Tadalafil, sold under the brand name Cialis, and sildenafil, sold under the brand name Viagra, are effective oral drugs used for the treatment of treating male impotence, also known as erectile dysfunction (ED).
ED is a man’s inability to attain or maintain a penile erection. Worldwide, millions of men suffer from ED, affecting their sexual health. Although incurable, ED is treatable with medications like tadalafil and sildenafil.
Apart from ED, both drugs are advised for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) – a condition characterized by high blood pressure in the lungs. Tadalafil, in particular, is also used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Tadalafil and sildenafil belong to a class of drugs called phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors. These drugs temporarily inhibit the secretion of the PDE5 enzyme, stopping the degradation of a chemical called cGMP. When this happens, the body is able to release nitric oxide on sexual stimulation, which increases blood flow to the penile organ for an erection.
So, is tadalafil stronger than Viagra?
Cialis and Viagra belong to the same class of pharmacological agents, but one difference between the drugs is how long they stay in your system.
Medical informational website MedicineNet says, “Cialis provides penile hardness (the ability to obtain an erection) over a longer period than Viagra because it lasts up to 18 hours, while Viagra only lasts for about 4 to 6.”
Unlike Viagra, tadalafil comes in two formulations – one that you can take on an ‘as required’ basis and another that you can take daily (in lower doses).
The ‘as required’ tadalafil has an advantage over Viagra in that it lasts a lot longer – up to 36 hours (compared with 4-5 hours for Sildenafil), according to Lloyds Pharmacy, one of the top online pharmacies, which also offers online doctor consultation in the UK.
Lloyds says tadalafil also works faster than Viagra – “it generally works within 30 minutes, though for some men it can take up to an hour.”
Moreover, tadalafil is not affected by the food. On the other hand, sildenafil may not work when taken with a heavy meal. This could be one of the reasons why most men prefer using tadalafil over sildenafil.
However, there is one potential disadvantage of using tadalafil. The medicine lasts in your body for longer, so if you get any side effects, you may experience them for a longer period. The common side effects include headache, nausea, runny or stuffy nose, facial flushing, and back pain. The bottom line is tadalafil and sildenafil are effective in treating ED and both are stronger when it comes to boosting erections in men. However, it is just the efficacy that differentiates these drugs from each other. Tadalafil has a longer duration of action (36 hours) than sildenafil (4-5 hours).
