How to take tadalafil

Tadalafil (Oral Tablet): Side Effects, Dosage, and Review.
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Tadalafil oral tablet is available as a generic drug and as brand-name drugs. Brand names: Cialis, Adcirca. Tadalafil comes only as a tablet you take by mouth. Tadalafil is used to treat the symptoms of two conditions found in men: benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and erectile dysfunction (ED). Tadalafil is also used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
Tadalafil oral tablet doesn’t usually cause drowsiness, but it can cause other side effects.
More common side effects.
The more common side effects that can occur with tadalafil include:
headache upset stomach back pain muscle aches flushing (reddish skin) stuffy or runny nose diarrhea.
If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. If they’re more severe or don’t go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Serious side effects.
Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:
Priapism (in men). Symptoms can include: a painful erection that won’t go away seeing a shade of blue when looking at objects trouble telling the difference between the colors blue and green a sudden decrease or loss of vision in one or both eyes a sudden loss or decrease in hearing ringing in the ears dizziness feeling lightheaded or dizzy fainting angina (chest pain.
Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible side effects. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always discuss possible side effects with a healthcare provider who knows your medical history.
Tadalafil is a prescription drug. It comes as an oral tablet.
Tadalafil oral tablet is available as the brand-name drugs Cialis and Adcirca . It’s also available in a generic form. Generic drugs usually cost less than the brand-name version. In some cases, they may not be available in all strengths or forms as the brand-name drug.
Why it’s used.
Tadalafil (Cialis) is used for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or erectile dysfunction (ED), or both conditions. Tadalafil (Adcirca) is used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
With BPH, the prostate gland is enlarged but isn’t cancerous. It can pinch or squeeze your urethra (the tube that carries urine from the kidneys out of the body). Symptoms of BPH include trouble urinating, painful urination, and a frequent or urgent need to urinate.
With ED, the penis doesn’t fill up with enough blood to harden and expand when a man is sexually excited. ED can also prevent a man from keeping an erection.
PAH is a rare but serious form of high blood pressure. It occurs in the pulmonary arteries, which are blood vessels in your lungs.
How tadalafil is used.
How long before sex should you take tadalafil? Tadalafil can be prescribed in two different ways, either a daily dosage or on an as-needed basis. Your doctor will prescribe either one. If you’re taking tadalafil on an as-needed basis, you should take it at least 30 minutes before sex. If you’re taking it daily, try to take it around the same time every day.
How often should you take tadalafil? Tadalafil should not be taken more than once in a 24-hour period. If you miss a dose during this period, take the missed dose as soon as possible. However, never double your dosages. If you miss a dose and you’re already due for the next one, skip the missed dose.
Should tadalafil be taken with food? Tadalafil can be taken with or without food and is not affected by the type of food you take with it.
How it works.
Tadalafil belongs to a class of drugs called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors. A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions.
Tadalafil may help relax the muscle in your prostate and bladder. This could help improve your BPH symptoms.
To improve ED symptoms, tadalafil helps increase blood flow to the penis. This can help you get and keep an erection. For tadalafil to help you have an erection, you need to be sexually aroused.
For PAH, tadalafil works to improve your ability to exercise by relaxing blood vessels in your lungs. This increases blood flow.
Heart disease warning. You shouldn’t use tadalafil if you have a heart condition and your doctor has advised against sexual activity. Call your doctor right away if you have symptoms during sex such as chest pain, dizziness, or nausea. Sexual activity can put an extra strain on your heart. This is especially true if your heart is already weak from a heart attack or heart disease. Priapism warning. Priapism is an erection that won’t go away. Without treatment, this condition could cause permanent damage to your penis. This damage includes impotence (not being able to have an erection). If you get an erection that lasts more than 4 hours, call your doctor right away.
Tadalafil oral tablets can interact with other medications, vitamins, or herbs you may be taking. An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works. This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well.
To help avoid interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Be sure to tell your doctor about all medications, vitamins, or herbs you’re taking. To find out how this drug might interact with something else you’re taking, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Examples of drugs that can cause interactions with tadalafil are listed below.
Angina drugs (nitrates)
If you take tadalafil with nitrates, your blood pressure could suddenly drop to dangerously low levels. This could make you dizzy or cause you to faint. Examples of nitrates include:
High blood pressure or prostate drugs (alpha-blockers)
If you take tadalafil with certain alpha-blockers, your blood pressure could suddenly drop to low levels that are dangerous. This could make you dizzy or cause you to faint. Examples of these drugs include:
Certain HIV drugs.
