Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, is a condition where a person cannot produce or sustain an erection hard enough for pleasurable sexual activity.
ED becomes increasingly common as men age – however, younger male adults can also experience its devastating effects. According to a 2013 study, up to 25% of ED patients were aged 40 and below.
ED is quite common – 30 million American males experience ED or about one in five men you run into the street. 70% of men over the age of 70, however, reported suffering from the condition.
Here’s the good news: you don’t need to be resigned to living with ED as a so-called “normal” sign of aging.
See, untreated ED can lead to more than just an inability to get your rocks off, so to speak – it can also affect your relationships, quality of life, and mental health.
That’s where prescription drugs like tadalafil (Cialis®) and sildenafil (Viagra®) come in – to address your ED symptoms and improve the quality of your erections.
It must be noted that some pre-existing medical conditions like cardiovascular disease can cause ED. Therefore, consult your doctor and get an assessment before going on any particular ED treatment.
The lowdown on tadalafil (Cialis®) and sildenafil (Viagra®)
Cialis® (tadalafil) and Viagra® (sildenafil) are two of the most successful brand-name erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs. Both have been used to treat patients with ED for decades.
Both belong to a category of medicines known as phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors or PDE5 inhibitors, which all work similarly to treat ED. This category of drugs includes vardenafil (Levitra®) and avanafil (Stendra®).
PDE5 inhibitors work for ED by relaxing smooth muscles in the penis and opening blood vessels to increase blood circulation.
Paired with sexual stimulation and arousal, PDE5 inhibitors like tadalafil and sildenafil help ED patients overcome their symptoms and produce and keep an erection long enough for satisfying sexual activity.
Nevertheless, while tadalafil and sildenafil belong in the same category and share the same mechanism of action, certain key differences exist to distinguish them.
Each medicine has its own pros and cons, active ingredients, side effects, and interactions.
Thus, a patient may find that tadalafil is more suitable for them than sildenafil, or vice-versa.
Let’s explore the differences between tadalafil and sildenafil, discuss their history, their effectiveness, how soon they kick in, and how long their effects last, apart from their potential side effects.
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What are the main differences between tadalafil vs. sildenafil?
- Tadalafil and sildenafil are the active ingredients in Cialis® and Viagra®, respectively. They both work by boosting blood flow to the penis.
- Tadalafil’s effects can last up to 36 hours, while sildenafil lasts up to 4-6 hours.
- Taking food before sildenafil – particularly high-fat meals – may make it take longer for it to kick in. Meanwhile, tadalafil works the same way with or without food intake.
- Tadalafil may help treat symptoms of prostate enlargement; sildenafil is used to treat a condition known as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
Is sildenafil better than tadalafil because it was the first oral ED pill?
Sildenafil, under its brand name Viagra®, was first introduced to the market by Pfizer as the first oral pill to treat ED in 1998. Interestingly, Pfizer almost stumbled into sildenafil’s use as a first-line ED treatment; it was originally developed to treat hypertension and chest pain. Upon Pfizer’s patent on sildenafil expiring in 2017, other pharmaceutical manufacturers were allowed to create a bioequivalent generic version of Viagra® at significantly lower price points.
Meanwhile, tadalafil was introduced to the market in 2003 by Eli Lilly and Co as Cialis®, a more potent, longer-lasting PDE5 inhibitor. It was approved by the FDA as the first and only ED treatment that has been proven to last for up to 36 hours. Like Pfizer, Eli Lilly’s patent expired in 2018, allowing other firms to distribute generic Cialis® as tadalafil shortly thereafter.
Will tadalafil or sildenafil make me harder?
Tadalafil and sildenafil are equally effective treatments for ED. That’s the straight truth.
Researchers looking at 16 trials comparing Viagra® (sildenafil) and Cialis® (tadalafil) didn’t find any significant differences apart from people preferring the latter because of the longer duration of its effects.
How long do tadalafil and sildenafil last?
Tadalafil works for about 36-48 hours after you first take it, making it known as the “weekend pill” for its fans.
More men and their sexual partners prefer tadalafil since it allows them to be spontaneous in their sexual activity.
Meanwhile, sildenafil lasts for four to six hours, with its “peak” occurring around an hour to two hours after taking the tablet. Higher dosages may lead to longer effects, but you should only take the dose recommended by your healthcare provider.
That doesn’t make one necessarily better than the other, though: sildenafil is still one of the best ED treatments, especially for men who have sex less frequently in a week. Moreover, sildenafil takes less time to fully exit the body, meaning its side effects tend to subside shortly thereafter. With sildenafil, the only difference is you need to plan your sexual exploits accordingly.
Does tadalafil kick in faster than sildenafil?
Both tadalafil and sildenafil are absorbed rapidly, with most patients experiencing effects within 30 minutes if they haven’t eaten. However, taking sildenafil with a high-fat meal may delay the onset of its effects to about an hour.
At normal doses, tadalafil usually starts working within 30 minutes, with its full effects expected to peak at around two hours.
Do tadalafil and sildenafil have the same side effects?
Both ED drugs share almost identical side effects.
Around 15% of individuals experience side effects from tadalafil and sildenafil, such as the following:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Flushing
- Gastrointestinal pain
- Upset stomach
- Changes in vision (perception of colors)
- Blurred vision
- Nasal congestion
- Back or muscle pain
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Meanwhile, some of the less common to rare side effects of tadalafil and sildenafil include the following:
- Priapism, or a prolonged, painful erection lasting more than 4 hours
- Cardiovascular events such as strokes, heart attack, irregular heartbeat, and palpitations
- Loss of vision or hearing
- Tinnitus
You should seek emergency medical attention if you experience any of the less common to rare side effects of these ED drugs.
Where do I get tadalafil or sildenafil?
Tadalafil and sildenafil are available only through a prescription.
If you are interested in taking either, you need to first consult a doctor to discuss your symptoms.
Once your doctor diagnoses you with ED and that taking an ED drug is a safe option for you, they will provide you with a prescription for one of the many ED medications available.
Individuals diagnosed with ED who have a prescription can buy tadalafil and sildenafil from any reputable pharmacy.
