Impotence pills (Cialis)
By admin at 28 July, 2009, 3:55 pm
How Effective is Tadalafil (Cialis)?
The safety and efficacy of Tadalafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction has been evaluated by questionnaires in 22 clinical trials involving more than 4,000 men. Included in these questions were whether or not the participant was able to achieve an erection long enough to allow for vaginal penetration as well as if they could maintain an erection long enough for full sexual intercourse.
In all trials, Tadalafil proved to be significantly better than the placebo in improving men’s ability to achieve and maintain erections.
How Is Tadalafil (Cialis) Administered?
The recommended initial dose of Tadalafil for most patients is 10 mg taken orally approximately 1 hour before sexual activity. The dose may be increased to 20 mg or decreased to 5 mg depending on a variety of factors. Tadalafil should be taken once a day and can be taken on an empty or full stomach. The effects of Tadalafil can last up to 36 hours.
What Are the Side Effects of Tadalafil (Cialis)?
The most common side effects reported include: headaches, indigestion, back pain, muscle aches, facial flushing, and nasal congestion. All side effects were minor in frequency and severity.
Back pain and muscle aches occurred in less than 7% of patients, and usually occurred at 12 to 24 hours after taking Tadalafil. The back pain and muscle aches associated with Tadalafil were described as mild to moderate muscle discomfort in the lower back, buttocks and thighs, often aggravated by lying down. The back and muscle aches tended to go away within 48 hours without any treatment. Most pains went away after taking some Tylenol or Motrin. Less than one half of one percent discontinued their use of the drug because of this side effect.
Reports of abnormal vision were rare and occurred in less than 0.1% of patients using Tadalafil.
Though rare, there have been reports of priapism (prolonged and painful erections lasting more than 6 hours) with the use of PDE5 inhibitors such as Sildenafil, Vardenafil, and Tadalafil. Patients with blood cell diseases such as sickle cell anemia, leukemia, and multiple myeloma have above average risks of developing priapism. Priapism, if left untreated, can cause injury to the penis and lead to permanent impotence. Contact a doctor immediately if you experience an erection longer than 4 hours.
Who Should Not Use Tadalafil (Cialis)?
Tadalafil can cause hypotension (abnormally low blood pressure that can lead to fainting and even shock) when given to patients who are taking nitrates. Because of this, it is recommended that all patients taking nitrates on a daily basis should not take Tadalafil.
Tadalafil should not be used with alpha-blockers, medicines used to treat high blood pressure or benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH), because this combination of Tadalafil and an alpha-blocker may lower the blood pressure greatly and lead to dizziness and/or fainting. Examples of alpha-blockers include: Tamsulosin (Flomax), Terazosin (Hytrin), Doxazosin (Cardura), Alfuzosin (Uroxatrol), and Prazosin (Minipress). The only alpha-blocker that can be used safely with Tadalafil is Tamsulosin (Flomax). When Tadalafil (20 mg) was given to healthy men taking 0.4 mg of Flomax daily, there was no significant decrease in blood pressure indicating that there is no increased risk taking these two drugs simultaneously. The only alpha blocker that has not been tested with Tadalafil is Alfuzosin (Uroxatrol), and thus, there is no data to indicate whether there is a negative reaction between the two. Please consult your doctor for further information.
Tadalafil should not be used with alpha-blockers (except Flomax), medicines used to treat high blood pressure and benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH), due to the combination of Tadalafil and an alpha-blocker lowering the blood pressure greatly and leading to dizziness and/or fainting. Examples of alpha-blockers include: Tamsulosin (Flomax), Terazosin (Hytrin), Doxazosin (Cardura), Alfuzosin (Uroxatrol), and Prazosin (Minipress). Tadalafil is not recommended for men with the following conditions:
• Angina (chest pain due to coronary artery disease)
• Low blood pressure (a resting systolic blood pressure less than 90mm Hg)
• Uncontrolled high blood pressure (greater than 170/110 mm Hg)
• Recent stroke or heart attack (within the last 6 months)
• Uncontrolled, potentially life-threatening, abnormal heart rhythms
• Severe liver disease
• Severe heart failure or disease of the heart’s valves, for example, aortic stenosis
• Retinitis pigmentosa
Men suffering from these conditions should not use Tadalafil without having these conditions evaluated and stabilized first. A doctor should also test the heart using a cardiac treadmill test to ensure that the heart is strong enough to handle the extra workload required for sexual activity.
What Precautions Should Be Taken When Using Tadalafil?
For most healthy men, trace amounts of the drug will remain in the body for more than 2 days after a single dose of Tadalafil. The metabolic breakdown (clearing of the drug from the body) of Tadalafil can be slowed by liver disease, kidney disease, and the concurrent use of certain medications (such as erythromycin, ketoconazole, and protease inhibitors). This causes the drug to stay in the body longer and could cause unwanted side effects. Therefore, the dose and frequency of Tadalafil should be lowered in the case of the following conditions:
• Medications such as erythromycin, Ketoconazole (Nizoral), Itraconazole (Sporanox), Ritonavir (Norvir), and Indinavir (Crixivan) can slow the breakdown of Tadalafil. Therefore men taking these medications should not take more than 10 mg of Tadalafil in a 24 hour period
• Men with moderately severe kidney impairment should initially take a dosage of 5mg every 24 hours, and not to exceed the maximum dose of 10 mg taken every 48 hours. In men with severe kidney disease and on dialysis, the maximum dose should not exceed 5 mg
• Men with severe liver disease should not take Tadalafil. Men with mild to moderate liver disease should not exceed 10 mg every 24 hours
As with all medications there will be side effects that are unwanted. Some of these side effects can be guessed based on your pre-disposition to a variety of factors. But, there will always be unknown side effects that are not anticipated. It should be said that though side effects may occur, it is not necessarily a reason to stop taking a certain drug or give up on a treatment. These side effects are often temporary and can go away when the dosage is changed. Please make sure you have a long discussion with your doctor about any and all concerns to help alleviate your fears of any and all treatments.
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