Generic Cialis, known as tadalafil, is one of several different orally administered drugs on the market today designed to treat erectile dysfunction (ED, impotence) in men. As a condition that affects five percent of men over forty years of age and up to twenty-five percent of men over the age of sixty, medications treating ED are in high demand, especially in countries with an aging baby-boomer population. Like most of these ED medications, generic Cialis requires a prescription and due to potentially dangerous drug interactions should never be taken without a doctor’s approval.

All of the leading ED drugs on the market today belong to a family of drugs known as PDE5 inhibitors. These drugs inhibit the workings of a particular enzyme that in turn allows blood to flow more freely through the affected parts of the body. The results are quicker, longer lasting, and stronger erections in most men with ED, although individual reactions may vary and a small percentage of men do not respond at all. As is the case with all of these drugs, they only work in conjunction with sexual stimulation; so if the patient is not sexually aroused, no response can be expected.

Most of the PDE5 inhibitors are designed to be taken about an hour before sexual intercourse, though most become effective quicker than that. Generic Cialis works the same way, but has a much longer half life. While most other ED medications remain effective for four to six hours after taking them, generic Cialis works for up to thirty-six hours. That does not mean that the patient will have an erection for thirty-six hours, but that the drug will remain effective for that period, allowing for multiple erections and more spontaneity. For this reason the large dose Cialis pills are known as "weekenders" because they can last over a whole weekend.

Further, Cialis is the only ED drug on the market that has a daily use option. Because it is so long lasting, taking a small dosage every day allows men to function basically as though they do not have ED. That is, erections remain possible when appropriate all the time and no planning or coordination is required to ensure an erection is possible at the right time. This daily use application of generic Cialis is relatively new, but has been immensely popular with men suffering from ED. Although it is not a cure, the resulting ability to have an erection when desired without pre-planning or preparation means that it is as though the person no longer has a problem with penile erections.

As is the case with other PDE5 inhibitors, generic Cialis does not increase the taker’s sex drive and only works in conjunction with sexual stimulation. It should also be noted that some men have different reactions to the drug, meaning that it may remain effective for shorter or longer periods depending on the patient’s personal physiology. Nevertheless, Cialis and tadalafil (generic Cialis), are the only ED drugs on the market that last as long and if one opts to adopt the daily use technique it is the only one that can treat the entire ED condition on a regular basis without having to coordinate each and every sexual encounter.