Cialis MD for HCPs: Talking With Your Patient About ED

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Talking with Your Patient About ED

Your patients with ED may be sensitive when it comes to discussing problems with sexual intimacy, but it is important to talk with your patients about their sexual health for two primary reasons:

Your patient's overall medical health: ED may be linked to common vascular conditions such as cardiovascular disease. By acknowledging and treating ED, you may identify an undiagnosed medical condition
Your patient's quality of life: ED can affect multiple areas of a patient's life, including self-image and satisfaction with life

Patients may feel ashamed or embarrassed about problems they are experiencing with sexual intimacy, making them reluctant to discuss ED with you. Religious and cultural issues may also make it difficult for patients to open up regarding their sexual function.

Discussing ED
To start a conversation about ED and help patients feel more comfortable, it is important to let them know that ED is a common condition that can be treated successfully in most men. You may want to share some of the following ED facts with your patients:

ED is defined as the inability to achieve and maintain an erection sufficient to permit satisfactory intercourse
Up to 30 million men in the U.S. experience ED¹
Incidence increases with age: the overall prevalence of ED in a cohort of men 40 to 70 years old was 52%; by age 70, the prevalence may be as high as 67%²
ED is treatable. More men have been seeking help and returning to sexual activity because of improved treatments for ED

Educating your patient regarding the common nature of ED may help to counteract some of the stigma associated with the disease. If your patient has diabetes or other ED-related condition such as cardiovascular disease, you can discuss the association of these conditions with ED. Starting the conversation this way may put the patient at ease and allow him to share with you any erectile function problems he may be having.

NIH Consensus Conference. Impotence. NIH Consensus Development Panel on Impotence JAMA. 1993;270(1):83-90.
Feldman HA, Goldstein I, Hatzichristou DG, et al. Impotence and its medical and psychosocial correlates: results of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Urol. 1994;151(1):54-61.

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Dosage and Administration
CIALIS for use as needed. Starting dose: 10 mg up to once daily. Increase to 20 mg or decrease to 5 mg based upon efficacy/tolerability. Improves erectile function compared to placebo up to 36 hours post dose

CIALIS for once daily use. Starting dose: 2.5 mg taken once daily, without regard to timing of sexual activity. May increase to 5 mg based upon efficacy and tolerability

*** Dose adjustments may be required for special populations (e.g., renal and hepatic impairment and with some concomitant medications). See Dosing Guidelines and full Prescribing Information for complete dosing instructions.

Important Safety Information for CIALIS^® (tadalafil)

CIALIS is indicated for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Use of CIALIS in patients using any form of organic nitrate is contraindicated. CIALIS was shown to potentiate the hypotensive effect of nitrates. CIALIS should not be used if sexual activity is not advisable due to cardiovascular status.

PDE5 inhibitors, including CIALIS, are mild systemic vasodilators. While this effect should not be of consequence in most patients, physicians should consider this potential when prescribing CIALIS. Due to potential increased blood-pressure-lowering effects, caution is advised when CIALIS is co-administered with alpha blockers and/or substantial consumption of alcohol (5 units or greater). CIALIS for once daily use provides continuous plasma tadalafil levels. Physicians should consider this when evaluating the potential for interactions.

For patients taking potent inhibitors of CYP3A4, dose should be adjusted: CIALIS for use as needed: ≤10 mg every 72 hours. For once daily use: dose not to exceed 2.5 mg. Dose adjustments may be required for special populations (e.g., renal and hepatic impairment and with other concomitant medications). See Dosing Guidelines and full Prescribing Information for complete dosing instructions.

There have been rare reports of priapism with this class of compounds. Patients should be advised to seek immediate medical attention should this occur. Use CIALIS with caution in patients who have conditions that might predispose them to priapism.

The following events have been reported in men taking PDE5 inhibitors including CIALIS: (1) Sudden decrease or loss of vision in one or both eyes; (2) Sudden loss or decrease in hearing, sometimes with ringing in the ears and dizziness. It is not possible to determine whether these events are related directly to the medicines, other health conditions, or to a combination of these. If a patient experiences a sudden change in vision or hearing he should stop taking CIALIS, and call a healthcare provider right away.

Most common adverse reactions (≥2%) include headache, dyspepsia, back pain, myalgia, nasal congestion, flushing, and pain in limb.

For more complete information see Important Safety Information and full Prescribing Information.