- LegitScript Certified
- US-licensed pharmacy
- Ships in 3 to 5 days
Common questions
Tadalafil
Up to 36 hours in your system, at either strength.
Tadalafil's 17.5-hour half-life gives this dose a window of activity that can run up to 36 hours, in 10mg or 20mg. A board-certified physician confirms the strength that's clinically appropriate for you before it ships.
- Up to 36 hour window
- Works with food
- Take as needed
- Oral tablet
Strength
Doses per month
A licensed provider confirms or adjusts your strength after reviewing the required post-purchase intake.
Purchase type
Save 10% today and on every refill. Auto-renews at your selected cadence, pause or cancel anytime.
Cadence
Strength set by your provider. They confirm the right strength and dose after reviewing your required post-purchase intake.
Payment does not guarantee a prescription. Complete the required pharmacist intake after purchase.
What's included
- ✓Medication and supplies
- ✓Provider visit and unlimited follow-ups
- ✓Free expedited shipping
Pause, change, or cancel anytime from your account.
After checkout you complete a short medical review in your member portal, and a US-licensed provider reviews it before any tadalafil ships.
One dose, up to 36 hours
Tadalafil has a long half-life, so a single as-needed dose can keep you covered for up to a day and a half. Intimacy does not have to be timed to the minute.
Works with or without food
Unlike sildenafil, tadalafil absorption is not affected by meals, so a heavy dinner will not change how it works.
The active ingredient in Cialis
Tadalafil is the same active ingredient found in branded Cialis, compounded by a US-licensed pharmacy at 10 mg or 20 mg.
A provider reviews you first
A US-licensed provider checks your health history and heart risks before prescribing. Real pricing, shown up front.
About Tadalafil
Tadalafil works through the same PDE5 mechanism as sildenafil, but its pharmacokinetics differ in one important way: a half-life of roughly 17.5 hours, compared with a few hours for sildenafil, which is what stretches its window of activity out to as long as 36 hours at either strength. Like every PDE5 inhibitor, tadalafil requires sexual arousal to work, so the extended window changes how long the option stays available in your system, not whether stimulation is still necessary. 20mg delivers more active drug than 10mg for people who need a stronger response, and clinical evidence shows no benefit from exceeding 20mg on an as-needed basis.
- Roughly 36 hours of coverage from one dose, well beyond sildenafil's four-to-six-hour range
- Absorption unaffected by meal timing, unlike sildenafil
- 20mg available in your file if 10mg doesn't produce enough of a response, with no benefit past it
- Approved by the FDA in 2003, extending the PDE5 inhibitor class beyond sildenafil alone
- Scheduling flexibility for people who'd rather not plan around one fixed hour
Arousal releases nitric oxide
Sexual stimulation signals the release of nitric oxide, which raises cGMP in the smooth muscle of the penis.
Tadalafil blocks the PDE5 enzyme
PDE5 normally breaks cGMP down. Tadalafil inhibits it, and its long half-life keeps levels up for many hours.
Smooth muscle relaxes, blood flows in
The vessels widen and blood fills the erectile tissue, supporting a firmer erection.
More blood flow during arousal across a long window, and sexual stimulation is still required.
How to get it
Today
Answer a few health questions
Complete a short online visit about your health, heart history, and the medications you take.
Next
A provider reviews
A US-licensed provider reviews your history and prescribes tadalafil if it is appropriate for you.
3 to 5 days
The pharmacy ships free
A US-licensed pharmacy compounds your dose and ships it free in discreet packaging.
Ongoing
Adjust with follow-ups
Message your care team anytime, and your provider can move you between 10 mg and 20 mg based on how you respond.
What the research shows
Tadalafil has been evaluated in randomized controlled trials for erectile dysfunction, including its long duration of action. Here is what that research found.
81% versus 35%
of men reported improved erections on tadalafil compared with placebo in pooled randomized trials.
Brock et al., J Urol 2002
Effective at 36 hours
about 59 percent of attempts succeeded a day and a half after a single dose, versus 28 percent on placebo.
Porst et al., Urology 2003
As needed, by mouth
An oral tablet taken ahead of time and unaffected by food, with no injections or in-office visits required.
References
- Brock GB, et al. Efficacy and safety of tadalafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction: results of integrated analyses. J Urol. 2002;168(4 Pt 1):1332-1336.
- Porst H, et al. Efficacy of tadalafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction at 24 and 36 hours after dosing: a randomized controlled trial. Urology. 2003;62(1):121-125.
Tadalafil as needed or Tadalafil daily
Two ways to take tadalafil
| Tadalafil as needed | Tadalafil daily | |
|---|---|---|
| How you take it | A dose before intimacy | One low dose every day |
| Spontaneity | Up to a 36 hour window | Always ready, no timing |
| Strength | 10 mg or 20 mg | 2.5 mg or 5 mg |
| If sex is infrequent | Only take it when you want it | Taken every day regardless |
| If sex is frequent | Redose to stay covered | Steady coverage without planning |
| Active ingredient | Same as branded Cialis | Same as branded Cialis for daily use |
What to expect
Onset typically falls between thirty and sixty minutes, with concentration peaking around the two-hour mark, later than sildenafil's roughly one-hour peak, the same timeline at 10mg or 20mg. Unlike sildenafil, absorption isn't meaningfully affected by food, so timing doesn't depend on when you last ate. From there, the effect can persist for up to 36 hours, which is why some clinicians describe it as extended-coverage dosing rather than single-event dosing. 20mg is generally reserved for people whose response to 10mg wasn't strong enough, and the documented side-effect profile can run somewhat more pronounced at that dose: nasal congestion, muscle or back aches, indigestion, flushing, and headache.
- 30 to 60 minutes
It takes effect
Take one tablet ahead of intimacy, and food does not need to be timed around it.
- 2 to 24 hours
Your window opens
Tadalafil stays effective across a long window, so intimacy does not have to be scheduled tightly.
- Up to 36 hours
Still covered
A single dose can remain effective up to a day and a half later, with arousal still required.
- After a few tries
Dial in your dose
Your provider can adjust between 10 mg and 20 mg based on how you respond.
Safety and side effects
Nitrates and alpha-blockers are both absolute contraindications with tadalafil at either strength; combining either can send your blood pressure to unsafe lows. Your provider also checks for cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled blood pressure, and liver or kidney impairment before prescribing, since reduced organ function changes how tadalafil clears from your body. Side effects can run somewhat more pronounced at 20mg than at 10mg.
Common
- Headache
- Flushing
- Indigestion
- Back pain or muscle aches
Less common
- Nasal congestion
- Changes in vision
- Dizziness
Seek care
- An erection lasting more than four hours, called priapism, which needs emergency care
- Sudden loss of vision or hearing, or chest pain, seek care right away
This is not a complete list of side effects. Never take tadalafil with nitrate medications such as nitroglycerin, or with recreational poppers, because the combination can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure. Tell your provider about alpha-blockers, heart conditions, and every medication you take. Tadalafil is not for use by women or by anyone under 18.
Frequently asked questions
Other sexual health options
Approval is never automatic.
An independent US-licensed clinician reviews every request. If they decide the treatment is not right for you, you get a full refund for the medication.
Prescriptions are filled by a US-licensed pharmacy and shipped free, in discreet packaging, on every plan.
LegitScript-certified · Cert 50087439
Compounded medications are prepared by a US-licensed pharmacy and are not reviewed by the FDA for safety or effectiveness. Products are dispensed only after a licensed provider determines they are appropriate. Information here is educational and is not a substitute for medical advice.