Before Taking Generic Cialis – Warnings, Precautions, Contraindications

Tadalafil safety points to consider

Tadalafil, the active component of Cialis, is a prescription substance – and for a good reason. You will probably read it on any reliable resource dedicated to healthcare: do not take prescription drugs without talking to your doctor first. Why is this so important?

First of all, tadalafil, like any other kind of drug affecting the important systems of your body, has several contraindications. They are specified in the manufacturer’s insert, or they can be communicated to you by a doctor or a pharmacist. The problem is that you might have health conditions whose symptoms you are not experiencing. Taking tadalafil might aggravate those conditions. This is why a visit to a doctor’s office is important before taking tadalafil.

In the paragraphs below, we will enumerate the list of conditions that are incompatible with the use of tadalafil, as well as other drugs that are not supposed to be taken at the same time with Cialis.

Health conditions that can prevent you from using tadalafil

When you start a discussion about taking tadalafil pills with your doctor, he or she will ask you about your medical history, which is your past and current diseases. We cannot stress enough how important it is to be accurate when communicating those to your prescriber. Here are the conditions that need to be paid special attention to:

1. Diseases of heart, including a stroke, experienced less than 6 months ago
2. Diseases of blood cells, such as leukemia, sickle cell disease, or predisposition to bleeding and internal hemorrhages
3. A deformity of the penis you were born with or acquired as a result of Peyronie's disease
4. Liver disease
5. Kidney disease
6. Ulcerative diseases of stomach or duodenum
7. Problems with blood pressure, whether it is too high or too low
8. NAION (Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy, which is a disease of the eye), retinitis pigmentosa (another eye disease, which is inherited), and angular glaucoma
9. hypersensitivity to tadalafil

Drugs you cannot take tadalafil alongside with

Tadalafil, like other drugs in its class, is a hypotensive agent. This means that its use can cause a drop in blood pressure. Now, if you have no problems with your blood pressure, the drug will not affect you in any harmful way. But if you have a condition that requires taking blood pressure drugs, their use can interfere dangerously with the use of tadalafil.

Some of the drugs that can affect your blood pressure are:

• Nitrates used for heart disease and associated chest pain (glyceryl trinitrate, isosorbide dinitrate and isosorbide mononitrate)
• Angiogenesis inhibitors used to prevent cancer growth (e.g. axitinib, everolimus, ramucirumab)
• Ephedra and some other herbal-based drugs
• Fitness food supplements based on testosterone
• Corticosteroids (e.g. prednisone, triamcinolone, bethamethasone)
• OTC drugs used to relieve the symptoms of cold or asthma
• Alcohol

Certain other substances can increase toxicity of tadalafil, since they are metabolized by the same liver enzyme CYP3A4. These are the combinations that you should look out for:

• Antiretroviral drugs used in HIV/AIDS (e.g. Ritonavir, abacavir, stavudine)
• Drugs used to treat fungal infections (e.g. ketoconazole, clotrimazole, econazole, fluconazole)
• Some antibiotics (e.g. Clarithromycin, erythromycin)
• Grapefruit

Note: Tadalafil and alcohol are a controversial mix. The developer of Cialis points out that alcohol does not affect the efficacy of tadalafil. At the same time, taking tadalafil and alcohol together will intensify the side effects of both: dizziness, headache and a drop in bloo pressure may occur. It is recommended to be moderate even if you absolutely have to drink some alcohol and take Cialis at the same time, but we suggest that you avoid this combination altogether. Alcohol is not the best companion for sexual potency, even if it increases libido and takes away inhibitions.

What should I do if I cannot take tadalafil?

If any of the above makes it unsafe for you to take tadalafil, your doctor may consider appointing another solution. For instance, if you have an allergy to tadalafil, a milder PDE5 inhibitor like vardenafil may be recommended. If oral therapy is not recommended in your case as such, you may benefit from natural solutions like yohimbine or arginine. Another possible ED solution could be a penile pump, injectable drugs, or surgery. However, you should always start by introducing some changes to your lifestyle to improve your erectile function: quit smoking, get more physically active, and improve your eating habits. With or without oral drugs, these small changes will bring big sexual health results down the road!