Cialis vs Viagra, which is better?
Nowadays drugs such as Viagra (Sildenafil) by Pfizer Incorporated and Cialis (Tadalafil), fruit of the collaboration between Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Company and YCOS Incorporated, are widely used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). The former entered the market in 1996, while the latter was launched in 2003.
The action mechanism of both drugs produces phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE 5) enzyme inhibition that metabolizes 3`:5`-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP), which is responsible for penis erection. To maintain the necessary GMP level they use a routine method of inhibiting the enzyme that splits GMP.
When comparing Cialis vs Viagra, it turns out that the pharmacokinetics data of these drugs is in favor of Cialis. Thus, the period of Viagra's effective half-life is about 3 - 5 h (depending on a dosage), while that of Cialis is 17.5 h. Viagra is effective to maintain an erection for 4 h, while Cialis (20 mg) works for 36 h.
Cialis vs Viagra do not differ dramatically when it comes to side effects: they are quite similar and include vertigo, headaches, diarrhoea, nausea, symptoms of the flu (a stuffy nose), hot flashes, a backache, a stomach ache, and arthralgia.
Although these side effects were transient and benign, or sometimes moderate, the manufacturers of the Cialis drug noted a decrease of intensity in cases when the drug was taken over a longer period of time. The both drugs are contraindicative in men taking nitro preparations.
While Viagra is the first generation medicine and has been in the market for 5 years, there are some facts against it. In July 2002, Harold Millman, an American toxicologist, published the results of Viagra side effects research in Annals of Pharmacotherapy. When comparing Cialis vs Viagra, it becomes evident that the users of Viagra experienced vertigo, disorientation, amnesia. Twenty-two men (out of 270) suspected that Viagra stimulates aggression, 13 that it provokes violence, and 6 people asserted that taking Viagra had given rise to a strong desire to kill someone. These side effects became evident when the maximum dozes of the drug were taken.
Another source (Illustrated Thesaurus, Sex) pays attention to the incompatibility of Viagra with alcohol. The overdosing of Viagra cost the lives of many pensioners. Among the side effects are neuropsychiatry (high aggression), fatal outcome (more than 1000 cases were registered), and paralysis. It is important that research of Cialis vs Viagra showed that there are no restrictions to taking Cialis with food and alcohol, which facilitates its use and meets the patients' needs in terms of their way of life.
An analysis of the existing facts about the characteristics of Cialis vs Viagra allows us to give preference to the former. Nevertheless, one should not forget that the medicine is new at the pharmaceutical market and some additional information about its pharmacological and other features is inevitable to appear.
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Medicines for Erectile Dysfunction Treatment
A revolutionary event in the sphere of erectile dysfunction treatment was the advent of Sildenafil Citrate in 1996, which has become famous under the brand 'Viagra'. The drug, taken in the form of pills, improved the effectiveness of treatment and allowed physicians to help their patients suffering from ED. However, a lot of men, especially those with a serious form of ED, diabetes, hypertension, and patients who had experienced radical prostatectomy, are not fully satisfied with the existing treatment. Furthermore, the effectiveness of Sildenafil depends on food and alcohol, which quite often accompany sexual relations. This in turn creates certain problems when it comes to planning sexual intercourse. These circumstances led to the fact that about 50% of patients taking Sildenafil are determined to continue treatment.
The next approved PDE 5 inhibitor after Sildenafil was the Cialis medicine (Tadalafil). The analysis of Cialis vs Viagra showed that the former prolonged the effective half-life (17.5 h) and its pharmacokinetics does not depend on food and alcohol. Thus, the duration of the Cialis effect (36 h) allows men to forget planning coitus and save the spontaneity and romanticism of sexual relations. Most recent researches show that only 13% of surveyed patients with ED are interested in the duration of the medicine's effect; they are generally interested in the safety (40%) of the therapy they get. Moreover, some patients taking Tadalafil noted side effects such as back aches throughout the period of the drug's effect. When comparing Cialis vs Viagra, it appears that the former is produced in one dosage (20 mg), which creates certain problems related to therapy corrections depending on the efficacy and tolerance of the preparation.
Hence, a certain number of patients are unsatisfied with their previous ED treatment and patients with undiagnosed and uncured erectile dysfunctions need a new, more effective preparation. The ideal therapy in case of ED is non-invasive, i.e. implying the taking of peroral preparations, a safe treatment that is equally effective for everyone. All the enumerated requirements are met by Levitra (Vardenafil Hydrochloride) - a new, highly effective and most powerful PDE 5 inhibitor to date. Vardenafil is much more powerful than Sildenafil in terms of influence on PDE 5. Vardenafil has less impact on the light sense in comparison with Sildenafil and on spermatogenesis in comparison with Sildenafil and Tadalafil.
Vardenafil is easily absorbed; the maximum level of the preparation's concentration in blood plasma is achieved in 30 minutes after peroral taking. The duration of the Levitra effect is 4 - 5 h, which is enough to have a full-blown coitus. Furthermore, the medicine is not accumulated in the organism. This is the main difference between it and Tadalafil, the partial ejection of which is quite prolonged and is the reason of some undesired effects when used daily. Food and alcohol do not influence the medicine efficacy.
A research carried out recently has showed that Vardenafil is a high-performance (85 - 89 %) and safe drug for ED treatment. Its more powerful impact on PDE 5 allows men to use it not only in combination with other forms of treatment, but even in case when other inhibitors PDE 5 (Sildenafil, Tadalafil) are not effective. The effect of Levitra in patients suffering from diabetes and those having experienced radical prostatectomy figures at 72%, while in those who have taken Sildenafil it amounts to 62%.
The side effects of taking Levitra are short-term and insignificant in most cases.
Due to these qualities of the medication, namely its quick and marked effect not depending on food and alcohol intake, patients will be able to plan a sexual intercourse any time they want. The drug is produced in three dosages (5, 10, 20 mg) which allows physicians to correct a proposed therapy depending on its efficacy and tolerance. These and other differences between it and Viagra, such as the absence of the tachyphylaxis effect (the lowering of the effectiveness in case of a prolonged therapy), are the reason for great expectations from a prolonged ED therapy.
To conclude, the existing medications for ED treatment show positive results in the majority of patients. Unfortunately, there are some patients with ED when any pharmacotherapy is ineffective. Such patients are treated in another way (combining a peroral and intracavernous therapy, vacuum therapy and surgical methods of treatment).