Erectile Dysfunction is currently perceived as one of the most embarrassing, and often outright shameful conditions a man can fall victim to. In fact, many men outright refuse to seek medical attention when faced with erectile dysfunction. Perhaps this is precisely why oral treatments of the disease have garnered so much fame. They propose an easy solution to a difficult and embarrassing problem. The two most well-known competitors in this market are Viagra and Cialis. Some patients find the choice between the two to be rather difficult. After all, Viagra has a long-standing positive reputation, while Cialis is currently regarded as more effective, safer and generally more advanced. But which of the two is actually better. Read on and decide.
First of all one should keep in mind that Viagra in many ways owes its fame to the fact that it was the first consistently effective, orally taken erectile dysfunction drug that appeared on the market. Viagra was launched in 1998, and the first notable competitors (Levitra and Cialis) appeared only in 2003. Thus Viagra has enjoyed a monopoly position for a minimum of five years. This has lead to Viagra becoming the default ED medicine in the minds of people.
When it comes to mechanism of action, both drugs belong to the “PDE-5 inhibitor” family and work in an identical manner, though they use different active components – Sildenafil citrate for Viagra, Tadalafil for Cialis.
While both substances work according to the same principles, there are certain differences. Tadalafil is more chemically active and a smaller amount of it is required to achieve a noticeable effect, yet overdose effects may be stronger. Viagra comes in tablets with 25, 50, 100, and 150 mg of Sildenafil, Cialis comes in tablets with 5, 10, and 20 mg of Tadalafil. While average effectiveness for both drugs is around 70%, Cialis has a shorter onset period (less than 30 minutes; Viagra – 30-60 minutes) and greater effect duration (around 36 hours; Viagra – 4 hours).
Due to its long-lasting effect, Cialis became known as “The Weekend Pill” The side effects of both drugs are practically the same, the most common being headache, flushing, and indigestion.
Generally, Cialis is recommended over Viagra due to a more stable and longer effect, but be sure to consult a doctor before considering taking any erectile dysfunction medicine.
My blog: Cialis as an Effective Help against ED.