Tadalafil is a prescription drug used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). This eMedTV page provides information on tadalafil dosage, side effects, and potential drug interactions, as well as conditions to tell your doctor about before taking the drug.
What is tadalafil used for? As this eMedTV article explains, tadalafil is used primarily to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). Tadalafil can also be used off-label to treat Raynaud's phenomenon and pulmonary hypertension.
Headache, indigestion, and back pain are a few common side effects of tadalafil. This eMedTV page also lists rare tadalafil side effects (like unexplained rash) and serious problems seen in some people taking the drug (like a heart attack or stroke).
This eMedTV Web page lists the usual starting dosage of tadalafil (10 mg one hour prior to sexual activity), the maximum tadalafil dosage (20 mg), and factors that can affect the dose your doctor recommends (such as other drugs you may be taking).
This eMedTV page explains how drug interactions with tadalafil can decrease blood pressure and change how your body metabolizes the drugs, among other things. Tadalafil can potentially interact with nitrates, antifungals, alcohol, and other drugs.
This eMedTV Web page lists a number of important precautions and warnings for tadalafil, including potential drug interactions and serious side effects that can occur in some people taking the drug (including heart attack, stroke, and sudden death).
As this eMedTV page explains, the earliest that a generic version of tadalafil could become available is 2016, when the patent for tadalafil expires. Once tadalafil goes off patent, several companies should start manufacturing a generic tadalafil.
