Tadalafil

Tadalafil is a type of erectile dysfunction medicine known as a PDE5 inhibitor. It works by blocking the action of an enzyme called PDE5, which usually causes erections to soften. As a result, more blood is able to flow into the penis - stimulating a stronger erection that lasts longer.

PDE5 inhibitors are the most common type of ED treatment available. Other popular PDE5 inhibitors include:

• Viagra Connect
• Tadalafil Daily
• Sildenafil

You can learn more about how PDE5 inhibitors work in our Book of Erections, which is a comprehensive guide on erections, erectile dysfunction, and erectile dysfunction treatments.

Tadalafil comes in doses ranging from 2.5mg all the way to 20mg.

Tadalafil 10mg and tadalafil 20mg are ideal options for men who don't want to take a tablet every time they have sex. This option involves some planning - as you need to take a tablet at least 30 minutes before you want to have sex - but the effects can last for up to 36 hours, which is why it’s sometimes known as “the weekender”.

Tadalafil 2.5mg and tadalafil 5mg (known as Tadalafil Daily) are more ideal for those who have sex frequently, such as those who are in long term relationships. This is because Tadalafil Daily keeps your body topped up with a small but constant supply of tadalafil at all times, allowing you to get an erection whenever you need one. This gives you the ability to enjoy more spontaneous sex without needing to time when to take a tablet, which is why many men prefer Tadalafil Daily over other erectile dysfunction treatments.

Both sildenafil and tadalafil work in a similar way: by inhibiting an enzyme called PDE5 (which normally causes erections to subside). Blocking this enzyme allows erections to stay harder for longer.

However, the main differences between sildenafil and tadalafil are (1) how long they take to kick in (2) how long they last. Sildenafil takes about one hour to take effect and lasts for up to four hours, while tadalafil takes around 30 minutes to kick in and keeps working for up to 36 hours.

	Time to take effect	Duration
Sildenafil 50mg	1 hour	4 hours
Tadalafil 10mg	30 minutes	36 hours

Sildenafil and tadalafil are both effective, clinically proven ED treatments. They both help to relieve erectile dysfunction symptoms, are prescription-only ED medications, and are generally well-tolerated by most men (meaning most men usually don’t experience side effects).

The choice really depends on your lifestyle and how frequently you have sex.

If you have sex every now and then, sildenafil might be preferable as it’s used by most people on an “as and when” basis.

On the other hand, if you have sex semi-regularly but don’t want to take a tablet every time you do, tadalafil is likely to be a better erectile dysfunction treatment option for you as it lasts nine times longer than sildenafil.

However, if you’d like the greatest degree of freedom, you could try Tadalafil Daily: a daily ED tablet that keeps your system supplied with a small quantity of tadalafil at all times. This is ideal if you have sex more frequently (or spontaneously) and would like the freedom to have sex without needing to coordinate when to take a tablet.

In short, yes. If you’ve taken sildenafil 50mg on six to eight different occasions and still experience erection problems despite receiving sexual stimulation, then trying another ED treatment (such as tadalafil) might work better for you.

It’s also recommended that you talk to our clinical team if sildenafil didn’t work for you because they may be able to adjust the dose to one that is more effective.

Nonetheless, if you’re thinking about changing your ED treatment or ED treatment dose, it’s best to seek advice from one of our clinicians.

You can do this by emailing our clinical team if you’ve received a prescription with us before, or if you’re new to Numan, you can schedule a phone consultation with one of our in-house GPs to discuss your options.

If your erectile dysfunction persists even after trying other ED tablets, please consult your doctor.

Tadalafil blocks the activity of an enzyme called PDE5 (which normally causes erections to subside) and helps blood vessels in the penis to relax and open up. This allows blood to flow into the penis when you become sexually aroused, resulting in a harder and longer-lasting erection exactly when you need it.

Many people find it much more convenient to buy tadalafil online than go through the time-consuming process of getting a prescription from a doctor in person.

This is because getting a tadalafil prescription online allows you to receive it faster. While it may take days to see a doctor in person, getting a tadalafil prescription with us only involves taking a quick online consultation. No waiting rooms. No awkward conversations.

If your prescription is approved (which usually happens the same day), your treatment will be delivered to you for free. Your ED tablets should arrive within 24 hours of your prescription being approved, which means you shouldn’t have to wait long to receive your treatment.

However, when buying ED medicine online it’s important to make sure that the provider of the medicine is reputable, certified, and is prescribing it safely. There are many websites on the internet selling counterfeit medication and flogging ED treatments to people who are vulnerable (such as those with medical conditions that make it unsafe for them to take erectile dysfunction tablets).

