Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to erectile dysfunction treatment.

Rugiet is a men’s health brand that sells a prescription erectile dysfunction (ED) medication called Rugiet Ready that the brand describes as "groundbreaking" and can be customized to be stronger or weaker based on patient need. Rugiet claims their medication "works in 15 minutes or less" and "lasts longer" than the competition.

But what's actually in Rugiet and are the active drug ingredients proven to have these effects? Is this medication safe? How does it compare to other prescription ED treatments like Viagra? Has Rugiet's unique formulation ever been proven to work in a clinical trial?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we review the active ingredients in Rugiet based on published medical research to give our take on whether or not the treatment is likely to be effective for treating ED and improving sexual function in men.

We'll share our concerns about the safety of Rugiet, as well as document our concerns about the flavoring ingredients in this formulation and compare Rugiet to more common ED treatments like Viagra and Cialis. 

Ingredient Analysis – Does Rugiet Work?

Rugiet contains three active ingredients: sildenafil, tadalafil and APO.

The first two active ingredients are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat ED, and are the active ingredients in other popular ED treatments such as Viagra (sildenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil).

Both ingredients are backed by significant research. A medical review published in the Drugs journal examined data from many clinical trials on sildenafil. The researchers found that the drug improved erection hardness, duration of erections and ability to have sex.

A similar meta-study from 2019 analyzed whether tadalafil was effective for treating ED, and the study authors concluded that it was. The drug significantly improved erectile function on average.

Some online retailers like blue chew sell generic versions of both medications, which are proven to be as effective as the brand-name versions but are often significantly cheaper.

Apomorphone (APO) is an interesting active ingredient for an ED formulation, and not one we’ve reviewed on Illuminate Health previously. A medical review published in the Urologia Internationalis journal examined the effectiveness of APO for treating ED. The study authors documented that the medication successfully caused erections and improved nerve function in the penis while aroused.

The researchers in the above-linked study noted the following about APO: “The most favorable risk/benefit ratio is seen with a dose-optimization regimen of 2–3 mg.” The APO doses available on Rugiet’s site are 2 milligrams (mg) and 3 mg so this ingredient appears effectively dosed.

All three active drug ingredients in Rugiet have significant research backing, so we consider this an effective formulation overall and we believe Rugiet is likely to be effective for treating ED and improving sexual function in men.

Our Safety Concerns

While the three active ingredients in Rugiet are individually backed by impressive clinical research, we cannot identify any medical trials testing their efficacy and safety in combination. This safety consideration is serious in our opinion, given that these are pharmaceutical drug ingredients.

One clinical trial published in 2015 examined the safety of tadalafil and sildenafil long-term when taken in combination. The reported side effects were relatively mild: flushing, headache, upset stomach and muscle pain. The researchers noted no difference between the group taking the drugs and the group taking placebo, which suggests that this combination is safe and side-effect-free.

But we cannot find any medical trials evaluating the safety of sildenafil, tadalafil and APO combined. Ingredients which are proven to be safe individually can sometimes have dangerous synergies, which is why thorough safety testing of drug ingredients and combinations is so important.

While we don’t consider this combination likely to cause harm, we cannot recommend it given that it doesn’t appear to have been proven safe in medical trials. Further, we can’t locate any information on Rugiet’s website proving these active ingredients are safe when taken in combination. If the brand has this information, we suggest they publish it clearly or link to it on the homepage of their site.

It’s also notable that Rugiet is a sublingual medication, meaning it dissolves under the tongue and is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream (this is mentioned frequently in Rugiet marketing materials). This means that even if the active ingredient combination in their product was proven safe and effective in capsule form, there would still be questions about its safety in rapidly-absorbed sublingual form.

Does Rugiet Have Hidden Ingredients?

Rugiet sublingual tablets are bright blue, as shown above, and the brand describes them as mint-chocolate-flavored.

To our knowledge, none of the active ingredients in this medication are blue, and none of them have a natural mint flavor.

As shown above, Rugiet's FAQ page claims that they engage in "flavor-masking" -- but what does this process actually entail, and what ingredients or chemical compounds are used in the flavor masking process? Consumers deserve to know this information.

If Rugiet contains inactive ingredients like coloring and flavoring agents, the brand should transparently list this information on their website. Failing to do so is a consumer safety issue, as consumers may be allergic or sensitive to one of the additive ingredients, and cannot make an informed purchase decision without access to the full ingredient list.

We cannot find a full ingredients list published on Rugiet’s site including inactive ingredients.

Can Ginseng Naturally Support Erections?

Panax ginseng, which is a plant native to Asia, has been studied in multiple clinical trials for its potential to naturally treat ED.

A clinical trial published in The Journal of Urology found that after eight weeks of treatment, erectile function scores were "significantly higher" in the ginseng group than the group taking placebo pills.

Another clinical trial found that 60% of patients supplementing with panax ginseng had improvements to ED.

Illuminate Labs sells a panax ginseng extract supplement which is third-party tested to ensure label accuracy, potency and purity, and which contains no questionable additive ingredients.

Interested consumers can check out Illuminate Labs Panax Ginseng Extract at this link to the product page on our website, where the supplement can be purchased for only $15 on a subscription basis.

We're not suggesting that panax ginseng extract is as effective as Rugiet for ED; just highlighting a low-cost, natural option that consumers who are averse to pharmaceutical medication may want to consider.

Rugiet Pros and Cons

Here’s our view of the pros and cons of this innovative ED treatment:

Pros:

• Likely to be effective
• May be more potent than leading ED meds

Cons:

• Lacking research backing
• Lacking safety data
• Questions over unlisted flavoring and coloring ingredients

Conclusion

We believe that Rugiet is likely to be effective for treating ED and improving sexual performance, given that it contains a potent dose of three different pharmaceutical medications proven to be effective for ED.

We don't recommend the medication overall because we are unable to identify any clinical research proving that this blend of active drug ingredients is safe.

We’re concerned that Rugiet may have inactive ingredients like flavoring agents and colorants that the brand is not documenting on their website, and we hope that if the brand is using such ingredients, they will transparently publish this information on their website because it's critical to consumer safety.

There are natural compounds shown in clinical research to improve erectile function, but for patients set on using a pharmaceutical medication, we would recommend they speak with their doctor about taking drugs like sildenafil or tadalafil in isolation, as they have been extensively safety tested and used successfully for decades.