Cialis is the brand name for tadalafil, a prescription medication used to treat certain conditions related to blood flow. It belongs to a class of drugs called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors. Here’s a breakdown of its uses and how it works:
Uses of Cialis
- Erectile Dysfunction (ED):
Cialis helps men achieve and maintain an erection by increasing blood flow to the penis when sexually stimulated. - Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH):
It relieves symptoms of an enlarged prostate, such as difficulty urinating, weak urine flow, or frequent need to urinate (especially at night). - Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH):
In some cases, tadalafil is used to treat PAH by relaxing blood vessels in the lungs, improving blood flow, and reducing the workload on the heart.
Cialis belongs to a class of drugs known as phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors, or PDE5 inhibitors. These medications reduce the effects of the PDE5 enzyme, making blood vessels expand for increased blood flow to the penis, allowing for easier, more reliable erections.
Cialis (and its active ingredient tadalafil) is most commonly used as an ED medication. But it’s also used to treat a couple of other medical conditions, namely:
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH or enlarged prostate)
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)
The Cialis dosage your provider prescribes to treat one thing may be entirely different from the dosage they prescribe to treat another.
Below, we’ll discuss Cialis’s different uses and how the medication treats these conditions.
Cialis Dosage for ED
Cialis is best known as a treatment for erectile dysfunction — but it’s more about working plumbing than starting the motor on sexual stimulation.
As mentioned before, Cialis works by inhibiting the effects of the PDE5 enzyme, which is responsible for controlling blood flow to the penis.
Healthy erections are all about blood flow. When you feel sexually aroused, blood flows to your corpora cavernosa — the soft, sponge-like tissues inside your penis — causing it to become firm and enlarged.
Cialis tablets come in four FDA-approved doses: 2.5mg, 5mg, 10mg, and 20mg (milligrams).
If you’re prescribed 5mg Cialis and wondering, Can I take two 5mg Cialis at once? to bump yourself up to the 10mg dose, don’t do it.
You should never take two doses on your own without approval from a medical professional. Doing so can increase the risk of common side effects, including headaches, back pain, and indigestion.
Cialis Doses for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
Your ED medication of choice is also used to treat the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
BPH is common in older men. Although an enlarged prostate isn’t a cancerous growth, it can cause irritating issues. Symptoms of BPH include an increased need to urinate, dribbling at the end of urination, and pain during urination or after ejaculation.
According to the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), a daily dose of 5mg tablets of Cialis has been shown to be effective in treating this disorder — though generic tadalafil may actually be what’s prescribed.
When figuring out the right dosage of Cialis, providers will consider factors like:
- Why the medication is being used
- Whether the patient is taking other medications
- How old the patient is
So a Cialis dosage for 70-year-olds with BPH may look totally different from a Cialis dosage for 30-year-olds with ED.
Tadalafil Dosage for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)
The active ingredient in Cialis, tadalafil, is also used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension. By dilating the arteries inside the lungs, the medication reduces blood pressure and improves blood flow.
Tadalafil is usually sold under the brand name Adcirca® when used to treat PAH. Brand-name Cialis isn’t prescribed for this use. To learn more, read our blog on Adcirca versus Cialis.
According to the FDA, Adcirca is typically prescribed in doses of 40mg for the treatment of PAH.