That’s the idea. Though there are no guarantees, the goal of Cialis daily therapy is to keep blood levels of the drug at a high enough and steady enough concentration that erectile dysfunction becomes much less of a problem. Men who have sex frequently find that daily Cialis therapy is a convenient option when compared to taking the drug as needed. It should not be used more frequently than once every 24 hours in either case.
If I Have Low T, Would Testosterone Replacement Therapy Bolster My Erectile Function Better than Viagra?
Q. My doctor orders routine blood tests before my annual physical exam, mostly to check my cholesterol levels and to make sure that my kidneys and liver are functioning properly. For the most recent blood test, she authorized a test to measure the levels of testosterone in my blood. During my appointment, she told me that my T-levels were low but still within the broad range of what’s considered normal. Would testosterone replacement therapy bolster my erectile function better than Viagra?
A. Although testosterone is the primary male sex hormone, it doesn’t play a direct role in erectile function. However, it does have a great deal to do with a man’s sex drive, without which it’s unlikely he’d be having any erections at all.
If you find that your spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, it’s unlikely that testosterone replacement therapy would be of much help to you. If, however, your sex drive is not what it once was, it’s possible that hormone replacement therapy could help to fire up your libido once again.
How might Cialis daily benefit me if I have an unpredictable schedule?
Some men travel frequently for business, are self-employed, or otherwise have unpredictable schedules. This can make things confusing, as in, “Wait, has it been 24 hours since I took Cialis?” Cialis daily, particularly when scheduled with other daily medications, removes some of this confusion and may make things easier for the man who has an unpredictable schedule.
It can also keep levels of the drug high enough that should a man with an unpredictable schedule splurge on a big meal, it should have less of an effect on his ability to have sex compared to if he took the drug on an as-needed basis. In other words, the predictability of dosing can help keep a man ready for sex even if his schedule otherwise is more chaotic.
Is the Cialis daily dosage different from traditional Cialis therapy?
Yes. Traditional Cialis is typically prescribed at the 10-mg dosage. This gives users the option of increasing (to 20 mg) or decreasing (to 5 mg) dosage if that seems prudent. Daily Cialis therapy is prescribed as 2.5 mg or 5 mg once per day, to be taken at approximately the same time every day. Either way, the medication can be taken with or without food.
Taking Cialis with a heavy meal has been associated anecdotally with delayed onset of action, though some men don’t experience this at all. The only dosage of Cialis that may be prescribed either as daily therapy or for as-needed use is 5 mg. But most men who take it as needed use the 10-mg dose.
Daily therapy can be easier for men, particularly those who already take other medications on a daily schedule.
If Viagra doesn’t Help Me with My Erectile Dysfunction, What Else Can I Do?
Q. Viagra doesn’t seem to be working for me. I started out with one 50-milligram tablet taken an hour before I expected to have sex but was still unable to get an erection strong and long-lasting enough to have intercourse with my partner. What other options are available to me?
A. You can increase your Viagra dose to 100 milligrams to see if the larger dose does the trick. If that also fails to overcome your symptoms of ED, you might find relief with one of the other ED drugs on the market. Although all of these drugs are similar in chemical structure to one another, there is enough variation that one drug may work for one man but be less effective in another. If neither of these solutions works, it’s possible that you will have to try another form of treatment altogether.
Such alternatives include penile injection therapy, which involves the injection of a vasodilating drug directly into the shaft of the penis, or a penile implant. Yet another option is a vacuum erection device, which basically consists of a plastic cylinder that fits over the penis and a pump mechanism to pump all the air out of the cylinder.
As a vacuum is created, blood rushes into the penis, creating an erection. At that point, the plastic cylinder is removed and a constricting band is placed at the base of the penis to keep the blood in place until the sexual activity has been completed.
Cialis lasts a long time anyway, so why bother with a daily Cialis regimen?
Certainly, Cialis offers men more in the way of sexual spontaneity than Viagra or Levitra, which are mostly out of the system in 8 or 12 hours. But there are men who, for whatever reason, prefer taking a daily medication (perhaps because they take other daily medications and find it convenient) rather than predicting sexual activity and taking medication in anticipation of that.
In other words, if a man takes Cialis daily along with his vitamins or other daily medication, it becomes just another part of the daily routine and isn’t something he has to spend a lot of time thinking about. Distilled down to its essence, the two purposes of daily Cialis therapy versus as-needed Cialis consist of convenience and flexibility.
