Everything about Tadalafil: How Long it takes to Work and How Long it Lasts?
Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is one sexual problem that is faced by millions of men across the world, and yet only a section of them gather the courage to get a thorough diagnosis and the right set of medications. Talking about ED medicines, there are numerous medications like Tadalafil, that doctors prescribe for men aged between 18 to 65 years.
Important Highlights of Tadalafil
- Tadalafil happens to be a popular selective phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5 inhibitor) i,e vasodilatation pharmaceutical drug.
- This medication is associated with the treatments of erectile dysfunction (ED), pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). It was first approved in 2003 by the FDA for use in ED and later in 2009 for PAH.
- Tadalafil is one of the strong medications when it comes to ED medicines. It is capable of demonstrating erections till about 36 hours. Hence it is often referred to as the “weekend pill”; which means if taken on a Friday night, it can still be active on Sunday morning.
How long does Tadalafil last?
The salt of Tadalafil can bring out some really strong effects in the human body. The results of Tadalafil might take some 30 minutes from the time of its ingestion, to come into effect.
While the effects might last about 36 hours to even up to 72 hours in some cases; this does not mean a continuous duration of penile erection.
- First effect within 16 minutes
- Average effect within 30 minutes
- Maximum effect with 2 hours
- Tadalafil has a 17.5-hour ‘half-life’, meaning it takes 17.5 hours for half the drug to have left the bloodstream. This long half-life is the reason tadalafil is effective over such a long time period.
- Some men can get good erections for up to 48 hours.
- After 96 hours tadalafil is supposed to disappear from the bloodstream.
The duration of the results of this medication depends on the following conditions:
- the dose strength/ power
- what kind of dose (as needed versus daily)
- Patient’s age
- liver and kidney functioning of the patient
- other medications that the patient might be taking
- Patient’s health condition
- Patient’s lifestyle and diet
How should Tadalafil doses be taken for the best results?
In case a patient is taking generic Tadalafil tablets or any of its branded tablets like Cialis, Tadarise, etc, in order to get a desired erection, the medication needs to be taken about 30 minutes prior to the sexual act.
However, if a patient is having Tadalafil for addressing issues like BPH or PAH, ideally he should maintain a fixed time for each day. This becomes helpful in maintaining a fixed or steady level of Tadalafil in the body.
Factors that help Tadalafil last longer
- A healthy and balanced diet
- Enough daily exercises
- Zero alcohol
- No Smoking
- No substance abuse
- Reduced mental stress
Drugs to Avoid while taking Tadalafil
There are certain medications that, when taken with Tadalafil might react and slow down the results of Tadalafil, or even produce adverse effects on the patient. Hence the following medications are required to be avoided while ingesting Tadalafil:
- Medications based on nitrates, such as isosorbide mononitrate (Monoket) and nitroglycerin (Nitrostat)
- Calcium channel blockers
- Alpha-blockers
- Pulmonary hypertension drugs like riociguat (Adempas)
- Protease inhibitors, a class of HIV medications
- Antifungal drugs, like ketoconazole and itraconazole (Onmel, Sporanox, etc.)
- Antibacterial drugs, such as clarithromycin (Biaxin)
- Anticoagulants
- Antihistamines
- Benzodiazepines
- Cardioselective beta blockers
- Corticosteroids
- Gamma-aminobutyric acid analogs
- Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid
- Miscellaneous analgesics
- Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
- PDE5 inhibitors
- Statins
- Stimulants
- Selective Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SSNRIs)
- Vitamins- B12, C and D
Non-medicinal items to avoid with Tadalafil
Apart from the above-mentioned medications, a patient should also avoid high-fat content foods and grapefruit juice. Fat-rich foods slow down the mechanism of Tadalafil. Grapefruit juice can increase the levels of the medication in the blood, causing increased side effects.