Tadapox

Tadapox is a combination drug containing 20 mg of tadalafil and 60 mg of dapoxetine. It is prescribed to treat premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction.

There are a few things that you should know before using Tadapox, including its uses, side effects, and dosage. We will explain these in brief within this article.

We’ll also touch on a few alternative treatments for ED and premature ejaculation in case you want to go the natural route first.

What is Tadapox?

Tadapox is a brand name for a combination of two drugs, tadalafil, and dapoxetine. It is used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation (PE).

Tadalafil is a phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor, and dapoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).

Erectile dysfunction prevents men from having an erection long enough to have sex. Premature ejaculation is the ejaculation of semen before sexual intercourse or as soon as penetration occurs.

Sometimes, PE can occur in men with ED, as men who are worried that their erection will not last long may develop a condition of being in a rush to ejaculate. So, treating erectile dysfunction may also lessen the chances of premature ejaculation.

Tadapox acts on the PDE5 enzyme and the serotonin receptors in the body. It ensures that the penis is erect long enough and prevents premature ejaculation until the end of sexual intercourse.

Tadapox is a product of Centurion Laboratories, a large pharmaceutical company based in Gujarat, India.

What’s the Dose of Tadapox?

Tadapox is available in a dosage of 80 mg, containing 20 mg of tadalafil and 60 mg of dapoxetine. It comes in a blister pack of 10 tablets per pack.

The maximum dose for Tadapox is one pill per day. Any more could lead to side effects due to overdosing.

How Long Does it Take for Tadapox to Work?

It takes roughly 1 to 3 hours for Tadapox to work. However, it requires sexual excitement. For ED and premature ejaculation, you should take one pill of Tadapox at least an hour before you want to have sex.

How Long Does Tadapox Last?

Tadapox can last for almost 4 to 5 hours. This timeframe may be enough time for the actual sexual intercourse to finish.

How Much Does Tadapox Cost?

Tadapox can cost about 1.96 to 2.8 USD per tablet. This price is much lower than other ED medications.

The History of Tadapox

The individual drugs of Tadapox each have their history of discovery and usage.

Tadalafil was initially produced by the company ICOS. It was then developed and marketed by Lilly ICOS, who also patented this drug. The FDA approved it for the treatment of ED in 2003. In 2017, the patent for tadalafil ended, leading other companies to start producing this drug at a much lower cost.

The second drug of Tadapox, dapoxetine, began its journey as a treatment for depression. A later discovery found that dapoxetine can help in treating premature ejaculation. Initially produced by Eli Lilly pharmaceutical company, dapoxetine was bought by Johnson and Johnson in 2003.

Combining these two medications may have a much better outcome in treating ED and premature ejaculation than using just one ingredient. Hence, Centurion Laboratories started producing this combination drug for treating ED and PE.

Who Should Take Tadapox?

Tadapox is a drug designed for men who cannot sport an erection long enough to have sexual intercourse and for those who ejaculate before or as soon as penetration occurs. It is available only by prescription.

It is necessary to be checked by your doctor before using this drug. This ensures your diagnosis is correct and checks if you have any underlying health conditions, especially any heart-related diseases. Your doctor will then prescribe the dosage according to your need.

Tadapox is recommended for use only when needed. There is no need for daily consumption.

Is Tadapox Safe?

Tadapox is well-tolerated in most users, but like most medications, it has some possible risks. While most of these are simple ones, some could be potentially life-threatening. Always be cautious while taking this drug and be on the lookout for any abnormal side effects. If you encounter any problematic side effects while taking this drug, contact your doctor immediately.

Common Side Effects of Tadapox

Like most other medications, Tadapox also has a list of side effects. Tadapox works on the body as a whole instead of working on only one system. Most of its side effects come from overdosing or irregular dosing of this medication.

Some of the side effects reported on the use of Tadapox are:

Back pain
Chest pain/Angina
Cough
Diarrhea
Dry mouth
Excessive sweating
Light-headedness
Flushing
Headache
Insomnia
Muscle aches
Nausea
Pain in extremities
Priapism
Stomach upset
Stuffy or runny nose
Upper respiratory tract infections

Potential Drug Interactions With Tadapox

Certain medications can interact with Tadapox due to the chemical nature of these drugs. Some may be just mild reactions, while others may be potentially dangerous.

It’s necessary to inform your doctor beforehand if you are on any of the following medications. There is a high chance that other ED medications could also be dangerous for you since most ED drugs have a similar mechanism of action.