Taking tadalafil with certain HIV drugs could increase tadalafil levels in your blood. This can lead to low blood pressure, dizziness and fainting, and vision problems. In men, it can also lead to priapism. These drugs are protease inhibitors and include ritonavir and lopinavir/ritonavir.
Oral antifungal drugs.
Taking certain antifungal drugs with tadalafil may increase levels of tadalafil in your blood. This can lead to low blood pressure, dizziness and fainting, and vision problems. In men, it can also lead to priapism. Examples of these drugs include ketoconazole and itraconazole.
Antibiotics.
Taking certain antibiotics with tadalafil may raise the level of tadalafil in your blood. This can lead to low blood pressure, dizziness and fainting, and vision problems. In men, it can also lead to priapism. Examples of these drugs include:
Other types of antibiotics may lower the level of tadalafil in your blood. This could prevent tadalafil from working well. This includes drugs such as rifampin.
Other erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs.
These medications work in the same way as tadalafil. If you take them with tadalafil, it increases your risk for side effects. Examples of these drugs include sildenafil and vardenafil.
Other pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) drugs.
If you take tadalafil with other types of PAH drugs, your blood pressure could suddenly drop to dangerously low levels. The drug riociguat is in this drug class.
Stomach acid drugs.
Taking these medications with tadalafil may keep your body from absorbing tadalafil well. An example of this type of drug is magnesium hydroxide/aluminum hydroxide.
Epilepsy drugs.
Taking certain anti-seizure drugs with tadalafil may lower the level of tadalafil in your blood. This could prevent tadalafil from working well. Examples of these drugs include:
Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs interact differently in each person, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible interactions. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with your healthcare provider about possible interactions with all prescription drugs, vitamins, herbs and supplements, and over-the-counter drugs that you’re taking.
Allergy warning.
Tadalafil can cause a severe allergic reaction. Symptoms can include:
If you develop these symptoms, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Don’t take this drug again if you’ve ever had an allergic reaction to it. Taking it again could be fatal (cause death).
Grapefruit interaction warning.
Eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice may increase the levels of tadalafil in your blood. This raises your risk for side effects.
Alcohol interaction warning.
Don’t drink large amounts of alcohol when taking tadalafil. Both alcohol and tadalafil can dilate (widen) your blood vessels. When used together, they can cause your blood pressure to drop.
Warnings for people with certain health conditions.
For people with heart disease: Sexual activity creates a risk for your heart. Using tadalafil may increase that risk. Don’t use tadalafil if you have a heart condition and your doctor has advised against sexual activity.
For people at risk for prolonged erections: Tadalafil may cause priapism. This condition causes a painful, long-lasting erection. It is a medical emergency. Talk with your doctor before using tadalafil if you have a condition that puts you at higher risk for priapism. These conditions include blood cell conditions such as sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma, or leukemia Peyronie’s disease (a curved or deformed penis).
For people with vision problems: Retinitis pigmentosa is a rare genetic eye disease. Tadalafil hasn’t been studied in people with this condition, and its use isn’t recommended. Tell your doctor if you’ve ever had severe vision loss, including a condition called NAION (non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy). If you’ve had NAION and take tadalafil, you may be at increased risk for having NAION again.
For people with kidney disease or on dialysis: Your body may not be able to get rid of tadalafil correctly. This means the drug would stay in your body longer and raise your risk for side effects. Your doctor may start you on a lower dosage, have you take it less often, or not prescribe it at all.
For people with liver problems: Your body may not process tadalafil correctly. This means the drug would stay in your body longer and raise your risk for side effects. Your doctor may start you on a lower dosage, have you take it less often, or not prescribe it at all.
For people with bleeding disorders or peptic ulcers: Tadalafil hasn’t been studied in people with these conditions. Using tadalafil may cause or worsen bleeding or ulcers. If you take tadalafil, your doctor may monitor you more closely.
Warnings for other groups.
For pregnant women: Studies of this drug in pregnant animals haven’t shown risk to the fetus. However, there aren’t enough studies done in pregnant women using the drug for PAH to show whether the drug poses a risk to a human fetus.
Talk with your doctor if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Animal studies don’t always predict the way humans would respond. Therefore, this drug should only be used in pregnancy if clearly needed.
For women who are breastfeeding: It isn’t known if tadalafil passes into breast milk. If it does, it may cause serious effects in a child who is breastfed. Talk with your doctor if you’re taking tadalafil and you want to breastfeed.
For seniors: If you are age 65 years or older, your body may process this drug more slowly. Your doctor may start you on a lower dosage so that tadalafil doesn’t build up too much in your body. High levels of the drug in your body can be dangerous.
For children: Children younger than 18 years old shouldn’t use tadalafil. It’s not known if tadalafil is safe and effective in children.