Cialis has a formulation for every man suffering from erectile dysfunction. As an on-demand ED drug, it’s by far the longest-lasting, while daily use of low-dose Cialis can make it possible to have an erection whenever the moment is right.
Introduction
One of the most popular erectile dysfunction drugs on the market worldwide, Cialis differs from its competitors because it’s available in two formulations.
As originally introduced in 2003, Cialis was designed to appeal to ED sufferers who preferred long-acting relief from their symptoms of impotence. Taken at the recommended on-demand starting dose of 10 milligrams, Cialis is a bit slower than Viagra or Levitra to take effect but produces much longer-lasting results — up to 36 hours.
Less than five years later, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved low-dose (2.5 to 5 milligrams) Cialis as a daily therapy to ensure a man would be able to achieve an erection whenever the moment is right. Taking daily Cialis requires a commitment to continue with the medication faithfully, ideally taking it at the same time every day.
Furthermore, because it takes a few days to build up a sufficient amount of Cialis in the bloodstream to be effective, the daily therapy may not kick in until one has been on the regimen for four or five days.
What’s a Drug’s Half-Life?
A medication’s duration of effectiveness depends primarily on its half-life — the time it takes for the body to break down or eliminate half of the drug’s active ingredient. The greater a medication’s half-life, the longer lasting will be its beneficial effects.
Tadalafil, the active ingredient in both formulations of Cialis, has a significantly longer half-life than any of the other oral ED medications now on the market in the United States. It takes 17.5 hours for the body to clear half of Cialis’s active ingredient from the bloodstream.
Sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra, the first ED drug to win FDA approval, has a half-life of approximately four hours. Vardenafil hydrochloride, the active ingredient in both Levitra and Staxyn, has a slightly longer half-life than sildenafil at four to six hours.
Avanafil, the active ingredient in Stendra, is noteworthy for its quick onset of action — as little as 10 or 15 minutes. However, its half-life is three to five hours, far below that of tadalafil.
While tadalafil’s half-life is only 17.5 hours, men taking higher-dose Cialis often find they can get an erection for up to 36 hours. Sensitivity to the effects of a medication can vary significantly from one person to another.
How Daily Cialis Works
The recommended starting dose for daily Cialis therapy is one 2.5-milligram tablet taken at roughly the same time every day. As previously noted, it can take four or five days for the drug to take full effect, enabling a man to get an erection whenever the occasion presents itself.
If the 2.5-milligram daily dose is insufficient to produce round-the-clock ED relief, the patient can increase the daily dose to 5 milligrams. Because of tadalafil’s extremely lengthy half-life, after a few days on the regimen, a guy has built up a sufficient level of the active ingredient in his bloodstream to facilitate erections whenever the moment is right.
The Generic Option
Until the fall of 2018, Cialis had no direct generic competition in the United States. However, in October 2018, the first generic equivalent of the pill was introduced. Like brand-name Cialis, its generic equivalent, marketed simply as tadalafil, is available in tablets of 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 milligrams.
The low-dose tablets of 2.5 and 5 milligrams are to be taken as a daily therapy, while higher-dose tablets of 10 and 20 milligrams are designed to be taken on demand.
Under FDA regulations governing generic medications, these alternatives must provide the same clinical benefits as the brand-name drugs for which they are substitutes. Generics must contain the same amount of active ingredient as that found in the brand-name drug. However, generics need not be identical in terms of their inactive ingredients, which generally are used as filler material or coloring agents.
The obvious advantage of generic competition is the availability of the same clinical benefits of the brand-name drug but at a lower price. And over time, the generic options usually become even more competitive price-wise.
| MEDICATION | TYPICAL DOSE | HALF-LIFE OF ACTIVE INGREDIENT | TIME TO ONSET OF ACTION | TIME TO TOTAL ELIMINATION FROM BODY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIALIS ON DEMAND | 10MG, 20MG | 17.5 HOURS | 60-120 MINS. | 36 HOURS |
| CIALIS DAILY | 2.5MG, 5MG | 17.5 HOURS | N/A | N/A |
Which One’s Right for You?
Generally speaking, the two formulations of Cialis — and their generic counterparts — target different market segments. Men who have no serious ongoing relationship might want to purchase the on-demand form of the drug when they’re planning a romantic weekend. The high-dose Cialis might also appeal to men who are involved in long-distance relationships and see their significant others for only a couple of days at a time.
By contrast, younger men in committed long-term relationships might well prefer Cialis’s daily therapy because it enables them to get and keep an erection suitable for intercourse whenever the moment is right.
Enlarged Prostate Relief
For men suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland, daily Cialis provides not only relief from ED symptoms but also helps to treat their prostate ills. The FDA in October 2011 approved the use of low-dose (5-milligram) Cialis for the treatment of BPH.
As you can see from the accompanying table, Cialis on demand takes up to two hours to become fully effective, but its effects can last for up to 36 hours. Men who are on the daily Cialis regimen need not worry about onset of action, because once they’ve been on the pill for four or five days, they should be able to perform whenever the need arises.
Ordering Cialis or Tadalafil Online
If the convenience of ordering Viagra, Cialis, or any other ED drug online appeals to you, check out the services available from longtime online facilitator eDrugstore.com. Headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, eDrugstore stocks a full range of ED medications, including all brand-name and generic formulations.
If you have a doctor’s prescription, you can fax it or scan and email it along with your order to eDrugstore. If not, eDrugstore can set up a complimentary online consultation with a licensed U.S. physician who can authorize a prescription if appropriate. To learn more, visit eDrugstore’s Erectile Dysfunction page.
