Question 1

What is tadalafil?

Accepted Answer

Tadalafil is a type of erectile dysfunction medicine known as a PDE5 inhibitor. It works by blocking the action of an enzyme which causes erections to soften. As a result, more blood is able to flow into the penis, stimulating a stronger erection that lasts longer.

PDE5 inhibitors are the most common type of ED treatment available. Other popular PDE5 inhibitors include:

Question 2

Which tadalafil dosage is best?

Accepted Answer

Following your free online consultation, a clinician will determine the best dosage to suit your needs.

Tadalafil comes in doses ranging from 2.5mg all the way to 20mg.

If clinically approved, tadalafil 10mg and tadalafil 20mg are ideal options for men who don't want to take a tablet every time they have sex. This option involves some planning – as you need to take a tablet at least 30 minutes before you want to have sex – but the effects can last for up to 36 hours.

Tadalafil 2.5mg and tadalafil 5mg (known as Tadalafil Daily) are more likely to be recommended to those who have sex frequently, such as those who are in long-term relationships. This is because Tadalafil Daily keeps your body topped up with a small but constant supply of tadalafil at all times, allowing you to get an erection whenever you need one. This gives you the ability to enjoy more spontaneous sex.

Question 3

What’s the difference between sildenafil and tadalafil?

Accepted Answer

Both sildenafil and tadalafil work in a similar way: by inhibiting an enzyme called PDE5 (which normally causes erections to subside). Blocking this enzyme allows erections to stay harder for longer.

However, the main differences between sildenafil and tadalafil are (1) how long they take to kick in (2) how long they last. Sildenafil takes about one hour to take effect and lasts for up to four hours, while tadalafil takes around 30 minutes to kick in and keeps working for up to 36 hours.

Sildenafil 50mg

Time to take effect: 1 hour

Lasts for up to: 4 hours

Tadalafil 10mg

Time to take effect: 30 minutes

Lasts for up to: 36 hours

Tadalafil Daily 2.5mg

Time to take effect: 3-5 days

Lasts for up to: Continuous effect

Sildenafil and tadalafil are both effective, clinically proven ED treatments. They both help to relieve erectile dysfunction symptoms, are prescription-only ED medications, and are generally well-tolerated by most men (meaning most men usually don’t experience side effects).

Question 4

Sildenafil vs tadalafil: which is better?

Accepted Answer

A clinician will determine the best treatment option for you based on your lifestyle, medical history, and current circumstances.

If you have sex every now and then, sildenafil might be recommended as it’s used by most people on an “as and when” basis.

On the other hand, if you have sex semi-regularly but don’t want to take a tablet every time you do, tadalafil is likely to be the recommended erectile dysfunction treatment option for you as it lasts nine times longer than sildenafil.

However, if you’d like the greatest degree of freedom, you might be recommended Tadalafil Daily: a daily ED tablet that keeps your system supplied with a small quantity of tadalafil at all times. This is ideal if you have sex more frequently (or spontaneously) and would like the freedom to have sex without needing to coordinate when to take a tablet.

Question 5

Can tadalafil be an option if sildenafil didn’t work?

Accepted Answer

If your ED medication hasn’t worked as expected, get in touch with our clinical team who will be happy to find you a suitable alternative or adjust the dosage.

If you’ve taken sildenafil 50mg on six to eight different occasions and still experience erection problems despite receiving sexual stimulation, then trying another ED treatment (such as tadalafil) might work better for you.

You can do this by emailing our clinical team if you’ve received a prescription with us before, or if you’re new to Numan, you can schedule a phone consultation with one of our in-house GPs to discuss your options.

If your erectile dysfunction persists even after trying other ED tablets, please consult your doctor.

Question 6

How does tadalafil work?

Accepted Answer

Tadalafil blocks the activity of an enzyme called PDE5 (which normally causes erections to subside) and helps blood vessels in the penis to relax and open up. This allows blood to flow into the penis when you become sexually aroused, resulting in a harder and longer-lasting erection exactly when you need it.

Question 7

What are the benefits of an online consultation?

Accepted Answer

An online consultation is a convenient and often a less time-consuming process compared to getting a prescription from a doctor in person.

This is because getting a tadalafil prescription online can allow you to receive it faster. While it may take days to see a doctor in person, getting a tadalafil prescription with us only involves taking a quick online consultation. No waiting rooms. No awkward conversations.

If your prescription is approved by a Numan clinician (which usually happens the same day), your treatment will be delivered to you for free. Your ED tablets should be dispatched within 24 hours of your prescription being approved, which means you shouldn’t have to wait long to receive your treatment.

However, when buying ED medicine online it’s important to make sure that the provider of the medicine is reputable, certified, and is prescribing it safely. There are many websites on the internet selling counterfeit medication and flogging ED treatments to people who are vulnerable (such as those with medical conditions that make it unsafe for them to take erectile dysfunction tablets).

