Category: Cialis

For first-time prescriptions for Cialis, doctors usually prescribed 10 mg, to be taken as needed before sexual activity. If 10 mg doesn’t quite suffice, it can be increased to 20 mg, and if 10 mg causes unwanted side effects, it can be dropped to 5 mg. So if you’re visiting a doctor in hopes of getting a prescription for Cialis, expect to be prescribed 10 mg first time around.

Take Cialis half an hour before sex, but enjoy its effects for up to 36 hours.

Doctors recommend taking Cialis half an hour before sex. Cialis works a bit differently than Viagra and Levitra. The biggest difference between Cialis and its competitors is that Cialis has a significantly longer half-life in the body. Whereas the half-life of Viagra, Levitra and Staxyn is about four to six hours, the half-life of Cialis is more like 18 hours. What “half-life” means is that after that time, levels of the drug start to diminish. It doesn’t mean the drug is no longer effective after that half-life time is up, but that its effects will tend to wane.

With Viagra, Levitra, and Staxyn, the effects start to wear off after four to six hours, so theoretically it’s effective for eight to 12 hours. With Cialis and its 18-hour half-life, it can continue to be effective for up to twice that long, which is 36 hours. The long half-life of Cialis is one of its biggest selling points.

In fact, you’ve probably seen it referred to in ads as the “Weekend Pill” for this reason. Cialis tends to take effect a little faster than its competitors, and most men find that it makes no difference whether or not they take Cialis with food. There’s little wonder why, although Cialis was chronologically the third big-name prescription drug approved for treating erectile dysfunction, it eventually became the top selling erectile dysfunction drug in the world.

Cialis also offers an alternative dosing regimen, where men take 2.5 mg or 5 mg of Cialis once a day for longer-term relief from erectile dysfunction. Men who have erectile dysfunction along with benign prostate enlargement can also benefit from daily Cialis therapy. When you are on a daily schedule, it’s important to take the drug at approximately the same time every day to ensure a steady level of medication in your system and maximize your ability to have sex when you want to.

Though Cialis, Viagra, and Levitra all belong to a drug class called PDE-5 inhibitors, they’re each formulated a little differently, so their effects differ somewhat. The main difference between Cialis and other PDE-5 drugs is that it has a much longer half-life. While Viagra and Levitra reach peak concentration in the bloodstream after 4 to 6 hours, Cialis levels in the bloodstream peak after 18 hours or longer. Lilly, ICOS capitalized on this difference early, pointing out that the longer half-life could allow couples to have more spontaneity in their sex lives.

You probably remember television ads for Cialis referring to it as the “Weekend Pill” due to its long half-life, and showing a middle-aged couple improbably perched on a hillside in his-and-her bathtubs watching the sunset.

Another difference between Cialis and the other PDE-5s is that Cialis also has FDA approval for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and for use as low-dose, daily therapy to treat erectile dysfunction.

One of the less common side effects of Cialis is vision changes. Specifically, things may appear to have a blue tint to them. Some men have reported having difficulty in distinguishing green and blue when taking Cialis, and others have reported blurred vision and eye pain. Naturally, men who experience these relatively rare side effects are concerned about the possibility of long-term vision changes.

It’s important to emphasize that these side effects are rare, and that men who take Cialis are more likely to have less troublesome side effects like indigestion or headache. However, it’s important for men who take Cialis to be vigilant for side effects and make note of any that are bothersome.

Cialis requires more caution when mixed with alcohol. It’s best to stick with non-alcoholic drinks.

Cialis, as you probably know, has a different formulation than Levitra and Viagra, which allows it to work for far longer. You have to be a bit more careful combining alcohol with Cialis than you would with Viagra, Levitra, or Staxyn.

Tadalafil, the active ingredient in Cialis, can lower your blood pressure. Drinking alcohol can further lower your blood pressure, and if your blood pressure drops too much, you can experience light-headedness, fainting, headache, and heart palpitations – not the best conditions for romance. In fact, combining Cialis with alcohol can result in something called “postural hypotension,” which is a sudden drop in blood pressure when you stand up from a lying or sitting position that can cause you to faint.

Bear in mind that the half-life of Cialis is around 18 hours, compared to four to six hours for Viagra, Levitra, and Staxyn. That’s why it’s marketed as the “Weekend Pill.” Therefore, when you take Cialis, you need to avoid drinking for longer than you would with other erectile dysfunction medications? Deal-breaker or fair trade-off for a weekend full of sex? That’s your call.

I’m noticing a common theme here: too much alcohol can hinder effectiveness of these drugs. Why is that?

Alcohol is a depressant. That doesn’t mean that it makes you depressed. For many men, drinking alcohol can relieve some of the anxiety that naturally goes along with meeting potential new partners or dating, which can be good for social interaction to some extent. Too much alcohol – and the exact amount differs from person to person – can not only decrease sexual desire, it can also make sexual activity difficult to impossible until the alcohol has had a chance to exit the system.

If I plan to drink, what are my best choices in erectile dysfunction drugs?

If you have any questions about alcohol and erectile dysfunction drugs, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor.

If alcohol is a non-negotiable part of your game plan, then you should remember two things. One, overdoing it can keep your erectile dysfunction medication from working optimally and two, some erectile dysfunction medications should not be consumed with alcohol. Viagra and Levitra are your best bets if you plan to drink, and in any case, you should plan to drink in moderation.

Cialis is not a good choice for combining with alcohol consumption because of the possibility of your blood pressure dropping too low, potentially ruining a date due to your fainting. Plus, low blood pressure can be dangerous, and you absolutely don’t want to be behind the wheel and experience an interaction between Cialis and alcohol (even if you have kept your alcohol consumption within legal limits). If you’re going to drink while taking Cialis, only do so once you’ve arrived where you plan to stay, and be vigilant for signs of dangerously low blood pressure.

When you suddenly find yourself unable to achieve an erection, you’ll scramble to find a solution. You’ve done plenty of research about what erectile dysfunction medication would best suit your needs, and it seems like Cialis is the winner. And while you desperately want to get your hands on some medication so you can get back to pleasing your partner, you do find yourself wondering just what Cialis will do to you. You know the end result, but how does it happen?

While every erectile dysfunction drug on the market is different, they all basically work the same way. When you pop an ED pill, it gets to work inhibiting an enzyme known as phosphodiesterase type 5, or PDE5. While PDE5 is useful for your body, it can also prevent your body from producing another enzyme called cGMP, which plays a vital role in helping your body to achieve an erection.

Once Cialis has put the kibosh on PDE5 and has upped production of cGMP, it then alerts the body to up blood production. Arteries are widened, and the heart puts out more blood. With widened arteries, blood can flow easier, which translates into blood being able to quickly reach the penis. With a steady stream of blood to depend on, your body will have no problem achieving an erection.

While most ED drugs are only in your body for a couple hours, Cialis can stay in your body for up to 36 hours. Additionally, instead of the regular 30 minutes it takes for other ED medications to kick into effect, Cialis can get you ready to go within 15 minutes. So Cialis certainly works like other ED drugs on the market, but it definitely has some qualities that sets it apart from the rabble.