Makers of Cialis say daily dose

Canadian drugstores have begun stocking a new full-time version of an anti-impotence drug its makers say will allow men to be sexually “spontaneous,” day and night.

Cialis was originally designed to be taken on an “as needed” basis, with one dose lasting 24 to 36 hours, earning it the moniker “Le Weekend” when first approved in Europe in 2002.

Now it’s being repackaged and sold in a once-a-day, lower-dose version. Taken daily, the drug builds in a man’s body until it reaches a circulating level in the bloodstream that would allow a man to be sexually active “whenever the moment is right,” according to a news release issued by drug giant, Eli Lilly.

Dr. Gerald Brock says the once-a-day pill will appeal to men who find timing an issue.

“Taking the drug on a daily basis and having complete spontaneity is going to be a real, genuine advance,” says Brock, a urologist at St. Joseph’s Health Care in London, Ont. Brock has received speakers’ fees and research grants in the past from Eli Lilly.

Once-a-day Cialis will cost $3.80 per capsule.

Last year, more than 1.6 million prescriptions for erectile dysfunction drugs were dispensed by Canadian drugstores, according to prescription drug tracking firm IMS Health Canada. About 593,000 of those prescriptions were for tadalafil, the chemical name for Cialis.

Cialis belongs to a class of drugs known as PDE-5 inhibitors that includes Viagra and Levitra. The pills act on the chemical signals that open up the blood vessels in the penis.

“Is it safe to take a PDE-5 inhibitor every day? It probably is. These drugs are probably much safer than Aspirin,” says Dr. J. Paul Whelan, Braley-Gordon Chair of Urology at McMaster University in Hamilton.

The drugs aren’t thought to benefit men with normal sexual function. And there can be rare side-effects that can include headache, facial flushing and indigestion. The drug should not be used by men who are taking nitrates or those with cardiac disease “for whom sexual activity is not advisable,” Eli Lilly says.

Whelan says once-a-day erectile dysfunction drugs can help with what is known as “penile rehabilitation” after prostate cancer surgery.

In addition, men who experience side effects with the “on demand” Cialis may better tolerate the once-a-day version, which comes in 2.5 and 5 mg capsules, says Brock.

“And finally, we as urologists have people who are very sexually active — they may be having sex two or three or more times per week. By taking a very small dose of Cialis every day they can actually take less medication, have greater spontaneity, have lower side effects and, I think, at the end of the day have greater patient and partner satisfaction.”

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April 8, 2008 | Filed Under Cialis Online 
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