BlueChew tablets contain one of three active ingredients: sildenafil, tadalafil, or vardenafil. These are the same compounds found in Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra, respectively. The difference is that BlueChew sells them as chewable tablets at specific dosage strengths, made by a compounding pharmacy rather than a major pharmaceutical manufacturer.
The Three Active Ingredients
Each BlueChew subscription is built around one of three well-known erectile dysfunction drugs. You don’t mix and match within a single tablet; each one contains just one active compound.
- Sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra), available in 30 mg or 45 mg chewable tablets
- Tadalafil (the active ingredient in Cialis), available in 6 mg or 9 mg chewable tablets
- Vardenafil (the active ingredient in Levitra), available in 8 mg chewable tablets
These dosages are different from the standard pills you’d pick up at a pharmacy. Brand-name Viagra, for example, comes in 25, 50, and 100 mg tablets. The lower numbers in BlueChew’s formulations reflect the fact that compounded chewable tablets can be absorbed somewhat differently than traditional swallowed pills, and a prescriber selects the dose during the online consultation.
How These Compounds Work
All three ingredients belong to the same drug class: PDE5 inhibitors. During sexual arousal, nerve endings and blood vessel cells in the penis release nitric oxide, which triggers a chain reaction that relaxes smooth muscle in the arteries. That relaxation lets blood flow in and produces an erection. The body naturally breaks down the chemical messenger responsible for keeping those muscles relaxed (a molecule called cGMP) using an enzyme called PDE5.
Sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil all block that enzyme, which means cGMP sticks around longer. The result is stronger, more sustained blood flow. None of these drugs create arousal on their own. They amplify the body’s existing response to sexual stimulation.
How the Three Ingredients Differ
The practical difference between BlueChew’s three options comes down to how long each one lasts in your system. Sildenafil has a half-life of about 4 hours, meaning its effects taper off within that window. Vardenafil lasts slightly longer, with a half-life of 4 to 6 hours. Tadalafil is the outlier: its half-life is roughly 17.5 hours, which is why Cialis earned the nickname “the weekend pill.” A single dose of tadalafil can remain active in your body well into the next day.
There are also subtle differences in selectivity. Sildenafil and vardenafil have a mild effect on a related enzyme found in the retina, which is why some men notice slight color vision changes (a bluish tint) at higher doses. Tadalafil largely avoids that particular enzyme but has a weaker selectivity against a different one found in muscle tissue, which can occasionally cause muscle aches.
The Chewable Tablet Base
Beyond the active ingredient, each BlueChew tablet contains inactive ingredients that give it structure, flavor, and chewability. These are standard pharmaceutical excipients: fillers that bulk up the tablet, binders that hold it together, and flavoring agents that make it palatable. BlueChew does not publicly list every inactive ingredient on its website, so if you have allergies to specific dyes, sweeteners, or fillers, you should request the full ingredient list from the prescribing provider or the compounding pharmacy before taking them.
Compounded, Not FDA-Approved
This is an important distinction many buyers miss. BlueChew tablets are compounded medications, not FDA-approved products. The active ingredients themselves (sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil) have full FDA approval in their brand-name forms. But BlueChew’s specific chewable formulations are made by a compounding pharmacy, which combines the active drug with its own tablet base. Compounded drugs are not evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or manufacturing consistency the way approved drugs are.
In September 2025, the FDA issued a warning letter to BlueChew’s parent company, Dermacare LLC, stating that the company’s compounded sildenafil and tadalafil products were misbranded. The FDA’s concern was that BlueChew’s marketing implied its products were equivalent to FDA-approved medications when they are not. This doesn’t mean the active ingredients are dangerous, but it does mean the finished tablets haven’t gone through the same quality verification process as a prescription filled with a manufactured generic at your local pharmacy.
Compounding pharmacies in the U.S. are regulated at the federal level by the FDA and at the state level by boards of pharmacy. Some seek voluntary accreditation through programs like PCAB, which measures quality and consistency standards set by the United States Pharmacopeia. Whether BlueChew’s specific compounding partner holds that accreditation is worth confirming if quality assurance matters to you.
Drug Interactions to Know About
Because all three active ingredients work by widening blood vessels, they can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure when combined with nitrate medications. Nitrates are commonly prescribed for chest pain and include drugs like nitroglycerin and isosorbide. This interaction is not a mild concern: it is classified as major, meaning the combination should be avoided entirely. Sildenafil alone has over 100 major drug interactions on record, spanning blood pressure medications, certain antifungals, and some HIV treatments. If you take any prescription medications, the full list of what you’re on needs to be disclosed during BlueChew’s online consultation.