Some of the drugs that could interact with Tadapox are:

Nitrates

Nitrates are used in the treatment of angina and coronary artery disease. Tadapox can interact with nitrates, aggravating their hypotensive effects.

Guanylate Cyclase (GC) Stimulators

These are used in pulmonary hypertension treatment. Tadapox could interact with these, causing a rapid drop in blood pressure.

Anti-Hypertensive Medications

These include medications such as alpha-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and angiotensin II receptor blockers. Tadapox can enhance their blood pressure-lowering abilities, which can be dangerous.

CYP3A4 Inhibitors

These include ritonavir, ketoconazole, itraconazole, erythromycin, etc. These drugs inhibit the enzyme called CYP3A4, the one required to metabolize Tadapox. Hence, using them together could slow down Tadapox’s metabolization and cause more side effects.

Alcohol

Any alcoholic drink can interact with Tadapox and worsen its side effects such as headaches, dizziness, low blood pressure, etc.

Antacids

These include Alternagel, Amphojel, Alka-Seltzer, and other antacids. These can lower the rate at which Tadapox is absorbed.

CYP3A4 Inducers

These medications can increase the action of CYP3A4 in the body. This could lead to faster metabolization of Tadapox, thereby decreasing the drug’s effects.

MAOI Inhibitors

The dapoxetine in Tadapox could interact with MAOI inhibitors. This interaction can cause serious and sometimes fatal reactions such as hyperthermia, rigidity, myoclonus, autonomic instability, and mental status changes. Tadapox should not be used with these medications. MAOI inhibitors include isocarboxazid, phenelzine, selegiline, etc.

Thioridazine

Thioridazine is used in the treatment of mood disorders. However, it can prolong the QTc interval associated with severe ventricular arrhythmias. Dapoxetine in Tadapox can inhibit the CYP2D6 enzyme, which can inhibit thioridazine metabolization. This can raise thioridazine levels and augment the prolongation of the QTc interval, causing a greater chance of arrhythmias.

Who Should Avoid Using Tadapox

Certain groups of people with underlying disorders should avoid taking Tadapox, such as patients with:

A history of NAION or “crowded” optic disc
A history of Tadapox hypersensitivity
A history of mania or severe depression
A history of priapism
A history of seizures
A history of syncope
Certain blood disorders (hemophilia, leukemia, sickle-cell anemia)
Glaucoma
Low blood pressure
Moderate or severe hepatic impairment
Orthostatic hypotension
Retinitis pigmentosa
Severe heart disease such as ischemic heart disease, heart failure
Severe kidney disease

How Does Tadapox Work?

Tadapox has two drugs, and both drugs have their own mechanisms of action.

Tadalafil in Tadapox is a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor (PDE5). Phosphodiesterase is an enzyme present all over the body but is concentrated in vascular smooth muscles, platelets, corpora cavernosa, and the penis.

Generally, following sexual stimulation, nerve stimulation occurs in the penis. After this, nitric oxide (NO) gets released, which causes the release of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). This cGMP causes an increase in the penile blood flow due to the relaxation of the penile arteries and the smooth muscles of corpora cavernosa. Following this, an erection occurs.

The enzyme PDE5 inhibits the actions of NO, and no erection can occur. Apart from this, the penile blood vessels often have some kind of defect in patients with ED.

Tadalafil stops the action of PDE5 and relaxes the smooth muscles and blood vessels of the penis, causing an increased blood flow. Thus it can stimulate and maintain an erection in an already sexually stimulated penis.

Dapoxetine slows down the ejaculatory expulsion reflex and inhibits the neuronal reuptake of serotonin. Human ejaculation is controlled by various parts of the central nervous system. The ejaculatory pathway starts from the spinal reflex at the thoracolumbar and lumbosacral levels of the spinal cord.

These signals go to the brain stem and then get influenced by different nuclei in the brain. Dapoxetineinhibitsthe ejaculatory expulsion reflex at the supraspinal level by controlling the lateral paragigantocellular (LPGi) nucleus [1].

Additionally, serotonin (5-HT) throughout the brain’s descending pathway can inhibit ejaculation. A decrease in the level of serotonin can lead to premature ejaculation. Dapoxetine, being a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, also increases the level of serotonin in nerves and improves control over ejaculation [2]. It then increases the time taken to ejaculate.

Thus, tadalafil deals with erectile dysfunction, while dapoxetine deals with premature ejaculation. Using these two together ensures that an erection will occur first and then last long enough until the intercourse is over without ejaculating prematurely. This combination may be helpful for users who are resistant to the standard treatment or help improve performance.

