Sexual Wellness· Medication / Therapy
Tadalafil (Cialis)
- Long-acting
- Daily or as-needed
- Also treats BPH
Tadalafil (Cialis) is a long-acting PDE5 inhibitor with a 17.5-hour half-life. Available as as-needed (10–20 mg before sex) or daily low-dose (2.5–5 mg). The duration window enables spontaneity that the shorter-acting sildenafil cannot match, and the daily dose is also FDA-approved for BPH symptoms.
Typically used for:
Treating erectile dysfunction on demand or as a daily low-dose option.
Benefits
What Tadalafil (Cialis) can do for you.
Up to 36-hour window
Long half-life means the medication remains effective across a multi-day window — fewer planning constraints than sildenafil.
Daily-dose option
Daily 2.5–5 mg eliminates timing concerns and is often the right call for men with situational ED.
BPH bonus
At the daily dose, tadalafil also improves urinary symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Tadalafil is a phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitor — the same class as sildenafil — with a substantially longer half-life.2 Marketed as Cialis, it enables both as-needed and daily-dosing protocols, and is one of the most-prescribed medications for erectile dysfunction in current US practice.1
How it works
Mechanism mirrors sildenafil: inhibiting PDE5 allows cGMP to accumulate during sexual stimulation, relaxing corpus cavernosum smooth muscle and improving blood flow. The clinically meaningful difference is duration — tadalafil's ~17.5-hour half-life means a single 10–20 mg dose can support sexual activity for up to ~36 hours.24
Daily vs. as-needed
Two protocols are FDA-approved: episodic (10–20 mg as needed, ≥30 minutes before activity) and daily (2.5–5 mg taken consistently).34 Daily dosing eliminates the need to plan around a dose and produces continuous PDE5 inhibition. Many men prefer it once they try it — particularly those who experience situational ED, who want spontaneity, or who also have BPH-related lower urinary tract symptoms.
Who it is for
Appropriate first-line therapy for ED, especially in men who value duration over speed of onset, who experience situational rather than constant ED, or who also have BPH. Same general indications and cautions as sildenafil.
Cautions
- Absolutely contraindicated with nitrates — same as all PDE5 inhibitors.
- Less food-sensitive than sildenafil but still affected by alcohol and high-fat meals.
- Side effects: headache, back/muscle pain (more characteristic of tadalafil than sildenafil), flushing, nasal congestion. Usually mild.
- Discuss with your physician re: unstable CV disease, recent stroke/MI, severe hepatic/renal impairment.
How it works
From consult to follow-up.
Initial consultation
A board-certified physician reviews your symptoms, history, and goals. At many participating clinics the first visit is complimentary.
Baseline labs
Bloodwork tailored to the protocol. Results come back in days, not weeks. We don't prescribe before we have your numbers.
Personalized protocol
Your physician calibrates your dose based on your labs and your goals — not a template. Adjustments happen as your data evolves.
Ongoing follow-up
Recheck visits at six and twelve weeks, then quarterly. Real follow-up, structured into the plan.
- Duration
- Oral medication; as-needed or daily protocol
- Results timeline
- 30-minute onset; up to ~36-hour effect window per dose
Designed around your schedule
Consults are short
Initial visits are typically 45–60 minutes. Many participating clinics waive the fee for new patients.
Telehealth follow-ups
Where state regulations allow, follow-up visits are conducted via telehealth — no extra drive time.
Medication shipped
Prescriptions ship directly from a 503B-licensed pharmacy to your door. No standing in line.
Quarterly check-ins
Real follow-up at six and twelve weeks, then quarterly. Not constant visits, not zero visits.
Network providers
34 certified physicians offer Tadalafil (Cialis).
Every provider in the network is board-certified and credentialed.
