What Are the Side Effects of Common ED Meds?

August 3, 2021

What Are the Side Effects of ED Meds?

Sildenafil and Tadalafil have been around since 2017 and both erectile dysfunction treatments have their ups and downs, along with different outcomes for different people; everyone’s body is different. For those who may not know, Tadalafil is the generic form of Cialis. Whereas Sildenafil is the generic form of Viagra. One thing to know is that there is no chemical difference between the generic drugs and their brand name versions.

It’s important to note that if you are taking either drug and begin to feel symptoms such as chest pain, dizziness, or nausea, or have an erection lasting four or more hours to stop taking the drug and seek medical help immediately. Common side effects of Sildenafil include: headaches, nasal congestion, nausea, dizziness, rash, urinary tract infections, diarrhea, an inability to differentiate between green and blue, facial flushing, and stomach pain. About 15% of people who take this drug will experience one or more side effects. Common side effects of Tadalafil include: headaches, upset stomach, diarrhea, facial flushing, flu-like symptoms, nausea, low blood pressure, blurred vision, changes in visual colors, and abnormal ejaculation. Depending on the severity of the side effects, your doctor may increase or decrease your recommended dosage.

What other drugs can interact with Tadalafil and Sildenafil?

Sildenafil increases the effects of blood pressure lowering medications, this includes the blood pressure lowering effects of nitrates. Drugs like this include Isordil (isosorbide dinitrate), imdur, ismo, monoket (isosorbide mononitrate), Nitro-Dur, Transderm-Nitro (nitroglycerin). Drugs that are primarily used for treating angina. If you are taking any of these medications you should not take Sildenafil. Also, some medications can cause increases in the amount of Sildenafil within the body. Drugs like this include: Tagamet (cimetidine), Nizoral (ketoconazole), Erythromycin, Sporanox (itraconazole), Reyataz (atazanavir), Posicor (mibefradil). People taking any of these drugs should be cautious when taking Sildenafil. Lastly, Rifampin is known to decrease the levels of Sildenafil within the blood which will most likely reduce its effectiveness.

Tadalafil, like Sildenafil, also increases the lowering of blood pressure caused by nitrates. Drugs such as Isordil (isosorbide dinitrate), imdur, ismo, monoket (isosorbide mononitrate), Nitro-Dur, Transderm-Nitro (nitroglycerin). Do not take Tadalafil if you are taking any of the above or any nitrates, this could result in heart pain and even heart attacks. Drugs such as Rifampin, Tegretol, Tegretol XR, Equerto, Carbatrol, (carbamazepine), Dilantin, Dilantin-125 (phenytoin), and Phenobarbital can decrease the amount of Tadalafil in your blood, reducing its effectiveness. Certain drugs can cause a decrease in the breakdown, and thus elimination of Tadalafil from the body. If taking any of the below drugs, it’s important to reduce the amount of Tadalafil taken to avoid having your levels of Tadalafil becoming too high. These drugs include Nizoral (ketoconazole), Erythromycin, Sporanox (itraconazole), Crixivan (indinavir), and Norvir (ritonavir). If you are on alpha-blockers, which are primarily used for treating enlarged prostate (BPH) and high blood pressure, it is not recommended that you take Tadalafil. However, if you do, it’s important to start at the lowest dose. This is because Tadalafil will further affect the blood pressure lowering effects of these drugs, such as Hytrin (terazosin). Lastly, both Tadalafil and alcohol lower your blood pressure. Because of this, certain symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, and increased heart rate may be exaggerated by drinking alcohol while taking Tadalafil, and isn’t recommended. It is also important that you do not combine any ED medications with each other (these include all other PDE5 inhibitors) such as vardenafil, levitral, tadalafil, sildenafil, cialis, viagra, avanafil, etc, except on the order of a Doctor and Pharmacist.