Should I Bring Up My Erectile Dysfunction Issues with My Girlfriend?
Q. Over the last year or so, my erectile function has gone downhill rapidly. I’m in a monogamous relationship with a longtime girlfriend, and I’m sure she’s noticed the changes in me, but I’m finding it difficult to discuss the matter with her. Does it make sense for me to man up and confront the elephant in the room?
A. By all means, you should talk to your partner about your erection problems. She almost certainly is as aware as you are of your problems getting and keeping an erection. If you don’t discuss it frankly and explain that it’s not your lack of desire but a physiological problem that’s at the root of your problem, she may mistakenly believe that you no longer find her sexually exciting. Enlisting the help of your intimate partner can also help you fight the problem.
When you are having difficulty getting an erection, she can supply the needed stimulation — manually or orally — to help you achieve as full an erection as possible. If the problem has gone beyond the ability to you and your girlfriend to overcome it, you can both discuss the use of ED drugs and how that might resolve matters.
She’ll need to know that you can’t be quite as spontaneous as you might have been in the past and will need to pop a pill 30 to 60 minutes before you’re able to perform sexually.
I heard something about daily Cialis therapy. What’s that?
There are two reasons why doctors prescribe Cialis as a low-dose daily therapy. One, as mentioned above, is for treatment of enlarged prostate that’s accompanied by erectile dysfunction. But Cialis may also be prescribed as a low-dose daily therapy for erectile dysfunction alone, and a lot of men find this especially convenient.
When 2.5 mg or 5 mg (the dosages for daily therapy) are taken at approximately the same time every day, the resulting steady supply of Cialis in the bloodstream allows for maximum sexual spontaneity for men with erectile dysfunction.
Cialis daily therapy is a dosing option that’s not available with other PDE-5 inhibitors.
It’s important to note that all PDE-5 inhibitors should be taken no more than once in a 24-hour period. In other words, if you’re taking Cialis daily therapy, you should not take more Cialis just because you have a great night planned.
All PDE-5 inhibitors have some side effects, like indigestion and headaches, and the risk of dangerous side effects increases when you take more than the amount your doctor prescribes in a 24-hour period.
Is Erectile Dysfunction Normal for Men in their 40’s and 50’s? and Will Viagra Help?
Q. I’m in my mid-40s and have always found it easy to get an erection, but lately it seems to take longer to get hard and I tend to go soft quicker than I did in the past. Is this something that’s to be expected at my age? Would Viagra help or should I take some other steps to improve erectile function?
A. The early signs of erectile dysfunction serve as a helpful signal that things will probably get worse unless you take proactive steps to improve your overall health. Eating a healthy diet, such as the so-called Mediterranean diet, can be a good way to start.
Such diets are high in heart-healthy nutrients and fats but lower in refined sugars and grains, as well as the unhealthy fats found in red meats, high-fat dairy foods, lard, and tropical oils, such as coconut and palm oils. If you take action quickly enough, you may be able to regain more normal erectile function without resorting to prescription medications.
Other important lifestyle choices include a regular regimen of physical activity, which can begin slowly with brisk walking and progress to more advanced forms of exercise as you gain strength. If you smoke, stop as soon as you can, and if you don’t smoke, don’t start.
Work with your doctor to manage those underlying ailments such as atherosclerosis and diabetes that can increase the risk of ED. Alcohol is all right in moderation, but drinking in excess can make it difficult or even impossible to get an erection.
Are there side effects with Cialis daily compared to as-needed dosing?
Some men find side effects less bothersome with daily dosing than traditional Cialis therapy.
There can be. Cialis taken on an as-needed basis can result in side effects that are usually mild, but might be annoying, such as indigestion and headache. By taking the drug at a lower dosage on a regular schedule, side effects, if there are any, are more likely to fade out over time. This can be another factor in nudging a man toward choosing Cialis daily over traditional as-needed therapy. If you take Cialis and find the side effects bothersome, but are otherwise happy with it, then daily dosing may be worth a try.
Is this a treatment breakthrough or a marketing ploy?
Treatment of erectile dysfunction is a multi-billion dollar per year industry. It only stands to reason that the companies that make prescription erectile dysfunction medications want to maximize their revenues. So you could look at daily Cialis therapy as a way for Lilly ICOS (the manufacturer of Cialis) to tap another revenue stream.
Then again, there are men who truly find daily dosing to be better in terms of sexual spontaneity, convenience, and curbing of side effects. Marketing ploy or not, daily Cialis is the preferred choice for some men.