What is Daily Tadalafil? Your complete guide to the once-a-day treatment for ED

Note: All information and research presented below relate to daily tadalafil—smaller doses of tadalafil taken each day to treat erectile dysfunction. Tadalafil can also be taken in larger doses, as needed, but we do not cover that in detail in this article. See our guide to as-needed tadalafil for more information about that method of treatment.

Erectile dysfunction is common and distressing.

But there’s good news: ED treatments are becoming widely available and increasingly sophisticated. And they’re effective.

Sildenafil (the generic name for Viagra) was, of course, a gamechanger when it became widely available in the 1990s. Then tadalafil (generic Cialis) became available in the 2000s and provided one more ED treatment option. Tadalafil was first approved as an “as needed” medication (just like sildenafil). In this form, a man would take 10 mg or 20 mg of tadalafil in a single pill before sex.

But more recently, tadalafil became approved for use at lower doses (usually 2.5 mg or 5 mg) every day. This is often called “daily tadalafil” or “once-a-day tadalafil”.

In this article, we explain everything you need to know about daily tadalafil: what it is, how it works, side effects, and where you can buy it.

What causes erectile dysfunction?

To understand how daily tadalafil works, it’s useful to understand how erectile dysfunction happens.

When a man is exposed to sexual stimuli, the brain sends signals through the nerves to the penis. The signals prompt tissue in the penis to release nitric oxide. Nitric oxide relaxes muscles in the penis and dilates blood vessels. When the muscles are relaxed and the blood vessels dilate, blood rushes in. That causes the tissue to become rigid and become erect.

Erectile dysfunction happens when something goes wrong in that process. It could be something psychological that keeps the brain from sending signals to the penis. It could be a problem with the nerves not sending signals properly. It could be a problem with the blood vessels not dilating properly or letting enough blood in. Or it could be several of those things.

Some common causes of ED are:

Psychological conditions like anxiety and depression
Cardiovascular issues like heart disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure
Lifestyle factors like obesity, tobacco use, and alcohol use
Medical conditions like multiple sclerosis, sleep disorders, and low testosterone
Injuries to the pelvic area, penile tissue, or nerves

Note that it’s normal for guys to occasionally experience difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection. But when the problem is ongoing, it becomes diagnosed as ED.

What is daily tadalafil and what does it do?

Tadalafil is classified as a PDE5 inhibitor because its primary effect is to inhibit an enzyme called PDE5. The exact process is fairly complex, but the simplified version is that when tadalafil inhibits PDE5, there is more nitric oxide around, which leads to more dilation of the blood vessels. And that means more blood flowing into the penis.

Essentially, once-a-day tadalafil helps your body constantly be ready to get and maintain an erection.

Note that, like sildenafil and on-demand tadalafil, daily tadalafil does not automatically lead to an erection. It just makes it easier to achieve an erection when there is a sexual stimulus.

Does daily tadalafil work?

Yes, it sure does.

There is quite a bit of research on daily tadalafil and it provides very good evidence of tadalafil’s effectiveness.

In one large randomized control trial, daily tadalafil was found to be equally as effective as both sildenafil and as-needed tadalafil. These results were confirmed by a systematic review of research that found that daily tadalafil may actually be slightly more effective than as-needed tadalafil.

Daily tadalafil often even works for patients who did not see much improvement from as-needed tadalafil.

When does daily tadalafil begin to work?

The unique feature of daily tadalafil is that it is constantly working.

With other ED medications, like sildenafil and as-needed tadalafil, you administer a dose before sex. Those other medications take some time to kick in, so it takes some planning: you have to time it well.

The advantage of daily tadalafil is that you take it once a day and it is always working. You’re able to have sex spontaneously without planning when to take the medication. Like as-needed tadalafil, your first dose of daily tadalafil will begin to work in about 30 minutes. But because you take it every day, it continues to work until you choose to stop treatment.

How long does daily tadalafil work for?

Again, daily tadalafil is designed to be a long-term treatment. It works as long as you continue to take it every day. When you stop treatment, its effects could last up to 36 hours after your last dose and then dissipate.

Daily tadalafil safety and side effects

Is daily tadalafil safe?

The short answer is yes: research has consistently concluded that daily tadalafil is safe and well-tolerated by most people. Because of the small doses, there are fewer side effects associated with tadalafil daily compared to regular, as-needed tadalafil and sildenafil.

