Adcirca

Tadalafil is used to treat high blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary arterial hypertension). It works by blocking a certain enzyme (phosphodiesterase-PDE5) in the body. This helps to relax the blood vessels in the lungs. Decreasing high blood pressure in the lungs allows the heart and lungs to work better and improves your ability to exercise.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

Read the Patient Information Leaflet provided by your pharmacist before you start taking tadalafil and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions, consult your doctor or pharmacist. To treat high blood pressure in the lungs, take this medication by mouth with or without food, usually once daily or as directed by your doctor. Dosage is based on your medical condition and response to treatment. Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, take it at the same time each day. Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while using this medication unless your doctor instructs you otherwise. Grapefruit can increase the amount of this medication in your bloodstream. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details. Tell your doctor if your condition does not improve or if it worsens.

See also How to Use section. The effects of some drugs can change if you take other drugs or herbal products at the same time. This can increase your risk for serious side effects or may cause your medications not to work correctly. These drug interactions are possible, but do not always occur. Your doctor or pharmacist can often prevent or manage interactions by changing how you use your medications or by close monitoring. To help your doctor and pharmacist give you the best care, be sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products) before starting treatment with this product. While using this product, do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any other medicines you are using without your doctor's approval. Some products that may interact with this drug include: alpha-blocker medication (such as doxazosin, prazosin, terazosin), certain recreational drugs ("poppers") containing amyl/butyl nitrite, drugs to treat high blood pressure (such as ARBs including losartan). Tadalafil may interact with certain medications to treat chest pain (nitrates such as nitroglycerin, isosorbide). Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details and for information on what to do if you get unusual chest pain. Other medications can affect the removal of tadalafil from your body, which may affect how tadalafil works. Examples include azole antifungals (such as itraconazole, ketoconazole), HIV protease inhibitors (such as ritonavir), macrolide antibiotics (such as erythromycin), rifamycins (such as rifabutin), drugs used to treat seizures (such as carbamazepine, phenytoin), among others. Do not take this medicine with any other product that contains tadalafil or other similar medications for erectile dysfunction/pulmonary hypertension (such as sildenafil, vardenafil). This document does not contain all possible interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use. Share this list with your doctor and pharmacist to lessen your risk for serious medication problems.

Do not share this medication with others.

If overdose is suspected, contact a poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US National Poison Hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center.

Before taking tadalafil, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details. Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: kidney disease, liver disease, heart problems (such as coronary artery disease, history of heart attack/chest pain, aortic stenosis, irregular heartbeat, idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis), sickle cell anemia, bleeding disorders, blood cell cancers (such as leukemia or myeloma), history of painful/prolonged erection (priapism), eye problems (such as retina diseases like retinitis pigmentosa), penis conditions (such as angulation, fibrosis/scarring, Peyronie's disease), active stomach ulcers. This drug may make you dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do any activity that requires alertness until you are sure you can perform such activities safely. Limit alcoholic beverages. To reduce the risk of dizziness and lightheadedness, get up slowly when rising from a sitting or lying position. During pregnancy, tadalafil should be used only when clearly needed. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. It is unknown if this medication passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Store at room temperature at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Brief storage between 59-86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) is permitted. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets. Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

Dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, muscle pain, flushing, nausea, stuffy nose, or stomach upset may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly. Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects. Rarely, sudden partial blindness in one or both eyes (NAION) may occur. This may or may not be due to tadalafil. If this serious problem occurs, seek immediate medical attention. You have a slightly greater chance of developing this serious eye problem if you have heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, certain other eye problems ("crowded disk"), high blood pressure, or if you smoke or are over 50. For males, in the unlikely event you have a painful or prolonged erection lasting 4 or more hours, stop using this drug and seek immediate medical attention, or permanent problems could occur. Rarely, tadalafil may cause sudden hearing problems, or ringing in the ears. Seek immediate medical attention if these effects occur. A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing. This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist. In the US - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.

This section contains uses of this drug that are not listed in the approved professional labeling for the drug but that may be prescribed by your health care professional. Use this drug for a condition that is listed in this section only if it has been so prescribed by your health care professional. Tadalafil is also available in another brand for treating erectile dysfunction in men.