Sex and Cialis
by David Jay Brown
Cialis (tadalafil) is a pharmaceutical in the same class of drugs as Viagra, and like Viagra, is also prescribed for erectile dysfunction. Cialis is often hailed as a kind of “super-Viagra” because it has a similar success rate to Viagra, but it generally lasts around nine times longer.
Cialis can help men with erectile difficulties achieve erections for up to 36 hours, which allows couples to be much more spontaneous with their sexual intimacy than they can be with Viagra, which only lasts around 4 hours. Also, unlike Viagra, Cialis does not have to be taken on an empty stomach, and it does not cause blueish-tint shifts in color vision like Viagra sometimes does.
Cialis and Viagra actually work by similar mechanisms . Both drugs are known as “PDE5 inhibitors”. This means that they inhibit the effects of an enzyme called “Phosphodiesterase type 5” (PDE5). PDE5 causes erections to droop by degrading another enzyme called “guanosine 5-triphospate” (cGMP), which is triggered by nitric oxide (the primary neurotransmitter responsible for causing erections in men) during sexual arousal.
Nitric Oxide triggers the release of cGMP, which relaxes muscles in the penis and allows blood to flow into the paired erectile chambers (known as the Corpora Cavernosa) that run along the length of the organ. By inhibiting the effects of the enzyme PDE5, as Cialis and Viagra do, one extends the initial penis-stiffening effects of nitric oxide.
Cialis has been the subject of 22 clinical studies with more than 4000 men who suffer from erectile dysfunction. It was found that the erection-enhancing effects of the drug generally last between 24 and 36 hours. Cialis was reported to improve erections in 81% of men who had previously experienced impotence, with 75% of intercourse attempts successful.
The most common side effects reported with Cialis were headaches, back aches, general muscle aches, and an upset stomach. Around 1 in 7 people taking Cialis experienced a headache, and around 1 in 8 experienced dyspepsia (indigestion). The side-effects were usually reported to occur between 12 and 24 hours after taking the drug, and generally went away after a few hours. In studies that were done with Cialis most men reported that the benefits outweighed the side-effects, and the majority of men who experienced the side-effects continued to use the drug.
Cialis is a prescription drug in the United States. Men should not take Cialis if they are taking nitrate medication for angina or alpha-blocking drugs. Also, men who take Cialis should not drink grapefruit juice because it could make side-effects (such as headache and dyspepsia) more likely.
Like Viagra, Cialis only helps to facilitate erections when the man is sexually aroused. However, on rare occurrences erections with Cialis may sometimes last longer than one wishes. If this occurs for more than two or three hours (a painful condition know as “priapism”) one should seek medical attention immediately, as permanent damage to the blood vessels in the penis can occur.