But there are some daily tadalafil side effects. These include:

Headache
Dyspepsia (indegestion)
Flushing
Back pain
Myalgia (muscle pain)
Upper abdominal pain
Hot flush
Nasopharyngitis (inflammation of the nasal passages)

Other much less common but more serious potential side effects of daily tadalafil include:

Priapism (long-lasting, painful erection)
confusion
dizziness
fainting
chills
cold sweats

You can help avoid side effects by taking tadalafil as directed by your doctor.

Important safety warnings for using daily tadalafil

Some individuals may be at a greater risk of experiencing side effects from once-a-day tadalafil and should take caution. Always answer all of your doctor's questions honestly and completely to ensure that they can help you make informed decisions about your risk of adverse effects.

Higher-risk groups

People with heart problems: Tadalafil works on the cardiovascular system. People with conditions that affect the cardiovascular system, like heart disease, could experience serious side effects from tadalafil.

Tadalafil interactions

Tadalafil interacts with other ED medications: Tadalafil can be used as a treatment for hypertension (high blood pressure) as well as a treatment for erectile dysfunction. If you’re taking tadalafil as a treatment for hypertension, you should not take it, or sildenafil (Viagra), for treatment of erectile dysfunction. Taking these medications together could increase your risk of side effects.

Tadalafil interacts with nitrate medications: If you’re taking nitrate medications, like nitroglycerine, to treat angina, do not take tadalafil. Doing so could cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure.

Tadalafil interacts with grapefruit juice: Surprisingly tadalafil can interact with grapefruit and grapefruit juice. Avoid eating grapefruit while taking tadalafil.

Can you drink alcohol while using daily tadalafil?

It’s not a good idea.

While a little alcohol may not do much harm, drinking excessively while taking tadalafil can increase the chance of headache, dizziness, increase heart rate, and lower blood pressure.

Get assessed for other health conditions

Finally, it’s important to note that ED can often arise from more serious health conditions like heart conditions and diabetes. One reason that it’s important to treat erectile dysfunction is so your doctor can ensure you don’t suffer from a more serious underlying health condition.

So make sure you seek treatment for ED from a qualified health professional as soon as possible.

Daily tadalafil alternatives

Treatments for ED are getting better and better. These days, there are many effective treatment options—once-a-day tadalafil is only one. Here are some alternatives to daily tadalafil and how they compare to each other.

Unsure about which treatment is best for you? Chat with our healthcare professionals to find the right ED medication that suits you best.

Daily tadalafil vs. Daily Cialis

Tadalafil and Cialis are equivalent. They have the same active ingredient, Cialis is just the “brand name” version.

Is there a real difference between the two? No. In Canada, to be approved as a generic version of a drug, the manufacturer must prove the generic version is “pharmacetuically equivalent” to the brand name version. That means they must have the same effect, work as well, and have the same safety profile.

Tadalafil has been approved as the generic version of Cialis, so you can be confident that they work pretty much exactly the same way.

The only real difference is price: generic tadalafil is much less expensive than Cialis.

Daily tadalafil vs. as-needed tadalafil

Which is better between the two options for tadalafil: once-a-day or as-needed?

There’s no clear answer—it depends on your preferences.

Daily tadalafil may be slightly more effective. A review comparing the two treatment options found that daily tadalafil is slightly more effective than as-needed tadalafil (although the researchers note that the difference may not be “clinically significant”... in other words, it’s not a very big difference).
Daily tadalafil may have slightly fewer side effects. The research suggests that as-needed tadalafil may result in slightly more side effects, partly because some people take too much of it.
Daily tadalafil may be more convenient. Many men like daily tadalafil because you do not need to plan when to take it. It’s easier to have spontaneous sex.
Daily tadalafil may be more expensive. The cost difference between the two really depends on how much tadalafil you would use “as-needed”. But for many people, the daily version may be more expensive than tadalafil as needed.

Daily tadalafil vs. sildenafil (generic Viagra)

What about daily tadalafil compared to sildenafil (Viagra)? Again, there are some advantages and disadvantages of each.

