Americans filled more than 18 million prescriptions for erectile dysfunction last year in the hopes of bringing some va va voom back to the bedroom.

Sales have been driven by smartly placed TV ads, which are run heavily during evening programming, according to AdWatch, a product of Yonkers-based Consumer Reports that monitors advertising campaigns.

Consumer Reports notes that one of the biggest ad buyers is Eli Lilly & Co., maker of Cialis, which spent more than $150 million advertising the drug directly to consumers last year, making it the seventh most advertised drug in the country last year. (Click here for CR’s chart detailing the top spenders.)

The ads for ED drugs may make you think they’re a cure-all, the consumer advocate says, but Consumer Reports chief medical adviser, Dr. Marvin Lipman, blogs that the convenience attributed to Cialis, known affectionately as “The Weekender,” may overshadow significant warnings about side effects.

CR recommends that men talk to their doctors. Opening up the lines of communication will help identify non-drug options for treating ED, such as reducing stress, quitting smoking, losing weight, and drinking less. CR notes that one in four cases of ED results from taking another medication. Another common cause of ED is heart disease — and you want those symptoms diagnosed, not masked by a pill.

To learn more, go to www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.