Tadalafil tablets for erectile dysfunction
Tadalafil is a prescription-only tablet for erectile dysfunction, and the same active ingredient as Cialis. One dose can work for up to 36 hours, so there's less need to plan around a time.3
From £11.36 a month
Check your eligibility →- CQC registered
- UK-registered clinicians
- Plain, discreet delivery
All content on this page has been medically reviewed by Naeem Teni, Clinical Lead. GPhC 2215591.
What is Tadalafil?
Tadalafil is a prescription-only tablet for erectile dysfunction, and the same active ingredient as Cialis. One dose can work for up to 36 hours, so there's less need to plan around a time.3
A clinician reviews your assessment before anything is prescribed, and is there if you have questions along the way.
How does Tadalafil work?
- Blood flow, not desire. An erection depends on blood flowing into the penis. Tadalafil helps the blood vessels there relax, so more blood can reach where it's needed.3
- It blocks an enzyme called PDE5. PDE5 breaks down the messenger that keeps those vessels open during arousal. Tadalafil slows it, so the effect holds.3
- Why it lasts longer. Tadalafil stays in your body much longer than sildenafil, which is where the 36-hour window comes from.3
- Arousal still has to happen. It won't cause an erection on its own. You still need to be sexually stimulated.
How much does Tadalafil cost?
Your clinician sets the strength. The bigger the pack, the less each one costs.
10mg
20mg
How do I use Tadalafil?
- Take it ahead. At least 30 minutes before sex.3
- Food doesn't matter. Take it with or without a meal.3
- One a day, max. No more than one dose in 24 hours.3
- Or take it daily. A low daily dose is an option if it suits you better.3
Drinking? A lot of alcohol makes erections harder to get, with or without treatment.
How does Tadalafil compare with other options?
Trial figures come from different studies in different men, so they aren't a direct ranking. Your clinician will talk through which suits your routine.
| Compared on | Tadalafil | Tadalafil daily | Sildenafil |
|---|---|---|---|
| In trials | 81% at 20mg1 | Your clinician will talk this through | 82% at 100mg4 |
| Key points | At least 30 minutes before sex Up to 36 hours | A low dose every day No need to plan around sex | About 1 hour before sex A few hours |
| Price | From £11.36 | From £19.32 | From £4.68 |
| Medicine page | This page | View Tadalafil daily → | View Sildenafil → |
Is Tadalafil right for me?
It isn't suitable for everyone. Your assessment covers all of this, and a clinician checks your answers before anything is prescribed.
Usually suitable if
- You're an adult (18 or over) living in the UK.
- You've had trouble getting or keeping an erection often enough that it's bothering you, rather than the odd off night.
- You're happy for a clinician to look at what might be causing it, not just treat the symptom.
- A clinician judges it safe with your health history and anything else you take.
Not suitable if
- You take nitrates (for chest pain or heart conditions), the combination can be dangerous.
- You have certain heart or blood-pressure conditions a clinician will ask about.
- You're allergic to tadalafil or any of its ingredients.
- A clinician decides the possible side effects or risks outweigh the benefit.
Not sure?
Let a clinician check for you
You don't need to work it out yourself. The online assessment asks the right questions, and a UK clinician reviews your answers before anything is prescribed.
Start my assessment →What are the side effects of Tadalafil?
Most side effects are mild and ease with time.3
More common
Usually mild and short-lived
Rare
Get help straight away if
- An erection lasting more than 4 hours. This needs urgent treatment to avoid lasting damage.
- Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes.
- Sudden loss or reduction of hearing, sometimes with ringing or dizziness.
- Chest pain during or after sex. Stop, sit up, and don't use a nitrate spray.
Never with nitrates or poppers. Taking tadalafil with nitrates (for chest pain) or poppers can drop your blood pressure dangerously.3
Tadalafil FAQs
Is Manova a proper clinic, or a website?
Both. We’re a CQC-registered clinic that happens to live online. Every prescription is signed off by a registered clinician, not an algorithm.
Will it turn up in a branded box at my office?
No. Plain brown packaging, no Manova branding, no clue what’s inside. Sent to a home or pickup address, your call.
What if the clinician says no?
Then they say no, and you’re not charged: the hold on your card is released. They might suggest a safer alternative, more tests, or refer you back to your GP. We’d rather lose a customer than push the wrong treatment.
Am I locked into a contract?
No. There’s no contract and no minimum term. Your plan renews monthly (or every 3 or 6 months on a longer plan), and you can cancel it yourself from your account at any time. Once it’s cancelled you won’t be charged again.
How is this different from going to my GP?
It isn’t, really. The same medicines, prescribed by registered clinicians to the same standards. We’re just faster to get hold of, and a lot less awkward to talk to about the things on this page.
Read up on Tadalafil
Vardenafil and avanafil: how they differ from sildenafil and tadalafilFour medicines, one mechanism, and a surprisingly small number of real differences. The ones that exist…Read guide →
Tadalafil daily or on demand: which dosing suits which manTwo ways of taking the same medicine, chosen by how often you need it — and, for some men, by the prostate.Read guide →
Sildenafil and tadalafil: how the two differSame mechanism, quite different practical properties. The differences are in the product information…Read guide →References (4)
- Brock GB, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of tadalafil in men with erectile dysfunction. J Urol. 2002;168:1332–1336.
- Porst H, et al. Tadalafil allows men with erectile dysfunction to have successful intercourse up to 36 hours postdose. Urology. 2003;62(1):121–125.
- Cialis (tadalafil) Summary of Product Characteristics. Electronic Medicines Compendium (EMC).
- Viagra (sildenafil) European Public Assessment Report, scientific discussion. European Medicines Agency.