Therefore, you should always look out for the following things when looking at ED treatment online:

CQC registration: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates all health and social care services in England. It ensures healthcare providers are delivering safe, effective, and high-quality services to their users. We’re registered with and regulated by the CQC.
An online consultation: All reputable providers of erectile dysfunction medicine will make you take an online consultation before purchasing any ED treatment online. This is to ensure the medication is safe for you to take and does not interact with any medication you are taking.
ID verification: The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) requires all online pharmacies to verify the identity of those who wish to get an ED treatment prescription online. This is both for security reasons and to make sure the treatment is safe for you to take.

The bottom line: it’s perfectly safe to do an online consultation for tadalafil (as well as other ED medications) provided that the company is reputable, regulated, and has appropriate safeguarding procedures in place to make sure you can buy it safely (such as an online consultation and ID verification).

Question 8

How long does tadalafil last?

Accepted Answer

Tadalafil lasts for up to 36 hours and takes about 30 minutes to start working. But don’t be alarmed: this doesn’t mean you’ll have an erection for 36 hours. It simply means that you should be able to get strong erections within the 36-hour window that tadalafil is active in your body (provided you’re sexually aroused, of course).

It’s worth noting that tadalafil may take longer to kick in if it’s taken with a heavy meal. Therefore, it’s recommended that you plan when to take your tadalafil for the best results.

Question 9

Why is generic tadalafil cheaper than branded alternatives?

Accepted Answer

Tadalafil is a 'generic' medicine. A generic medicine is the same as an already marketed brand-name medicine in terms of dosage, safety, strength, quality, how well it performs, and what it’s used for.

A classic example of a well-known generic medicine is paracetamol. It’s sold under a variety of brand names, but no matter which brand name is used, the active ingredient is always the same: paracetamol.

Branding a medicine costs pharmaceutical companies huge amounts of money, and this cost is often shifted on to consumers in the form of higher prices. Generic medicines, however, are unbranded - which means these costs do not get passed on to the consumer. Therefore, generic medicines are almost always cheaper than their branded alternatives (even though they contain the same active ingredients and work in the same way).

Question 10

What are the potential side effects of tadalafil?

Accepted Answer

Tadalafil safety information

The following safety information is intended to help you take tadalafil as safely and effectively as possible. Please read it before taking tadalafil to ensure it is safe for you to take.

How tadalafil works

Tadalafil works by helping to relax and open up the blood vessels in your penis, allowing for increased blood flow. This means that when you’re sexually aroused, you can achieve a harder and longer-lasting erection.

Don’t take tadalafil if:

You have had an allergic reaction to tadalafil or any similar medications in the past.
You have low blood pressure or uncontrolled high blood pressure.
You are taking medications that contain nitrates (usually for chest pain).
You are using amyl nitrites (“poppers”).
You have recently had a heart attack or a stroke.
You have a serious heart or liver condition.
You have a history of non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION).
You are taking riociguat, a medication used for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Tadalafil may not be suitable for you if you:

Have a deformity of your penis, such as Peyronie’s disease.
Have a serious liver problem.
Have a serious kidney problem.
Have a heart condition, including left ventricular outflow obstruction.
Have sickle cell anaemia, leukaemia or multiple myeloma.

Tadalafil should only be used by men over the age of 18 who have erectile dysfunction. It should not be used with other treatments for erectile dysfunction. If you aren’t sure whether you have any of the conditions listed above, please consult your doctor.

Recommended starting dose

The recommended starting dose for tadalafil is 10mg taken once per day, as needed. A clinician will review your online consultation and determine if this is appropriate for you. If you feel the effect of tadalafil is too strong or too weak, feel free to contact us and we can advise you on adjusting your dosage.

You should not take more than one dose of tadalafil within 24 hours.

It’s worth noting that tadalafil doesn’t alter libido or sexual desire. It also doesn’t have an effect on your testosterone levels.

Possible side effects of tadalafil

If you experience any of the following serious (but uncommon) side effects, you should stop taking tadalafil and seek urgent medical attention:

An allergic reaction - symptoms include rash, swelling of the lips, throat and eyelids, sudden difficulty in breathing or wheezing, dizziness, collapse.
Chest pains - you should not use nitrate-containing medication to treat this.
A prolonged erection lasting more than four hours, which may be painful - this is a medical emergency and you should visit A&E as soon as possible
Sudden loss of vision.

Some of the most commonly reported side effects of tadalafil are:

Headache.
Back pain.
Muscle aches.
Pain in arms and legs.
Nasal congestion/stuffiness.
Feeling hot or flushed, including facial flushing.
Indigestion.

Always read the Patient Information Leaflet enclosed with your tadalafil. It contains other important safety information as well as a complete list of possible side effects.

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