Viagra or Cialis, Which One Would You Choose?

In today’s world of eternal dissatisfaction, sexual mishappenings are not uncommon. We have about 5 percent of men past the age of 40 experience complete erectile dysfunction, with the number reaching up to about 15 percent by the age of 70. And women too suffer from sexual dysfunction at different stages in their lives, as a result of a variety of stresses, have been observed. And to add to the scenario further, about 50 percent of males in their 50s, 60 percent in their 60s, and so on, experience mild or moderate erectile dysfunction.

Now, we all know what erectile dysfunction, or ED, is. But what do most of us who have been suffering from it do to overcome this kind of incapability? Well, it is common knowledge too. The usage of Cialis and Viagra (the market names of chemicals Tadalafil and Sildenafil, respectively) is commonly and hugely advertised and suggested. 

What, yet, is not common knowledge is the right dosage of either and when to take which one. And that is what we discuss here — the answer to the question “why prefer Cialis to Viagra, or the other way round?”

How These Chemicals Work

To begin with, even though Cialis and Viagra have almost the same function, these are still different chemicals. And no two chemicals are likely to elicit exactly the same response from the human body. If only to name it, the duration of an erection varies from Cialis to Viagra, even when an equivalent amount of each is administered. 

And then, there’s the information about the active period of a drug and the areas it affects. It’s not only that ‘one’ body part each of these drugs is concerned about. Sildenafil and Tadalafil both inhibit phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5). Thus, both are used in the treatment of impotence (erectile dysfunction, or ED) in men. 

An intake of Tadalafil (sold under the brand name Cialis or even Adcirca) however results in a longer period of penile hardness, which is the ability to obtain an erection, with an effective duration of about 18 hours. And on a further extended note, it has been observed to be effective for almost up to 36 hours too. Sildenafil (or Viagra) however lasts only about 4 or 6 hours.

This effective duration of penile hardness is a game of half-lives. Also based on which the residue of chemicals excreted from our bodies after a particular period. And also according to which a lot of side-effects are defined. And just to name a few, administration of Cialis results in —

• diarrhea,
• nausea,
• flu-like symptoms,
• low blood pressure, and even
• abnormal ejaculation;

• while Viagra could produce —
• stomach ache,
• dizziness,
• rashes,
• urinary tract infections (UTI), and sometimes
• an inability to differentiate between the colors green and blue (an acquired protanopia).

Headaches and blurred vision, however, are also common occurrences. These happen in case of the usage of either of the two drugs and also sometimes with an entirely different drug. Cialis and Viagra work on continued blood circulation to the penis. And help it with an ever-ready erection and a prolonged period before ejaculation.

Still, it’s ‘not just your penis’ that these drugs act upon. As mentioned before, these deal with blood circulation in our bodies. They do so by helping relax the muscles that are found in the walls of blood vessels and increasing blood flow to particular areas of the body. Because of this, both Sildenafil and Tadalafil have proved to be satisfactory enough for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension, besides erectile dysfunction. 

And Tadalafil, on a specific note, has also been approved in the US for also treating the signs and symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) as well as a combination of BPH and erectile dysfunction when the conditions coincide. This is why both of these drugs need official confirmation before administration. 

With alternatives available for BPH and pulmonary arterial hypertension, Cialis and Viagra would be a highly unnecessary bit of ‘chemicals’. If not for all the satisfaction these drugs provide.

How Does Viagra Works?

How Much to Take, and When?

But then, what’s more, necessary than satisfaction? Nothing, indeed! So, with Sildenafil and Tadalafil in mind, what’s rather more important is to be able to choose which or which. To say, while Viagra is a way more popular drug than Cialis, both men and women are now more likely to opt for the latter one — for a lot of reasons, apparently. 

To put up an example, Sildenafil leaves the body more quickly than Tadalafil does. It thus calls for a repeated intake as compared to a considerably less amount of its counterpart. Tadalafil is known for its rather longer effective period.

And then, though Cialis (Tadalafil) is more likely to cause back pain as compared to Viagra (Sildenafil), it seems to cause less nasal congestion. So, stating that a peculiar side effect might prevent a person from taking Sildenafil but not Tadalafil is quite correct. Cialis, thus, is the healthier road to satisfaction, or is it really?

It could be if we followed the dosage in a proper manner. Because an excessive amount could result in an entirely different set of problems. So, to begin with, one must know that Cialis and Viagra, each have their own prescribed dosage. 

It is because of certain differences between them. One of which being, as mentioned already, the effective period of the drugs, and that of Tadalafil being more. Another is if simply put, ‘effectiveness’. The fact that a lesser concentration of Tadalafil is more effective than a considerably increased concentration of Sildenafil.

Then there’s the “when to take” question. Depending again on their effectiveness, a 10 mg dose of Cialis is initially suggested to be taken only before sexual activities. Whereas Viagra should be taken an hour before sex, with the effect lasting for up to 6 hours. Depending on the side effects hence observed, the dosage of Cialis can be altered between 5 and 20 mg, making one last for up to 36 hours. 

Whereas a dosage of 25 to 100 mg is suggested for Viagra. The maximum amount of which being 100 mg. Although a higher dose of Sildenafil is suggested, and it gets absorbed rapidly and so should begin quicker, it is also known to drain out faster, calling for a more regular intake than Tadalafil.

What to Take Care Of?

However, if a person is on certain other drugs too at the same time, he should know that Cialis and Viagra can turn out to be quite hostile in any such condition. For example, a man on a dosage of erythromycin is suggested to reduce the intake of Tadalafil by about 75% — that is, he should go for a 2.5 mg dose instead of 10 mg. Also, Rifampin and certain other drugs tend to reduce the blood levels of Tadalafil. Thus those result in a decreased effectiveness of the chemical.

On the other hand, it should be kept in mind that Sildenafil tends to increase the effectiveness of any blood pressure-lowering drug radically. And also nitrates, which is why patients taking nitrates should not receive Viagra.

Also, Cialis and Viagra also make a woman quickly aroused. It happens as a result of the inhibition of the degradation of cyclic GMP by phosphodiesterase 5. The process ensures that the female genitals do not quickly lose their sensitivity to sexual arousal. 

And although no major concern has been observed in the case of pregnant women, it has been found that Sildenafil produces a rather impressive effect in post-menopausal women. Tadalafil, however, is not entirely approved for women and has not been evaluated in women who are breastfeeding.

A Final Note

Eventually, one must know that both these drugs depend on a lot of factors, which they should be sure about. Only be judicious enough before you choose either of these.

Reference

https://www.healthline.com/health/erectile-dysfunction/cialis-levitra-viagra