What CIALIS is and what it is used for
CIALIS contains the active substance tadalafil which belongs to a group of medicines called phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors.
CIALIS 5 mg is used to treat adult men with:
· erectile dysfunction. This is when a man cannot get, or keep a hard, erect penis suitable for sexual activity. CIALIS has been shown to significantly improve the ability of obtaining a hard erect penis suitable for sexual activity.
Following sexual stimulation CIALIS works by helping the blood vessels in your penis to relax, allowing the flow of blood into your penis. The result of this is improved erectile function. CIALIS will not help you if you do not have erectile dysfunction. It is important to note that CIALIS for the treatment of erectile dysfunction does not work if there is no sexual stimulation. You and your partner will need to engage in foreplay, just as you would if you were not taking a medicine for erectile dysfunction.
· urinary symptoms associated with a common condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. This is when the prostate gland gets bigger with age. Symptoms include difficulty in starting to pass water, a feeling of not completely emptying the bladder and a more frequent need to pass water even at night. CIALIS improves blood flow to, and relaxes the muscles of, the prostate and bladder which may reduce symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. CIALIS has been shown to improve these urinary symptoms as early as 1-2 weeks after starting treatment. www.ltcint.org
What you need to know before you take CIALIS
Do not take CIALIS if you:
- are allergic to tadalafil or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
- are taking any form of organic nitrate or nitric oxide donors such as amyl nitrite. This is a group of medicines (“nitrates”) used in the treatment of angina pectoris (“chest pain”). CIALIS has been shown to increase the effects of these medicines. If you are taking any form of nitrate or are unsure tell your doctor.
- have serious heart disease or recently had a heart attack within the last 90 days.
- recently had a stroke within the last 6 months.
- have low blood pressure or uncontrolled high blood pressure.
- ever had loss of vision because of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a condition described as “stroke of the eye”.
- are taking riociguat. This drug is used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (i.e., high blood pressure in the lungs) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (i.e., high blood pressure in the lungs secondary to blood clots). PDE5 inhibitors, such as CIALIS, have been shown to increase the hypotensive effects of this medicine. If you are taking riociguat or are unsure tell your doctor.
Talk to your doctor before taking CIALIS.
Be aware that sexual activity carries a possible risk to patients with heart disease because it puts an extra strain on your heart. If you have a heart problem you should tell your doctor.
Since benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer may have the same symptoms, your doctor will check you for prostate cancer before starting treatment with CIALIS for benign prostatic hyperplasia. CIALIS does not treat prostate cancer.
Before taking the tablets, tell your doctor if you have:
- sickle cell anaemia (an abnormality of red blood cells).
- multiple myeloma (cancer of the bone marrow).
- leukaemia (cancer of the blood cells).
- any deformation of your penis.
- a serious liver problem.
- a severe kidney problem.
It is not known if CIALIS is effective in patients who have had:
- pelvic surgery.
- removal of all or part of the prostate gland in which nerves of the prostate are cut (radical non-nerve-sparing prostatectomy).
If you experience sudden decrease or loss of vision, stop taking CIALIS and contact your doctor immediately.
Decreased or sudden hearing loss has been noted in some patients taking tadalafil. Although it is not known if the event is directly related to tadalafil, if you experience decreased or sudden hearing loss, stop taking CIALIS and contact your doctor immediately.
CIALIS is not intended for use by women.