Daily tadalafil works as well as sildenafil. Randomized control trials find that there aren’t any significant differences between the two medications: they work roughly equally well.
Daily tadalafil is usually more convenient. Sildenafil takes about an hour to kick in, lasts about four hours, and is not as effective when taken with food. In contrast, daily tadalafil doesn’t have these restrictions. It allows much more spontaneity.
Daily tadalafil is a little more expensive. Again, a direct price comparison is not easy because the cost of sildenafil would depend on how much you would consume. But for many men, sildenafil would be a bit cheaper than daily tadalafil.

The best ED drug depends on your needs and preferences. However, there is some research to show that most guys prefer tadalafil over sildenafil.

Do you need a prescription to buy daily tadalafil in Canada?

Yes, you need a prescription to buy tadalafil in Canada—both in its daily form or in its as-needed form.

You can get a prescription from your doctor or from an online ED clinic like Essential Clinic. Getting a prescription for ED treatment at our clinic is just like going to your doctor’s office—it’s just more convenient and discreet.

Where to buy daily tadalafil in Canada?

If you are approved for a prescription, you can buy daily tadalafil at your local pharmacy or directly from Essential clinic. Buying ED medications online from our clinic is convenient, legal, and easy. Your medications get shipped right to your door.

Just remember that not everyone who sells ED medications online is legitimate. If a site is offering to sell you ED medication without a prescription, it’s not legal in Canada. Also, many of those sites sell fake medications. For your safety and peace of mind, get a legitimate prescription to buy tadalafil or other ED medications in Canada.

Daily tadalafil is an effective, long-term ED treatment

Daily tadalafil is effective and accessible in Canada. It’s particularly convenient becuase it allows the most spontaneous sex. It allows you to be ready at any time without planning when to take your medication.

To find out if daily tadalafil is right for you, talk to our qualified medical professionals. They’ll do an evaluation and, if you are approved, you can buy daily tadalafil right from our online store.

Ready? Start your online visit.

References

^{Bansal, U. K., Jones, C., Fuller, T. W., Wessel, C., & Jackman, S. V. (2018). The efficacy of tadalafil daily vs on demand in the treatment of erectile dysfunction: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Urology, 112, 6-11.}

^{Buvat, J., Büttner, H., Hatzimouratidis, K., Vendeira, P. A., Moncada, I., Boehmer, M., ... & Boess, F. G. (2013). Adherence to initial PDE5 inhibitor treatment: randomized OpenLabel study comparing tadalafil once a day, tadalafil on demand, and sildenafil on demand in patients with erectile dysfunction. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 10(6), 1592-1602.}

^{Gong, B., Ma, M., Xie, W., Yang, X., Huang, Y., Sun, T., ... & Huang, J. (2017). Direct comparison of tadalafil with sildenafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Urology and Nephrology, 49(10), 1731-1740.}

^{McMahon, C. (2005). Comparison of efficacy, safety, and tolerability of on‐demand tadalafil and daily dosed tadalafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2(3), 415-427.}

^{McMahon, C. (2004). ED: Efficacy and Safety of Daily Tadalafil in Men with Erectile Dysfunction Previously Unresponsive to On‐demand Tadalafil. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 1(3), 292-300.}

^{Prasetyo, D. T., Raharja, P. A. R., Mantiri, B. J., Ringoringo, D. R. L., Rahman, I. A., Felizio, J., ... & Rahardjo, H. E. (2019). Tadalafil once a day for men with erectile dysfunction: Is it superior than on-demand administration. Acta Med Indones, 51(3), 275-81.}

^{Rajfer, J., Aliotta, P. J., Steidle, C. P., Fitch, W. 3., Zhao, Y., & Yu, A. (2007). Tadalafil dosed once a day in men with erectile dysfunction: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in the US. International Journal of Impotence Research, 19(1), 95-103.}

^{Wrishko, R., Sorsaburu, S., Wong, D., Strawbridge, A., & McGill, J. (2009). Safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetic overview of low-dose daily administration of tadalafil. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 6(7), 2039-2048.}

^{Zhou, Z., Chen, H., Wu, J., Wang, J., Zhang, X., Ma, J., & Cui, Y. (2019). Meta-analysis of the long-term efficacy and tolerance of tadalafil daily compared with tadalafil on-demand in treating men with erectile dysfunction. Sexual Medicine, 7(3), 282-291.}

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment.