Tadarise

Tadarise is one of the most prescribed medications alongside Viagra for erectile dysfunction. It is also approved by FDA for benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Although Tadarise is considered to be as effective as Viagra, its effects last longer around 36 hours [1]. It’s earned the nickname the “weekend pill” since the drug can last the majority of the weekend.

We’ll cover everything you need to know about Tadarise, including its cost, how it works, side effects, natural alternatives, and more. 

What Is Tadarise?

Tadarise is the brand name of tadalafil, a prescription drug for erectile dysfunction and benign prostatic hyperplasia. It is manufactured by Eli Lilly and company. 

Tadarise acts by inhibiting an enzyme known as PDE5 (phosphodiesterase type 5) in the body. Due to this inhibition, cGMP (cyclic guanosine monophosphate) degradation is inhibited and its level increases. This increase in cGMP helps in the relaxation of smooth muscles of the arteries in the penis, improving blood flow.

Tadarise is considered to be as effective as Viagra but it stands out for its longer lasting effect. It shows its effect up to 36 hours. 

Tadarise has a higher specificity for the PDE5 enzyme. This is important because several other PDE enzymes — such as PDE6, PDE1, and PDE11 may be targeted to varying degrees by other ED medications. Each of these enzymes is found in different concentrations around the body. Interference with these related enzymes is one of the main reasons for the side effects of these medications.

For example, both Viagra and Levitra inhibit both PDE5 and PDE6 enzymes much more than Tadarise. PDE6 is abundant in the eye, which can lead to adverse side effects like vision disturbances or blindness.

Viagra and Levitra also have a higher affinity for inhibiting PDE1 — which is abundant in the heart, brain, and vascular tissue. This is thought to cause symptoms like flushing of the skin and rapid heart rate after taking the medication.

What’s the Dose of Tadarise?

Tadarise is sold in four different doses:

• 2.5 mg
• 5 mg
• 10 mg
• 20 mg
• 40 mg
• 60 mg

For erectile dysfunction (ED), Tadarise is used as an “as-needed” medication — meaning you don’t need to take it every day. It is designed to be used to improve erection for sexual intercourse when required. If you are not planning to engage in sexual activities, there is no reason to take the drug.

The standard starting dose of Tadarise for ED is 10 mg. Depending on how you respond to the drug, your doctor may prescribe a higher or lower dose.

The maximum dose of Tadarise for ED is 1 pill per day.

For benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the dosing is a little different. This treatment is used daily, around the same time every day. The initial dose of Tadarise for treating BPH is usually 5 mg per day.

How Long Does Tadarise Last?

Tadarise begins to show its effects within half an hour after its intake and lasts for around 36 hours, making it one of the longest-lasting ED medications. 

The drug owes its long duration to the slow half-life of the active ingredient. It takes roughly 17.5 hours for exactly half of the drug to be metabolized. Compare this to 4 hours with Viagra, and 6 hours with Levitra.

How Much Does Tadarise Cost?

The cost of Tadarise is variable and depends on the dose. The cost of the tablet is somewhere around $0.52 to $1.16 per tablet.

Depending on the need, the generic medicine tadalafil can be found as a cheaper option.

The History of Tadarise

In August 1991, Tadalafil was discovered under a partnership between Glaxo and ICOS to develop a new drug. 

In 1998, ICOS Corporation and Eli Lilly and Company formed the Lilly ICOS, LLC, a joint venture company to further develop and commercialize tadalafil as a treatment for ED. [4] 

Two years later, Lilly ICOS, LLC, filed a new drug application with the FDA for compound IC351 (under the tadalafil generic name, and the Cialis brand name).

The FDA has approved tadalafil for the treatment of both BPH and erectile dysfunction (ED) where the two conditions co-exist. Tadarise is used as a brand name for tadalafil.

Who Should Take Tadarise?

Tadarise is used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Although the drug has a high safety profile, there are some risks involved that make it essential for the drug to be prescribed by a registered doctor by counseling patients regarding the risks involved.

Your doctor will first assess whether Tadarise is likely to interact with your current medications or whether any underlying health conditions could lead to a higher risk of severe side effects.

The risk of using Tadarise needs to be weighed with the potential benefits before a prescription is written.

Is Tadarise Safe?

Although Tadarise is generally considered a safe and effective medication, some side effects are involved. Rarely, severe side effects may occur.

The most common side effects reported were headaches and dyspepsia, followed by back pain, nasal congestion, myalgia, and flushing. [1]

The following lists contain some but not all the side effects of Tadarise:

Some side effects that may be seen with Tadarise are:

• Headache
• Heartburn
• Back pain
• Muscle pain
• Stuffy nose
• Flushing (warmth and redness in your skin)
• Pain in your arms or legs

Most of these side effects subside on their own. However, if it persists or becomes bothersome doctor’s consultation is required.

Tadarise Drug Interactions

Below is a list of medications that can interact with tadarise. This list doesn’t contain all drugs that may interact with Tadarise.

Before taking Tadarise, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescriptions, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.

Some common drugs that may interact with Tadarise include:

Nitrates

You shouldn’t take Tadarise if you’re taking a medication called nitrate. This type of drug may be used for chest pain. Taking nitrates along with Tadarise can cause a serious decrease in your blood pressure.[2] 

Alpha-Blockers

Tadarise and alpha-blockers are both vasodilators that can cause blood pressure to drop below healthy limits. Taking both drugs in combination must be done carefully under the supervision of a trained medical professional.

Antihypertensives

Likewise, the due to blood pressure lowering effects of both the medicines, blood pressure may be low leading to dizziness and a faintish feeling.

Alcohol

The effects of Tadarise and alcohol overlap in a few areas — causing excessive effects of both drugs. Low blood pressure, dizziness, headaches, and increased heart rate are all common side effects of mixing Tadarise with alcohol.

Antacids

If you’re taking Tadarise and use antacids to treat heartburn, the antacids may decrease the level of Tadarise that your body absorbs. This means that you may not get the full dose of Tadarise, so it may not work as well to treat your ED or symptoms of BPH.

CYP3A4 Inhibitors

Tadarise is primarily metabolized in the liver by the CYP3A4 enzymes. Taking other drugs that are metabolized by this enzyme can affect the rate of decay for Tadarise. This can lead to a prolonged half-life of the drug and elevated concentrations in the bloodstream. This can increase the risk of developing side effects.

CYP3A4 Inducers

Opposite to CYP3A4 inhibitors, some medications increase the activity of this enzyme — leading to faster metabolism of Tadarise and shorter or less pronounced effects.

Common CYP3A4 Inducers Include:

• Rifampin
• Carbamazepine
• Phenytoin
• Phenobarbital
• Griseofulvin

Who Should Avoid Taking Tadarise?

The manufacturer of the drug, Eli Lilly, provides a detailed breakdown of patients who should not be prescribed Tadarise. Tadarise should by avoided by patients with:

• Known allergies to Tadarise or other forms of tadalafil
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Uncontrolled high or low blood pressure
• Chronic liver or kidney disease
• Retinitis pigmentosa
• A history of NAION
• Current stomach ulcers
• Peyronie’s disease

How Does Tadarise Work?

Erectile dysfunction is a condition in which a person cannot achieve an erection or maintain it. Erection occurs, when smooth muscles in the penis relax, causing blood flow in the penis. Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) is a chemical in your body that relaxes the muscles in the penis and increases blood flow into the penis. With ED, this activity isn’t working properly, so you can’t have or maintain an erection.

Tadarise works by inhibiting an enzyme called phosphodiesterase 5. Inhibiting this enzyme increases the level of cGMP in the blood, which causes smooth muscle to relax and increases blood flow to the penis.

Arousal is still needed to send the signal to the penis to trigger the erection in the first place. So, Tadarise only works when sexual arousal is present. 

Can Women Use Tadarise Too?

Tadarise is not approved for use in women because the only accepted conditions for prescribing the drug are benign prostatic hyperplasia and erectile dysfunction — both of which are male-specific health conditions.

While women aren’t going to be able to get a prescription for Tadarise, some reports suggest the drug may improve sexual function and orgasm in women.

A study was conducted on a related drug, Viagra to explore its potential for improving sexual enjoyment in women.

This study found that only 18% of women experienced notable improvement in sexual performance, much of which can be ruled out by the placebo effect. [3]

In summary, Tadarise is unlikely to offer much benefit to women, though a small percentage of women may find improvement in sexual function and arousal after using the drug.

Tadarise Alternatives

Tadarise is just one of several brand-name PDE5 inhibitors used for treating erectile dysfunction.

Some pharmaceutical alternatives for Tadarise include:

• Sildenafil (Viagra)
• Vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn, and Vivanza)
• Avanafil (Stendra)
• Mirodenafil (Mvix)
• Udenafil (Zydena)

Tadalafil is also no longer protected under patent law, which means there are generic versions of the drug available at a much lower cost than the official brand name version of the drug.

Natural Alternatives To Tadarise

While there are natural PDE5 inhibitors and other forms of erectile dysfunction supplements, nothing in the natural world is as reliable as Tadarise or other prescription medications.

Many of these natural substances lack the clinical testing and proof necessary to recommend these products for erectile dysfunction ethically.

However, there are a few promising candidates worth mentioning:

Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium spp.) — this plant contains a compound called icariin, which is a relatively strong PDE5 inhibitor similar to Tadarise 

L-Arginine — this amino acid is one of the required precursors for nitric oxide production, which in turn promotes the activity of cGMP to promote erection 

Korean Red Ginseng (Panax quinquefolium) — KRG extracts have been shown to improve nitric oxide production promote dilation of the arteries in the penis promote erection 

Where to Buy Tadarise?

Tadarise is a prescription-only medication in most countries.

If you would like to try Tadarise to improve erectile function, or to support prostate health, you should visit your doctor. They will review any medications and underlying health conditions to assess whether Tadarise is right for you.

Once you have a prescription, you can buy Tadarise online or at a nearby pharmacy.

Most places will offer both the brand-name Tadarise, and generic forms of tadalafil. Both will work just as well.

It’s worth shopping around before you buy to find the best price. There’s a significant difference in the cost of Tadarise depending on where you buy it.

References Used

1. Frajese, G. V., Pozzi, F., & Frajese, G. (2006). Tadalafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction; an overview of the clinical evidence. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 1(4), 439.
2. Kloner, R. A., Hutter, A. M., Emmick, J. T., Mitchell, M. I., Denne, J., & Jackson, G. (2003). Time course of the interaction between tadalafil and nitrates. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 42(10). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2003.09.023
3. Kaplan, S. A., Reis, R. B., Kohn, I. J., Ikeguchi, E. F., Laor, E., Te, A. E., & Martins, A. C. (1999). Safety and efficacy of sildenafil in postmenopausal women with sexual dysfunction. Urology, 53(3), 481-486.
4. Daugan A., Grondin P., Ruault C., Gouville A.C.L.M., Coste H., Kirilovsky J., Hyafil F., Labaudinière R.(2003). The Discovery of Tadalafil:  A Novel and Highly Selective PDE5 Inhibitor.Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 46 (21), 4525-4532. DOI: 10.1021/jm030056e