Can you take Cialis more than once a day? No: one tablet a day is the limit. "You should not take CIALIS more than once a day" (Cialis CMI). On consecutive days the same rule applies, but the 10 mg and 20 mg tablets are made for taking before sex, not for every day; a man who expects to use Cialis twice a week or more can be prescribed a low daily tablet instead. The doctor who prescribes tadalafil (the medicine in Cialis) chooses which.
Can you take a second Cialis tablet on the same day?
No, and there is no gap for one to fill: Cialis "has been proven to be effective for up to 36 hours" (Cialis CMI), so an erection is possible with sexual stimulation at any time in the 36 hours after one tablet. Tadalafil treats erectile dysfunction by enhancing blood flow to the penis, and it does not work without sexual stimulation (EMA package leaflet); a second tablet cannot make up for that.
The on-demand dose is 10 mg at least 30 minutes before sex, which may be increased to 20 mg (EMA), and "the maximum recommended dose of CIALIS is one 20 mg tablet taken before sexual activity" (Cialis CMI). Cialis is registered in Australia as 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 mg tablets (ARTG); see is it safe to take 40 mg of Cialis? With severe kidney impairment the ceiling is lower: "10 mg is the maximum recommended dose", and the daily dose is not recommended (EMA product information).
Can you take Cialis on two days in a row?
One tablet on each of two days stays within the once-a-day limit, but the on-demand tablets are not meant to become a daily habit: "Tadalafil 10 and 20 mg is intended for use prior to anticipated sexual activity and it is not recommended for continuous daily use" (EMA product information).
Tadalafil also leaves the body slowly. Its mean half-life is 17.5 hours, so on average half of a dose is still in the blood 17.5 hours later (EMA product information), and yesterday's tablet is still inside its 36-hour window when today's goes in. If you are reaching for an on-demand tablet on most days, that is the pattern the daily dose was made for: a question for your GP. The same question for sildenafil is answered in can I take Viagra twice in one day or two days in a row?
What if you want to take it more than twice a week?
Then the label's answer is the daily dose: 5 mg once a day, which can be lowered to 2.5 mg (EMA). "CIALIS once-a-day (5 mg) is for patients who anticipate frequent use of CIALIS (i.e. at least twice weekly)" (Cialis CMI).
| On demand | Once a day | |
|---|---|---|
| Dose | 10 mg, may be raised to 20 mg | 5 mg, may be lowered to 2.5 mg |
| When | At least 30 minutes before sex | At about the same time every day |
| For | Occasional use | Use at least twice a week |
| Every day? | Not recommended | Yes, that is the regimen |
Sources: EMA product information, Cialis CMI.
On the daily dose you do not time a tablet around sex, and you do not add an on-demand tablet on top. The label says the daily regimen "should be reassessed periodically" (EMA product information), so it is something to review with your GP. How the two compare is in daily vs on-demand Cialis.
What if you miss a daily tablet?
Take it when you remember, and never take two to catch up: "Take your dose as soon as you remember but do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten tablet" (EMA package leaflet).
Can you take Cialis and Viagra on the same day?
No. "The safety and efficacy of combinations of CIALIS and other PDE5 inhibitors or other treatments for erectile dysfunction have not been studied", and patients are told not to take Cialis in such combinations (EMA product information). That rules out a sildenafil tablet to "top up" a Cialis one; see can you mix Viagra and Cialis? Sildenafil has the same once-a-day limit but a shorter window and no daily dose; how it is timed is in how to take sildenafil citrate for best results.
What if you have taken too much?
Get advice straight away: "If you think that you have used too much CIALIS, you may need urgent medical attention." Phone the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26, contact your doctor, or go to the emergency department of your nearest hospital (Cialis CMI). An erection lasting longer than 4 hours needs medical help at once, and no dose of Cialis may be taken with nitrates, the medicines for angina (healthdirect). The side effects are listed in the side effects and risks of Cialis.
The short answer
One Cialis tablet a day, never two. The 10 mg and 20 mg tablets are for before sex, not for every day; if you want it twice a week or more, ask your GP about the daily 5 mg tablet. Never combine it with another ED medicine or with nitrates. More on doses is in our dosage guide.
