How long does tadalafil last?

Tadalafil / Cialis, can be effective for up to 36 hours after taking it.¹ This means it can still improve your erection and your ability to have sex for nearly 3 days. Sexual stimulation is still required for an erection to occur however.

Sildenafil works a little differently, and we cover this in how long sildenafil lasts.

What "up to 36 hours" actually means

It doesn't mean you will have a 36 hour erection! It simply means that it can improve your erections WHEN you are sexually aroused. Tadalafil will not have any effect at all unless you are sexually aroused.²

Because of this long lasting effect, Cialis is sometimes called "the weekend pill". You cane take it on Friday, and it be effective through to Sunday night.

For most men it will work within 30 minutes of taking it. So aim to take your dosage at least 30 minutes before sex.

The amount in your blood will be at its peak about two hours after taking your dose, but some men will respond sooner than that. You may find it can work as soon as 16 minutes after a dose.²

This of course applies to Cialis too, which is just the brand name for Tadalafil. ⁵ You can read more on Cialis in our comparison of Cialis and generic tadalafil.

No. Both strengths will last for up to 36 hours.⁴ The usual starting dose is one 10mg tablet before sex, and your doctor can raise it to 20mg if that isn't effective for you.⁴ The higher dose is about how strong the effect is, not how long it lasts.

A bigger dose can bring more side effects however. Headache, indigestion, back pain and muscle pain all become more common as the dose goes up.² If 10mg works for you, you should not move up to 20mg.

It will stay in your system after the 36 hours window, but at lower levels.

The maximum dosage is once a day if you are taking a low dose (2.5mg or 5mg). However, the 10mg and 20mg tablets are meant for use before sex, and are not recommended for taking every day.²

If you expect to need a tablet at least twice a week, ask your prescriber about the daily dose instead.⁶ You can then take it at about the same time every day.⁶ You can also read about daily tadalafil compared with as-needed tablets.

If you take the daily tablet

In this case, you shuold expect that Tadalafil is effect 24/7. There is no 36 hour window to plan around, because the level in your blood should be steady all week.

It can take about five days of daily tablets before you reach the level of Tadalafil in your blood that will remain effective.⁶

Remember, Tadalafil does nothing without sexual stimulation.³ You and your partner will still need foreplay, just as you would without a medicine for erection problems.¹ It can sometimes take several attempts on different occasions before it works. That is more likely if it has been a long time since you could get or keep an erection.⁷

Taking an additional dose will not help improve the chances, ⁷ and an extra dose can be dangerous.⁸

If the treatment has not worked after a few attempts, go back to your GP. They may then recommend a dosage increase if you are not on the highest dose, or a different ED treatment. You can also read more about what to do if your ED medication is not working.

Grapefruit juice can impact it's effectiveness, so avoid this while you are taking tadalafil.⁸ It may affect how well the tablet works.¹

Food does not change how much tadalafil you absorb or how fast you absorb it.² You can take it with a meal or without one.

Never take tadalafil with a nitrate medicine in any form. This includes the spray or tablets used for chest pain.² Tell us on your assessment if you use one.

The risk lasts longer than a day. It was still present more than 24 hours after a dose, and had gone by 48 hours.² Where nitrate treatment is needed, at least 48 hours must have passed since your last tadalafil tablet.²

Also tell your GP if you take doxazosin, as taking it with tadalafil can lower your blood pressure further.²

Poppers are a nitrate too. Taking them, or drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines or ecstasy, with tadalafil raises your risk of serious side effects.⁸ Do not use them while you are taking Cialis or generic Tadalafil.

Stop taking tadalafil and get medical help straight away if any of these happen.¹

• An erection that lasts continuously for more than four hours. Contact a doctor immediately.¹²
• Chest pain. Do not use a nitrate to treat it, and get immediate medical help.¹
• Sudden loss of vision, or vision that becomes distorted, dimmed or blurred.
• An allergic reaction, including a rash.
• Sudden or decreased hearing loss. Stop the tablet and contact a doctor immediately.¹

• Tadalafil can be effective for up to 36 hours,
• You will still need sexual stimulation to achieve an erection

• Get medical help straight away for an erection lasting more than four hours.