What Are the Reviews of Cialis?

Cialis reviewed by users and against other treatments
Last reviewed: 07 Mar 2019
Cialis improves erections in around 81% of men with less than 1% experiencing side effects
Cialis has a 4.5 star TrustPilot rating if bought through Zava
Viagra and Cialis are both very effective, but Viagra may be slightly more effective
Cialis lasts far longer than other erectile dysfunction medication
Please check your spelling or try another treatment name.

Cialis is a well-known and popular treatment for erectile dysfunction. Although it’s popular, there’s more to look at with reviews of Cialis to decide if it’s a good choice.

There are things to consider like how effective it is, how long it works for, what the side effects might be, whether there are daily or generic options, and so on. Make sure you’ve covered all the key points before you pick Cialis as your treatment.

What do reviews of Cialis show?

Cialis has been shown to improve erections in up to 81% of men who try it.

Review of side effects of Cialis – major side effects can occur in less than 1% of men. The risk of experiencing them increases with higher dosages. Side effects are usually mild to moderate and disappear within a few days or weeks after you start treatment. Common side effects are:

Headache – the majority of headaches that men may experience with once-a-day dosing are usually within the first 10 to 30 days of treatment
Indigestion
Back pain
Muscle pain
Flushing
Nasal congestion

Clinical reviews – Cialis has been proven to be safe in many large clinical trials and has been licensed in the UK for 15 years.

What are the pros and cons?

As with all medicines there are both advantages and disadvantages to taking them. There are a number of pros in taking Cialis, but you should consider both the pros and cons before deciding.

It is a safe and established treatment for ED
Is available in four different dosages (2.5mg, 5mg, 10mg or 20mg)
It works fast, often within 20 to 30 minutes
You can take it daily or when needed for ED
It is the longest acting PDE-5 inhibitor with effects lasting between 17 – 36 hours.
Food does not affect the activity of Cialis
Cialis has a comparable effectiveness to Viagra, which is the most established treatment of ED.
Tadalafil is available on prescription as a cheaper generic alternative to Cialis

It’s only available on prescription, whereas a 50mg dosage of Viagra has recently been made available over the counter – called Viagra Connect
Because it lasts longer, it may have the potential to cause more side effects and drug interactions
It may have a higher incidence of side effects such as muscle or back pain, but the incidence of other side effects may be lower
As with other PDE-5 inhibitors, too much alcohol may cause dizziness and low blood pressure

How does Cialis compare against other treatments?

Other PDE-5 inhibitors – all PDE-5 inhibitors work in the same way but there are small differences between them in how long their effect lasts, their effectiveness and side effects. These differences can help you decide if Cialis is suitable for you and your lifestyle:

Duration – one of the biggest advantages of Cialis is that it has the longest duration of action in comparison to the other PDE-5 inhibitors. This allows for you to be more spontaneous in having sex as you have a larger window of opportunity in which to attempt it. Cialis is sometimes called the ‘weekend pill’ because of its long duration of action
Effectiveness – Viagra and Cialis have a similar reported effectiveness. Viagra has a slightly higher reported effectiveness of up to 84%, but this is still comparable to Cialis. Levitra is reported to be up to 65% and avanafil is up to 59%. Viagra and Levitra last for 4 to 5 hours and avanafil for 17 to 36 hours
Daily option – Cialis can be prescribed once daily or when needed before sex, whereas the other PDE-5 inhibitors are licensed for when needed. Dosages for once daily use are either 2.5mg or 5mg and are usually prescribed if you plan to have sex more than twice a week
Effect of food – the activity of Cialis is not affected by food, whereas the activity of the other PDE-5 inhibitors is affected, especially after high fat meals
Time to take effect – Cialis and Spedra tend to start working more quickly than Viagra or Levitra, which means that you do not have to plan sex as long in advance

Other medications – other medicines that work in a different way to PDE-5 inhibitors to treat ED are:

Alprostadil – available as a cream or injection. Alprostadil is prescribed as a second-line treatment for ED and can also be used to diagnose it. Its effectiveness is between 70 to 80%. Alprostadil is not intended to be used with other medications for ED, although there have been some clinical studies of using it as a combination therapy
Aviptadil with Phentolamine mesilate – available as an injection. Aviptadil with phentolamine mesilate is usually prescribed as a third-line treatment in men who have not responded to PDE-5 inhibitors or alprostadil. Response rates range between 66% to 75%. It only works for up to an hour, which is much shorter in comparison to Cialis

Lifestyle changes – ED usually responds well to a combination of lifestyle changes and medication. If applicable, it is important for you to lose weight, to quit smoking, avoid excess alcohol and to exercise regularly. Realistically, lifestyle changes happen over a longer period of time. They help manage ED and other conditions that can contribute to ED such as heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Medicines such as Cialis are taken to dramatically improve symptoms in the short term and should be used alongside lifestyle changes for the best effect.