Brandon Crandall, NP
Men's Health / Erectile Dysfunction · Syracuse, NY
Candace Remington, NP
Men's Health / Erectile Dysfunction · Tampa, FL
Deb Gross, NP
Men's Health / Erectile Dysfunction · Centralia, WA
Dr. Adriana Rosales, MD
Men's Health / Erectile Dysfunction · Seattle, WA
Dr. Aleix Bazzi, MD
Men's Health / Erectile Dysfunction · Beverly Hills, CA
Dr. Amit Grover, MD
Men's Health / Erectile Dysfunction · Seattle, WA
Dr. Ashish Bhavsar, MD
Men's Health / Erectile Dysfunction · Orange County, CA
Dr. Bona Lee, MD
Men's Health / Erectile Dysfunction · Dallas, TX
Dr. Brad Sellers, DO
Men's Health / Erectile Dysfunction · Dallas, TX
Patient reviews — Tadalafil (Cialis)
★★★★★5.0from 1 review
James R.
★★★★★Phoenix, AZ · Nov 2024
Daily low-dose tadalafil has been a game-changer. No planning, no timing around meals. Wish I'd known about this protocol sooner.
Source: Internal Sample · Verified
Where to get it
Available in 23 cities.
Pick your metro to see the local clinics, providers, and booking options.
- Beverly Hills, CA2 clinics2 providers
- Dallas, TX2 clinics4 providers
- New York, NY2 clinics2 providers
- Orange County, CA2 clinics2 providers
- Syracuse, NY2 clinics2 providers
- Tampa, FL2 clinics3 providers
- Albany, NY1 clinic1 provider
- Albuquerque, NM1 clinic1 provider
- Boca Raton, FL1 clinic2 providers
- Burlington, ON1 clinic1 provider
- Centralia, WA1 clinic1 provider
- Cleveland, OH1 clinic1 provider
How they compare
Sildenafil vs Tadalafil
| Mechanism | PDE5 inhibitor — enhances blood flow to the penis via the nitric-oxide pathway | PDE5 inhibitor — same mechanism as sildenafil |
|---|---|---|
| Half-life | ~4 hours | ~17.5 hours |
| Onset | 30–60 minutes | 30 minutes to 2 hours |
| Dosing | 25–100 mg, ~1 hr before sex | 10–20 mg as-needed, or 2.5–5 mg daily |
| Food interaction | Fatty meals delay onset | Minimal |
| Daily-dose option | No | Yes — often best for situational ED or BPH overlap |
| Common side effects | Headache, flushing, nasal congestion, blue-tinted vision | Headache, back pain, muscle aches |
| Best for | Planned, single-event use | Spontaneity, BPH overlap, daily use |
| Typical price (generic) | ~$2–6 per dose | ~$2–8 per dose; daily ~$30–60/month |
What sets us apart
Real physicians. Real labs. Real follow-up.
GentsMed is a network of board-certified physicians held to a single clinical standard — built to replace the cash-pay men's-health mills with actual medicine.
- Board-certified physicians.
- Every provider is licensed, NPI-verified, and credentialed by the GentsMed or Urosculpt certification board — no nurse-only prescribers, no offshore consults.
- A single clinical standard.
- Whether you see a urologist in Tampa or a dermatologist in New York, the protocol meets the same criteria.
- Labs-driven, not guess-driven.
- No prescriptions without baseline labs. No cookie-cutter dosing. Quarterly bloodwork is built into the plan.
- Real follow-up.
- Not a 'set it and forget it' Rx mill. Every protocol includes structured follow-up at 6 and 12 weeks, then quarterly.
- Transparent pricing.
- Starting-from prices where we have them, honest "consult for pricing" where we don't. No surprise bills.
- Your records stay with your physician.
- GentsMed is the network. We do not store your PHI. Your clinical data lives with your treating physician, where it belongs.
Frequently asked questions
References
- Burnett AL, et al. Erectile Dysfunction: AUA Guideline. J Urol. 2018;200(3):633–641.(AUA)
- Brock GB, et al. Efficacy and safety of tadalafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. J Urol. 2002;168(4 Pt 1):1332–1336.(PubMed)
- Porst H, et al. Efficacy of tadalafil once daily in men with erectile dysfunction. J Sex Med. 2008;5(9):2160–2169.(PubMed)
- FDA label: Cialis (tadalafil) tablets.(FDA)
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