redness at the application site, and headache. Compare that to the oral PDE5 class, where flushing, nasal congestion, indigestion and visual disturbance come with the territory because the drug is acting throughout the body.

Is it worth $6.50 a go?

Cost of twice-weekly use for a year
OptionPer attemptOne year
EroxonAbout $6.50About $675
Generic sildenafil, discount card$0.50–$2About $50–$210
Generic tadalafil, on demand$0.60–$2About $60–$210
Brand-name Viagra$70–$90Over $7,000
Model your own numbers with the cost calculator.

There is no arrangement of that table that makes Eroxon look cheap against a generic tablet, and pretending otherwise would be dishonest. What you are buying for the premium is the absence of a prescription. If you have a prescriber, that premium buys you nothing at all.

Buy it if
You take nitrates. You have tried PDE5 inhibitors and could not tolerate them. You want to try something tonight. Or — said plainly — you are not going to see a doctor about this, in which case the honest comparison is against nothing, and this wins.
Do not buy it if
You can get a prescription and nothing rules out a PDE5 inhibitor. Generic sildenafil is more effective and costs a fraction as much. That describes most people reading this page.
Buy it as well if
You want a fallback that needs no planning. Some men keep a pack for occasions where a tablet was not taken in time, since ten minutes beats waiting an hour.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does Eroxon gel actually work?
Yes, modestly. In the 24-week pivotal trial, 61% of men reached a clinically meaningful improvement in erectile function, with an average gain of 5.73 points against a 4-point threshold. In the arm that measured both, 59% improved meaningfully on Eroxon against 83% on sildenafil — so it works, and it works less well than the standard drug.
How long does Eroxon take to work?
About ten minutes. Across 3,792 intercourse attempts in the FM57 trial, an erection sufficient for sex occurred within ten minutes in roughly 60% of applications. That is faster than any oral option — sildenafil is 30 to 60 minutes, and avanafil, the quickest tablet, is around 15.
Can I use it if I take nitrates for angina?
This is its main advantage. Eroxon is not a PDE5 inhibitor and does not cause the systemic blood-pressure drop that makes those drugs absolutely contraindicated with nitrates. Confirm with your own clinician, but it is the only over-the-counter ED treatment that is a genuine candidate for that group.
How much does a pack cost?
Around $26 for four single-use tubes, so roughly $6.50 an attempt. There is no subscription. Generic sildenafil with a free discount card is typically $0.50 to $2 a dose.
Can I use two tubes at once?
The manufacturer states it is proven safe and effective when one tube is used at a time. There is no published evidence that doubling up produces a larger effect, and it doubles the cost of an already expensive per-attempt price.
Does food or alcohol affect it?
No, which is a genuine practical advantage. Because nothing is absorbed through your gut, a heavy meal does not delay it the way it delays sildenafil. That said, alcohol impairs erections directly regardless of what you have applied.
Will my partner feel it?
Often. The cooling sensation is part of how it works and the gel can transfer during sex. Use a barrier method if a partner is or could become pregnant, and have the conversation beforehand — some partners like the sensation, some do not.
Is Eroxon a drug?
No. It contains no active pharmaceutical ingredient and works by a physical mechanism — rapid cooling followed by rewarming of the glans. That is why the FDA regulated it as a device and authorised it through the De Novo pathway rather than approving it as a medicine.
Sources

What this is based on

We link to primary sources — clinical guidelines, regulator publications and peer-reviewed research — wherever possible. Links open on third-party sites we do not control.

  1. [01]U.S. Food and Drug Administration. De Novo classification requests — device database.
  2. [02]American Urological Association. Erectile Dysfunction: AUA Guideline (2018).
  3. [03]National Library of Medicine. PubMed — search the primary literature.
  4. [04]National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction.
  5. [05]MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine). Drugs, Herbs and Supplements.