Recent Cialis News & Information
Cialis was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003, and in 2013, Eli Lily and Co. reported record sales of over $2 billion. Yet, there has been no mention on Cialis’ packaging warning of the increased link of developing melanoma.
New lawsuits are popping up as melanoma cases involving Cialis and justice will be served. The criteria for filing a Cialis skin cancer lawsuit include the following:
- • Must be male
- • Must have been diagnosed with melanoma within one year of last usage of Cialis
- • Must have taken Cialis for at least three months prior to being diagnosed
- • Diagnosis was made on or after January 1, 1998
Cialis is designed to help you get more enjoyment out of life, but using this sexual enhancement drug can sometimes become a nightmare. While advertisements for Cialis depict ideal couples enjoying blissful moments together on the beach or at an upscale restaurant, nights on Cialis entail visits to the emergency room more frequently than even the fine print would have you believe. If you've been hurt by Cialis, however, you can still fight back against your circumstances, and there are certain things you should know before you seek compensation for any damage that has been caused by this drug. Whether you've already endured the harmful effects of this drug or you're evaluating whether not Cialis is right for you, learn more about this erectile dysfunction medication to ensure that you make the right choices.
What Is Cialis?
Cialis is a brand name of the drug tadalafil. This drug was originally developed by a biotechnology company called ICOS, and it was later marketed by Lilly ICOS, which is a joint venture of ICOS Corporation and Eli Lilly. This drug was approved by the FDA in 2003, and it was only the third drug ever approved for erectile dysfunction.
A variety of warnings for Cialis were included in the FDA's approval documentation, and this drug interacts negatively with a number of different substances. However, its estimated that Cialis has been used by over eight million men worldwide. Many of these men have experienced relatively mild side effects after using this drug, but some Cialis users have experienced very serious side effects that have been irreversible in a number of cases.
In the years subsequent to its approval by the FDA, tadalafil has also been approved to treat a number of different conditions, but the main marketing focus for this drug remains erectile dysfunction. Since pharmaceutical companies are allowed to market directly to consumers in the United States, Cialis commercials have appeared frequently on television, and they have even been aired during high-viewership events like the Super Bowl. Drugs like Cialis and Viagra have become a part of the social lexicon in the USA and abroad, and their side effects are equally notorious.
What Is the Recommended Dose for Cialis?
In most applications, Cialis is an as-needed drug, which means that there is no recommended daily dose for this medication. When it is needed, 10 mg of Cialis may be taken before sexual activity is anticipated. Users may increase this recommended dose to 20 mg or decrease it to 5 mg as needed, and a dosage of 20 mg should not be exceeded for Cialis. Most patients shouldn't take Cialis any more frequently than once per day. Also, it's worth pointing out that some studies have shown that Cialis remains effective for up to 36 hours after it is ingested, which means that patients may not want to ingest doses of this drug multiple days in a row. When tadalafil is used for purposes other than erectile dysfunction, different dosing recommendations apply.
How Much Does Cialis Cost?
The cost of Cialis has increased significantly since its FDA approval. In 2009, the average cost of a Cialis pill was around $15, but this cost had jumped to $30-$45 per pill by 2015. While some private insurance providers cover the cost of Cialis, most types of government health insurance do not help with the cost of this drug.
What Are the Intended Effects of Cialis?
The intended effect of Cialis is to improve the symptoms of erectile dysfunction in men. Erectile dysfunction is a condition in which men are unable to attain and maintain an erection that is suitable for sexual intercourse, and erectile dysfunction is a relatively normal condition that can occur from time to time in healthy men. Factors such as exhaustion, anxiety, or stress can make it hard for men to get erections, but if this condition persists for a significant period of time, it can become a source of stress in and of itself.
In some cases, prolonged erectile dysfunction can be a sign that men have serious diseases that need treatment, but other factors are usually to blame for this condition. For instance, medical researchers have pointed out that the rise of internet pornography may play a role in many types of sexual dysfunction and that men who are internet porn addicts may find it hard to attain sexual arousal when confronted with a flesh-and-blood partner. In many cases, psychological factors influence the advent of erectile dysfunction in men just as much as physiological factors, but Cialis is designed to help men get erections no matter what the underlying cause of their dysfunctions may be.
A number of risk factors have been identified in relation to erectile dysfunction. For instance, medical conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease can cause this problem, and people who are obese may also have trouble getting erections. Tobacco use can restrict blood flow to the penis, which causes erectile dysfunction, and certain cancer treatments can also cause this condition. Prescription drug, illicit drug, and alcohol use can also be risk factors for erectile dysfunction, and it's always important to consult with your doctor if you want to know more about why you may be experiencing this condition.
Does Cialis Interact with Any Drugs?
Here are some of the types of drugs that are known to interact negatively with Cialis:
- Nitrates: Certain types of nitrates are used to treat chest pain, and other examples of nitrates include amyl nitrate and butyl nitrate. If you use Cialis with nitrates, you may experience a dangerous drop in blood pressure that could cause dizziness or fainting. This drug interaction can even cause heart attack or stroke under certain conditions.
- Alpha blockers: These types of drugs are sometimes used to treat enlarged prostate or high blood pressure, and if you use Cialis in conjunction with alpha blockers, you may experience blood pressure so low that you become dizzy or faint.