Therefore, you should always look out for the following things when buying an ED treatment online:

• CQC registration. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates all health and social care services in England. It ensures healthcare providers are delivering safe, effective, and high-quality services to their users. We’re registered with and regulated by the CQC, and we only ever prescribe licensed, clinically proven ED medications.
• An online consultation. All reputable providers of erectile dysfunction medicine will make you take an online consultation before purchasing any ED treatment online. This is to ensure the medication is safe for you to take and does not interact with any medication you are taking.
• ID verification. The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) requires all online pharmacies to verify the identity of those who wish to get an ED treatment prescription online. This is both for security reasons and to make sure the treatment is safe for you to take.

The bottom line: it’s perfectly safe to buy tadalafil online (as well as other ED medications) provided that the company is reputable, regulated, and has appropriate safeguarding procedures in place to make sure you can buy it safely (such as an online consultation and ID verification).

Tadalafil lasts for up to 36 hours and takes about 30 minutes to start working. But don’t be alarmed: this doesn’t mean you’ll have an erection for 36 hours. It simply means that you should be able to get strong erections within the 36-hour window that tadalafil is active in your body (provided you’re sexually aroused, of course).

It’s worth noting that tadalafil may take longer to kick in if it’s taken with a heavy meal. Therefore, it’s recommended that you plan when to take your tadalafil for the best results.

Tadalafil is a “generic” medicine. A generic medicine is one that has been created to be the same as an already marketed brand-name medicine in terms of dosage, safety, strength, quality, how well it performs, and what it’s used for.

A classic example of a well-known generic medicine is paracetamol. It’s sold under a variety of brand names, but no matter which brand name is used, the active ingredient is always the same: paracetamol.

Branding a medicine costs pharmaceutical companies huge amounts of money, and this cost is often shifted on to consumers in the form of higher prices. Generic medicines, however, are unbranded - which means these costs do not get passed on to the consumer. Therefore, generic medicines are almost always cheaper than their branded alternatives (even though they contain the same active ingredients and work in the same way).

Tadalafil safety information

The following safety information is intended to help you take tadalafil as safely and effectively as possible. Please read it before taking tadalafil to ensure it is safe for you to take.

How tadalafil works

Tadalafil works by helping to relax and open up the blood vessels in your penis, allowing for increased blood flow. This means that when you are sexually aroused, you can achieve a harder and longer-lasting erection.

If you’re interested in understanding the science behind erections and how tadalafil works in more detail, check out our Book of Erections, which has everything you need to know about erections and more.

Don’t take tadalafil if:

• You have had an allergic reaction to tadalafil or any similar medications in the past.
• You have low blood pressure.
• You are taking medications that contain nitrates (usually for chest pain).
• You are using amyl nitrites (“poppers”).
• You have recently had a heart attack or a stroke.
• You have a serious heart or liver condition.
• You have a history of non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION).
• You are taking riociguat, a medication used for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Tadalafil may not be suitable for you if you:

• Have a deformity of your penis, such as Peyronie’s disease.
• Have a serious liver problem.
• Have a serious kidney problem.
• Have a heart condition, including left ventricular outflow obstruction.
• Have sickle cell anaemia, leukaemia or multiple myeloma.

Tadalafil should only be used by men over the age of 18 who have erectile dysfunction. It should not be used with other treatments for erectile dysfunction. If you aren’t sure whether you have any of the conditions listed above, please consult your doctor.

What to expect

Taking tadalafil doesn’t result in an instantaneous erection. Tadalafil starts working 30 minutes after you take it, and the effects last for 36 hours. This means that when you are sexually aroused or stimulated within those 36 hours after you take it, you can expect to have a hard and long-lasting erection.

Recommended starting dose

The recommended starting dose for tadalafil is 10mg taken once per day, as needed. If you feel the effect of tadalafil is not strong enough, feel free to contact us and we can advise you further.

You should not take more than one dose of tadalafil within 24 hours.

It’s worth noting that tadalafil doesn’t alter libido or sexual desire. It also doesn’t have an effect on your testosterone levels.

Possible side effects of tadalafil

If you experience any of the following serious (but uncommon) side effects, you should stop taking tadalafil and seek urgent medical attention:

• An allergic reaction - symptoms include rash, swelling of the lips, throat and eyelids, sudden difficulty in breathing or wheezing, dizziness, collapse.
• Chest pains - you should not use nitrate-containing medication to treat this.
• A prolonged erection lasting more than four hours, which may be painful - this is a medical emergency and you should visit A&E as soon as possible
• Sudden loss of vision.

Some of the most commonly reported side effects of tadalafil are:

• Headache.
• Back pain.
• Muscle aches.
• Pain in arms and legs.
• Nasal congestion/stuffiness.
• Feeling hot or flushed, including facial flushing.
• Indigestion.

Always read the Patient Information Leaflet enclosed with your tadalafil. It contains other important safety information as well as a complete list of possible side effects.