Statement: The content of this article is written by quoting authoritative medical information combined with personal opinions, the source of the literature and screenshots have been marked in the text, in order to facilitate everyone's reading and understanding, some of the storylines have fictional components, which are intended to popularize scientific health knowledge, please be aware.
Xiao Jun is a typical erectile dysfunction patient, and like many men, as the pressure of work increases and the pace of life increases, he gradually realizes that his sex life is not as good as before.
After some psychological struggle, Xiaojun decided to try medication.
On the recommendation of a friend, he chose tadalafil, and he was pleasantly surprised by the "easy experience" brought by this drug, compared with some short-acting drugs that need to be taken in advance every time, the long-term mechanism of tadalafil makes him feel a lot more worry-free, and a single medication can last for 48 hours.
He no longer needs to take frequent medications, and this convenience has greatly improved his confidence in his sex life.
When it comes to tadalafil, many people may first think of its "long-acting" properties, which can be taken for two days at a time, which makes it unique in the market compared to other similar drugs such as Viagra.
Its long-lasting effect not only reduces the frequency of taking the drug for men, but also gives them more flexibility, but then the question is, does the long-term effect of this drug mean potential health risks?
If tadalafil is administered for two days at a time, will it hurt the body if you eat it often?
Why can tadalafil be "managed for two days"?
We need to understand the concept of the "half-life" of drugs.
The half-life of a drug refers to the time it takes for the concentration of a drug in the body to decrease by half. In general, the longer the half-life, the longer the drug will work in the body. In contrast, the half-life of tadalafil can reach 17.5 hours, which means that the drug can remain active in the body for a longer period of time after taking the drug.
From the perspective of medical mechanism, tadalafil is a phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor.
The PDE5 enzyme, which is mainly found in the corpora cavernosa of the penis, is responsible for breaking down cyclic guanosine monophosphate and is a molecule that causes the smooth muscle of blood vessels to relax, allowing more blood to flow into the penis, thereby producing and maintaining an erection.
Tadalafil indirectly increases the concentration of cyclic guanosine monophosphate by inhibiting the activity of PDE5 and prolongs the relaxation time of smooth muscle, thereby helping patients with erectile dysfunction to achieve and maintain erection.
So, why can tadalafil be administered for two days at a time?
This is mainly due to its unique pharmacokinetic profile.
Compared to sildenafil, another common ED drug, sildenafil, has a shorter half-life of about 4 to 6 hours, which means that it needs to be used at a specific moment. The extended half-life of tadalafil allows the drug to maintain its effective blood concentration in the body for a longer period of time.
Although the peak of the drug's effect after taking the drug is usually between 30 minutes and 6 hours after taking the drug, it can maintain a certain effect for the next 48 hours due to the residual effect of the drug in the body, so it can be "tube for two days".
The long-term use of tadalafil will cause harm to the body, which is a concern for many patients.
Any medication can have side effects, especially if taken for a long time, and while tadalafil is highly effective in treating erectile dysfunction, we cannot ignore the health risks it can bring.
From the perspective of hepatic and renal metabolism, tadalafil is mainly metabolized by the CYP3A4 enzyme in the liver and excreted by the kidneys.
Long-term use of the drug may increase the metabolic burden on the liver and kidneys, especially in patients with impaired liver or kidney function, which may be further exacerbated.
The liver's enzyme system processes drug metabolites, and long-term, high-dose tadalafil use increases the liver's workload, leading to drug accumulation, which can lead to liver damage. Similarly, patients with weakened kidney function may have an increased risk of adverse effects due to untimely drug excretion, resulting in high drug concentrations in the body.
Tadalafil works by dilating blood vessels, which may not be good news for some patients at risk of cardiovascular disease.
Long-term use of tadalafil may worsen pre-existing high or low blood pressure problems and increase the risk of heart attack, especially in people who already have cardiovascular problems or are taking antihypertensive medications.
From the perspective of side effects, the side effects of tadalafil are usually mild, such as headaches, indigestion, back pain, etc., and long-term use may bring more serious problems.
For example, some patients report blurred vision, hearing loss, etc., after long-term use. Although these side effects are rare, they should be taken seriously.
Does eating it hurt my body?
There is no universal definition of "regular eating" here, and generally speaking, if it is taken more than 3-4 times a week, or continuously for more than a month, it may be considered "regular eating".
However, the specific length of treatment and the frequency of medication should be determined according to the actual situation of the patient.
In general, for those with long-term ED problems, the doctor may recommend a low dose of daily consumption, which can reduce the risk of side effects of intermittent use of high doses, and if it is only used occasionally, a single dose of a large dose may be more suitable, all as prescribed.
In conclusion, tadalafil is a relatively safe and effective drug, but it is not suitable for everyone, especially those with cardiovascular disease, liver and kidney insufficiency. When using this medicine, the most important thing is to follow your doctor's advice and use it wisely according to your health condition.
Don't let your guard down because of its long-term effects, increasing the dosage at will or using it frequently may increase the risk of side effects.
This also reminds us that the use of drugs is not only to pursue short-term effects, but more importantly, to ensure long-term health.