Medical Research Involving Tadapox

The combination of tadalafil and dapoxetine has very little research done on them to show how effective they are. This is because these generic medications are made by simply copying the already established medication formulas. Tadalafil itself has some research to show its effectiveness in treating ED [3]. Similarly, dapoxetine has some research on its effectiveness in treating PE [4]. However, the research involving them both in combination is lacking.

Best Tadapox Alternatives

Few other alternatives can treat premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction. Some of them may have similar ingredients and mechanisms of action. It may be a good thing for you to look around before deciding.

Other brands that can treat ED and PE are:

Avanafil (Avaforce, Stendra, Avana)
Lidocaine spray
Mirodenafil (Mvix)
Sildenafil (Viagra, Cenforce, Kamagra, Fildena, P-Force, Vygex, & more)
SSRIs (escitalopram like Lexapro, sertraline like Zoloft, paroxetine like Paxil, fluoxetine like Prozac)
Tadalafil (Cialis, Adcirca, Vidalista, Tadacip, Forzest, & more)
Tadalafil and dapoxetine combination (Uphold, TD pill, Dejac-T, ED Save Plus, Duraplus, Edon-D)
Udenafil (Zydena)
Vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn, Vilitra, Zhewitra, Savitra, & more)

Natural Tadapox Alternatives

Some herbs and nutrients may help treat premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction. If you are hesitant to start pharmaceutical options, you can start with these natural methods. If they do not work for you, you can switch to pharmaceutical measures.

The natural herbs and nutrients that may treat ED and PE are:

Horny goat weed (Epimedium spp.) — This herb is used in eastern medicine to treat low libido and erectile dysfunction [5].

Ginseng (Panax ginseng) — is a powerful antioxidant and is useful to treat ED, increase stamina, and boost libido [6].

Muira puama (Ptychopetalum olacoides) — This herb can help in relieving the effects of ED [7].

Zinc — Zinc may be deficient in men with sexual dysfunction. Supplementing with zinc can help increase testosterone and improve PE and ED [8].

Where to Buy Tadapox

You can buy Tadapox from your local pharmacy or online. The latter choice is a better option as it is both discrete and easier, as you can just order this medication from the comfort of your home. However, you need a prescription from your doctor to buy this medication.

If you are suffering from premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction, this may be the medicine that works best for you. However, since there are natural alternatives, it might be best to try one of those first. Talk to your doctor about all of your options.

References Cited

Clément, P., Bernabé, J., Gengo, P., Denys, P., Laurin, M., Alexandre, L., & Giuliano, F. (2007). Supraspinal site of action for the inhibition of ejaculatory reflex by dapoxetine. European urology, 51(3), 825-832.
Kendirci, M., Salem, E., & Hellstrom, W. J. (2007). Dapoxetine, a novel selective serotonin transport inhibitor for the treatment of premature ejaculation. Therapeutics and clinical risk management, 3(2), 277.
Costa, P., Grivel, T. and Gehchan Naji, 2009. Tadalafil once daily in the management of erectile dysfunction: patient and partner perspectives. Patient Preference and Adherence, p.105.
McMahon, C. G. (2011). Efficacy of dapoxetine in the treatment of premature ejaculation. Clinical Medicine Insights: Reproductive Health, 5, CMRH-S7337.
Liu, W. J., Xin, Z. C., Xin, H., Yuan, Y. M., Tian, L., & Guo, Y. L. (2005). Effects of icariin on erectile function and expression of nitric oxide synthase isoforms in castrated rats. Asian journal of andrology, 7(4), 381-388.
De Andrade, E., De Mesquita, A. A., de Almeida Claro, J., De Andrade, P. M., Ortiz, V., Paranhos, M., … & Erdogrun, T. (2007). Study of the efficacy of Korean Red Ginseng in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Asian journal of andrology, 9(2), 241-244.
Ferrini, M. G., Garcia, E., Abraham, A., Artaza, J. N., Nguyen, S., & Rajfer, J. (2018). Effect of ginger, Paullinia cupana, muira puama and l-citrulline, singly or in combination, on modulation of the inducible nitric oxide-NO-cGMP pathway in rat penile smooth muscle cells. nitric oxide, 76, 81-86.
Dissanayake, D. M. A. B., Wijesinghe, P. S., Ratnasooriya, W. D., & Wimalasena, S. (2009). Effects of zinc supplementation on the sexual behavior of male rats. Journal of human reproductive sciences, 2(2), 57.