Daily Cialis: benefits, dosage, side effects

There’s good news for the estimated 30–50 million Americans who experience erectile dysfunction (ED): it’s extremely treatable, and there’s no shortage of safe and effective treatments on the market. If you struggle with getting or maintaining an erection strong enough for satisfying sex, you’ve likely heard of the most common ED treatments, such as Viagra (sildenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil), which are taken as needed about an hour before you want to have sex. But daily Cialis (tadalafil) is another option worth considering. 

Continue reading to learn more about daily Cialis and whether it could be right for you.

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Daily Cialis is the same medication as on-demand Cialis, which is taken as needed approximately 30 minutes before sex. But daily Cialis is a lower dose that you take—you guessed it—on a daily basis. 

Cialis, like Viagra, Levitra (vardenafil), and Stendra (avanafil), is a type of drug called a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitor. PDE-5 inhibitors improve erections by relaxing the smooth muscles, allowing increased blood flow to the penis when you’re aroused.

While Cialis works the same way as other PDE-5 inhibitors, it lasts longer in the body than the other ED medications. For example, a standard dose of Viagra typically lasts 4 hours, while a standard dose of Cialis can last up to 36 hours. Because Cialis takes longer to leave the body (i.e. it has a longer half-life), it can help you get an erection any time you want when you take it daily.

Daily Cialis is a tablet formulated to be taken at the same time each day. The active ingredient, tadalafil, is also available in other forms, like Daily Rise Gummies, which are taken once a day to allow you to be ready all the time.

When deciding how to treat your ED, it’s important to seek counsel from your healthcare provider. They’re best equipped to help you determine which approach is best for you—something that will depend on whether you have certain health conditions, your lifestyle, and how frequently you have sex. Ahead are some of the benefits of daily Cialis:

1. More spontaneous sex

When you take low-dose Cialis at the same time each day, there’s no pressure to perfectly time your medication to when you want to have sex—you’re just always ready. That’s because Cialis has a long half-life, so when you take it daily, the medication remains active (read: it’s always working) in your system. This allows for increased spontaneity, which can be better if you have sex several times a week or you’re not sure when the moment will arise. 

2. Can be used to treat additional health conditions

It’s estimated that more than 70% of people who have symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)—i.e. enlarged prostate—also have ED. Not only is Cialis approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat ED, but when taken at a low dose daily, it’s also approved to improve lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with BPH. With BPH, the prostate grows and puts pressure on the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the penis and out of your body). This can cause lower urinary tract symptoms, like frequent urination, incomplete emptying of your bladder, and a weak urine stream. Low-dose daily Cialis may help ease those symptoms by relaxing the bladder and prostate muscles, making it easier to drain urine. So, if you have both ED and BPH, you could be killing two birds with one stone with Cialis.

Similarly, tadalafil (the active ingredient in Cialis), under the brand name Adcirca, is also FDA-approved to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), which is a type of high blood pressure specifically in the lungs. And like Viagra, some healthcare providers may use Cialis “off-label” to treat Raynaud’s syndrome. Caused by the constriction of small arteries, Raynaud’s syndrome can lead fingers and toes to feel cold, numb, and turn white. Low-dose PDE-5 inhibitors, such as tadalafil, may help improve blood flow. 

While it’s typically not prescribed specifically for this indication, there is evidence that taking tadalafil daily can also improve your cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of major adverse cardiac events (like a heart attack). 

3. Alternative when as-needed ED pills aren’t working

Even though ED medications are quite effective, they don’t always work. Up to 35% of those with ED don’t respond to on-demand medications. Several studies have shown that daily, low-dose tadalafil may help improve erections when on-demand PDE-5 inhibitors are not effective.

4. Reduced risk of side effects

Daily Cialis comes in 2.5 mg and 5 mg tablets, which is a significantly lower dose than Cialis taken as needed. With a lower dose comes a lower risk of certain side effects. If you tried as-needed Cialis and experienced unwanted side effects, such as headaches or nausea, daily Cialis might give you the results you’re looking for without the side effects.

5. Consistent daily routine

Some people thrive on consistency. And if you’re one of those people, then daily Cialis might be for you. Unlike taken-as-needed Cialis, the once-a-day version can fit easily into your routine. Instead of trying to line up the timing of the little blue pill and sex, all you have to do is remember to take the drug once a day in either the morning or night. 

Daily Cialis doses are usually 2.5 mg or 5 mg tablets, whereas the as-needed Cialis regimens typically range from 10 mg to 20 mg.

The FDA’s suggested dosing instructions for daily Cialis are based on its use. For treating ED, the FDA recommends starting with 2.5 mg of Cialis, taken at approximately the same time every day, regardless of when sexual activity may take place. This once-daily dose may be increased to 5 mg, depending on how well it's working and any side effects.

Standard on-demand doses of both Viagra and Cialis typically start working within an hour of taking the medication if a person is sexually aroused. Daily low-dose Cialis can take up to 5 days to start working. Once it has built up in your system, those low daily doses keep enough of the medication in the system to allow for improved erections anytime you’re aroused.

Studies show that those who take lower-dose daily Cialis typically have fewer or milder side effects than those who take higher doses. However, because the medication has a longer half-life than other ED treatments (i.e. it takes longer for the body to get rid of Cialis), these milder symptoms may last longer than those caused by other PDE-5 inhibitors. 

The most common side effects of the daily regimen include:

• Headache 

• Indigestion 

• Facial flushing

• Nasal congestion 

• Back pain 

• Muscle pain

• Cough

Daily Cialis is safe, effective, and typically well-tolerated. However, there are some people with underlying health conditions or risk factors who may be advised to avoid PDE-5 inhibitors. It’s important to always check with a healthcare provider to review your health status, the medications and supplements you’re taking, and other potential risk factors prior to taking any medications. The following can be contraindications to using Cialis:

• A recent history of heart problems, including chest pain (angina), irregular heartbeats, heart attack, or a stroke

• The use of nitrates, nitrites (including poppers), alpha-blockers, or other blood pressure medications

• A history of stomach ulcers

• Excessive alcohol consumption

• An eye condition called retinitis pigmentosa

• Kidney or liver disease

Short answer: Yes. 

If you like the spontaneity afforded by daily Cialis but you’re not a fan of taking a pill every morning, Daily Rise Gummies might be the right choice for you. Daily Rise Gummies contain 7 mg of tadalafil (the same active ingredient in Cialis) in a convenient, fruit-flavored gummy. When taken each day, Daily Rise Gummies build up the level of tadalafil in your system, which means you’re ready for stronger, longer-lasting erections whenever the moment is right.

Daily Rise Gummies start at less than $2 a day, if prescribed. 

Speak with your healthcare provider about the various ED treatment options available, and consider getting a full workup to determine if you have any underlying conditions that might be contributing to your ED. In many cases, treating an underlying health condition or identifying a medication that may be causing ED can be a first step toward finding solutions. Whether it’s daily Cialis, Daily Rise Gummies, or another ED medication, your provider can help create a safe and effective treatment plan for you.

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How we reviewed this article

Every article on Health Guide goes through rigorous fact-checking by our team of medical reviewers. Our reviewers are trained medical professionals who ensure each article contains the most up-to-date information, and that medical details have been correctly interpreted by the writer.

Current version

May 14, 2024

Written by

Kristin DeJohn

Fact checked by

Yael Cooperman, MD

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About the medical reviewer

Yael Cooperman, MD, Ro

Yael Cooperman is a physician and works as a Senior Manager, Medical Content & Education at Ro.