Take tadalafil, 2 o'clock to remember
(1) Pay attention to the dosage
In the use of drugs, dosage control is a crucial factor, the dosage of tadalafil is different according to the needs of different patients, and physical conditions, doctors usually give personalized medication plans according to the specific conditions of patients.
There are two common regimens for tadalafil use: on-demand and daily low-dose use.
Use as needed
In this case, people usually don't need to take the medication every day, but take it once before they plan to have sex. The general dose is 10 mg or 20 mg, but the recommended dose should depend on patient tolerance and efficacy.
If a 10 mg dose is sufficient, doctors usually do not recommend an increase in the dose because it does not increase the effectiveness of the drug, but rather increases the risk of side effects.
Use daily in low doses
This method is suitable for patients who need to have frequent sex or who have persistent ED symptoms.
Doctors usually recommend a low dose of 2.5 mg to 5 mg per day, and the advantage of this usage is that patients do not need to plan their medication in advance and can have sex at any time because there are already enough concentrations in the body to maintain the drug's effect.
However, patients often have the misconception that the higher the dose, the better the effect.
In fact, this is a serious mistake, as we mentioned earlier, the effect of tadalafil is mainly achieved by vasodilation, and an overdose will not further enhance the vasodilator effect, but may instead bring more serious side effects such as headache, facial flushing, indigestion, low blood pressure and even syncope.
Behind these side effects is the excessive intervention of the vascular system when the drug is overdosed in the body, resulting in a rapid drop in blood pressure and even cardiovascular complications.
An overdose of tadalafil may also lead to a drug dependence. Long-term use of high doses can lead to an increase in the body's dependence on the drug, and patients may find that the otherwise less severe ED symptoms become more difficult to control after stopping the drug, or even completely fail erectile function without the help of the drug.
Therefore, the rational use of tadalafil and strict adherence to the dosage recommended by the doctor can not only obtain the efficacy of the drug, but also not make the body dependent.
(2) Beware of "contraindicated groups"
In addition to dose control, another key point is to identify the contraindications, for some populations, the use of tadalafil may pose serious health risks and must therefore be avoided.
If you are taking nitrates, it is important to note that these drugs are commonly used to treat heart problems such as angina, and tadalafil, when used with nitrates, can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, which can lead to severe hypotension and shock.
This is because the pharmacological effects of both have the effect of dilating blood vessels, which, when combined, can excessively lower blood pressure, leading to dangerous cardiovascular complications.
People who have heart disease, heart failure, have recently had a heart attack, or have had a stroke should avoid tadalafil because the drug increases blood flow through vasodilator, which can cause additional stress for people who already have a heavy heart load, increasing the risk of heart recurrence or other cardiovascular events.
In patients with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic disease of the eye, the patient's retina is particularly sensitive to drugs, and the use of tadalafil may aggravate vision problems, and even lead to permanent vision loss in some extreme cases.
For these contraindicated, unauthorized use of tadalafil may pose unforeseen health risks, and in severe cases, it may even be life-threatening, and these patients should be especially cautious when choosing drugs for erectile dysfunction and always treat under the guidance of a doctor.
New uses of Viagra for such people can prolong life and reduce the risk of heart disease
In addition to improving erectile function, tadalafil, as well as other PDE5 inhibitors, have previously been found to help increase life expectancy and reduce heart disease risk, according to a study in the Journal of the United States College of Cardiology (JACC):
These drugs have potential benefits for the cardiovascular health of certain populations.
Studies have shown that tadalafil not only dilates blood vessels in the corpora cavernosum of the penis by inhibiting the PDE5 enzyme, but also acts on the vascular system throughout the body, especially in patients with cardiovascular disease, nitric oxide plays an important role in this process.
It is a powerful vasodilator that relaxes the smooth muscles of the blood vessel walls by increasing the production of cGMP, thereby increasing blood flow and reducing vascular resistance.
The core of this study is:
Long-term use of PDE5 inhibitors may help improve cardiac function, reduce the workload of the heart, and reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease, and may be a potential adjuvant therapy for men at high risk of cardiovascular disease.
The findings of this study are encouraging, but we must also be rational.
The main use of PDE5 inhibitors is still for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, while their use in cardiovascular health is still in the research stage.
Any new findings need to be more clinically validated, especially for patients with cardiovascular disease, and it may be unwise to take such drugs haphazardly in the hope of prolonging life or preventing heart disease.
The multiple application potential of drugs is worth exploring, which does not mean that everyone can use drugs for non-therapeutic purposes at will, we should follow a scientific and rational attitude, use drugs under the guidance of doctors, and ensure the safety and effectiveness of drugs.
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Bibliography:
Application and safety analysis of tadalafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction[J]. Chinese Journal of Andrology, 2019, 25(3): 45-50.
Pharmacokinetics and clinical application of tadalafil, a long-acting PDE5 inhibitor[J]. Modern Medicine and Clinical Medicine, 2020, 35(8): 112-117.
Research Progress on the Correlation between PDE5 Inhibitors and Cardiovascular Health[J]. Int J Cardiology, 2021, 29(6): 87-92.