Counselling – emotional problems can also cause ED and can be treated successfully with counselling, sex therapy or CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy). There is usually a long wait for these services on the NHS but you can pay privately to see a therapist. Cialis is available on the NHS and privately. Response to counselling is over a longer period of time in comparison to taking medicines. Although, medicines such as Cialis can offer short term treatment, it is important to address any underlying emotional causes.

Devices – vacuum pumps (penis pumps) work by encouraging blood flow to the penis. Studies indicate that they are between 50 – 80% effective. The pump works for around 30 minutes so it has a much shorter duration of action in comparison to Cialis. They are not readily available on the NHS but do still speak to your doctor if you think a pump might be right for you. Some pumps can be available without a prescription, unlike Cialis. There is less risk of side effects in comparison to Cialis and it may be a suitable option if you are unable to take Cialis or prefer a non-drug treatment.

Natural/herbal alternatives – natural or herbal medicines may interact with other medicines prescribed for you. You should always check with your doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to take, especially if you have another medical condition. You should always use registered and licensed herbal medicines, which are identified by the Traditional Herbal Registration scheme (THS) logo or the product licence (PL) number. No herbal alternatives to Cialis have been proven to work and none of them are licensed to treat ED. Natural remedies include:

DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone)
Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng)
L-arginine
Yohimine

What do patient reviews of Cialis show?

TrustPilot scores for Cialis – our service has been rated at 4.5 stars on TrustPilot for men buying Cialis through our online doctor service. This is classed as an ‘excellent’ service by TrustPilot themselves.

A better experience than Viagra? – each man’s experience with Cialis or with any other medicine is unique to them. Cialis is a popular treatment for ED and many preference studies have shown Cialis to be chosen over Viagra. It has received many positive responses, but a minority of men may stop treatment due to side effects.

Men’s partners’ experiences – some studies have been done on the partners response to Cialis. One study indicated that women preferred Cialis over their partners using Viagra because it allowed a more relaxed, satisfying and longer lasting experience.

How was Cialis reviewed for the UK market?

In the UK, Cialis was approved for introduction in 2003 – it followed the popular ED medicine, Viagra which is manufactured by Pfizer. Eli Lilly’s patent for Cialis expired on 14th November 2017, allowing other manufacturers to market the generic version, Tadalafil, at a lower price.

It was originally invented for prostate treatment – Cialis was first discovered by GlaxoSmithKline, but it was Eli Lilly who obtained the patent and began bringing it to the market. Cialis was originally developed to help relieve symptoms of men with enlarged prostates but it was found to also help with improving blood flow to the penis and was suitable for treating ED.

NHS approval – the NHS does approve of Cialis treatment but it is not readily accessible for most people. The first line treatment for ED on the NHS is currently sildenafil, which is the generic version of Viagra. You may be able to obtain a prescription provided you meet all the criteria that the NHS sets out for treatment.

Plans to get Cialis reviewed for over the counter treatment – Eli Lilly have announced plans to make Cialis available OTC this year, but currently there is no further information from the regulatory authorities.

How to decide whether to try Cialis?

What to consider – Cialis is a popular treatment for ED but there are factors which you should consider before deciding on Cialis, such as:

Whether you want to try it as a daily dosage or when needed
How often you have sex
How quickly it works
Its long duration of action compared to other PDE-5 inhibitors

Making sure Cialis is right for you – you would need to get checked by a doctor to see if you are suitable for Cialis treatment. This includes if you are taking other medicines or have other medical conditions.

How to get checked for Cialis online – you can use our approved online doctor service to get assessed for treatment by following these steps:

Fill out a simple questionnaire
Make a request of your medication
Your questionnaire is checked by one of our doctors. If you are suitable they will approve your order
Your medication will then be delivered to you discreetly

Choosing branded or generic – both the generic version, tadalafil and the common branded version, Cialis are medically identical. The main difference is in the price and the manufacturer. Tadalafil is now much cheaper in comparison to the branded Cialis since its patent expired last year. It is always important to obtain either version from trusted, approved pharmacies.

Long-term treatment – medication such as Cialis, can be used to help treat your problem over a shorter period of time. It is a quick and reliable method of treatment and improves your quality of life. A healthy lifestyle should always be adopted alongside any drug treatment for the best results.
Dr Nicholas Antonakopoulos graduated from the University of London in 2006. He did his postgraduate training in hospitals in the London area, and he trained for four years in Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery before completing his training in General practice in 2015.

Last reviewed: 07 Mar 2019
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