- Alpha blockers: Certain types of antifungal medications can prevent Cialis from leaving your body, which may leave you with an erection that lasts for an uncomfortably long time. Some types of antibiotics can have similar effects, and other classes of drugs that interfere with the removal of Cialis from your system include HIV protease inhibitors and hepatitis C virus protease inhibitors.
- Alcohol:Alcohol and Cialis are both vasodilators, which means that they make your blood vessels expand. As a result, both drugs cause your blood pressure to decrease, and if you drink to excess and use Cialis, you could experience the symptoms of low blood pressure. However, an alcoholic drink or two shouldn't interfere with the effects of this erectile dysfunction drug.
- CYP3A4 inhibitors and inducers:CYP3A4 is an important endogenous enzyme that is primarily found in the digestive tract. This enzyme plays a critical role in digestion, and certain drugs may increase or decrease the levels of CYP3A4 that are present in your body. Drugs that inhibit the production of CYP3A4 will make Cialis more effective, and drugs that induce the production of CYP3A4 will make Cialis less effective.
A number of other types of drugs are also known to interact negatively with Cialis. Always consult with your doctor and provide a full list of medications that you are currently using before you consider trying this erectile dysfunction drug.
Can Cialis Be Contraindicated?
Cialis may be contraindicated in a number of different circumstances. For instance, any patients who are using organic nitrates should not also use Cialis, and if you've demonstrated a previous sensitivity to tadalafil, you shouldn't use Cialis. Also, patients who are using GC stimulators, such as riociguat, shouldn't use Cialis, which is a PDE5 inhibitor.
Are There Any Drug Warnings for Cialis?
When the FDA approved Cialis, they included a number of caveats regarding the use of this erectile dysfunction drug. Most of these warnings can be classified as side effects, but, notably, the FDA also pointed out that patients who have been told not to have sex for cardiovascular reasons shouldn't use Cialis. In addition, this regulatory agency points out that all other potential causes of symptoms similar to enlarged prostate should be fully explored before this drug is prescribed for this condition.
Does Cialis Have Any Side Effects?
A large number of side effects have been noted in relation to Cialis. Some of these side effects are relatively benign, but some may be dangerous or even deadly. Some examples of the side effects include:
Prolonged Erection
One of the most widely publicized effects of Cialis is prolonged erection. If an erection caused by Cialis only lasts a little while longer than it should, there's no immediate cause for concern. However, if an erection lasts longer than four hours or if your erection becomes painful, it's possible that you're experiencing priapism, which is an incredibly dangerous condition that can cause permanent damage to your penis.
Priapism is categorized into ischemic priapism and nonischemic priapism, and out of the two, ischemic priapism is the most painful. Ischemic priapism is caused when blood is incapable of leaving the penis, and this condition is usually caused when something is blocking the arteries and veins in this organ. Nonischemic priapism, on the other hand, is generally painless, and it is caused by an unregulated flow of blood in the penis. This type of priapism isn't commonly caused by drugs like Cialis.
Certain conditions can predispose you to priapism. If you have sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma, or leukemia, for instance, you shouldn't use Cialis, and anatomical deformations of the penis can also cause you to experience this dangerous side effect.
Cardiovascular Issues
In patients with and without cardiovascular issues, Cialis can cause heart pain and even heart attack or stroke. Patients who have existing cardiovascular issues are much more predisposed to experience cardiovascular distress after using Cialis, and the situation for such patients is complicated by the fact that nitroglycerin can't be safely applied until 48 hours have passed since they ingested Cialis. In most cases, patients who have preexisting cardiovascular conditions are advised against using Cialis.
Vision Impairment
In some cases, use of Cialis can cause sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes. This type of vision loss is called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), and it can result in temporary or permanent loss of vision. While the incidence of NAION as a result of ingesting PDE5 inhibitors like Cialis is about 10 per 100,000 males aged around 50 years, there's still a significant risk that you could permanently lose your sense of sight when you use Cialis.
While NAION can also occur without the presence of drugs like Cialis, the potential to develop this condition doubles when you use PDE5 inhibitors. However, it's important to point out that certain risk factors may make men more predisposed to develop NAION, and the existing literature hasn't established a causal relationship between PDE5 use and NAION. If you've ever experienced NAION or you have hereditary degenerative retinal disorders, you shouldn't use Cialis.
Hearing Loss
Using Cialis can also cause hearing loss. The mechanism by which Cialis causes hearing loss is unknown, but some patients have reported losing some or all of their hearing function after taking this drug. This hearing loss is often accompanied by dizziness or tinnitus, and while some cases of hearing loss associated with Cialis use may disappear after a short period of time, the hearing loss you experience after using this drug could be permanent.
Kidney Damage
Use of Cialis could cause renal impairment, which is when your kidneys no longer function effectively. Over time, this impairment could cause kidney damage, or it could exacerbate damage that has already occurred. Patients who already have impaired kidneys should either avoid using Cialis entirely or limit themselves to 5 mg of this drug every 72 hours, and the maximum dose for patients who have renal impairment or who are on dialysis should be 10 mg every 48 hours.
These restrictions become even more severe when Cialis is taken on a daily basis instead of on an as-needed basis. It's possible that Cialis could alter your creatine clearance, which is the metric by which your kidney health is measured. The difficulties posed by taking Cialis when you're on dialysis are significant, and patients who are taking Cialis daily should limit themselves to 5 mg per day if they are on dialysis or have renal impairment.
Exacerbation of Bleeding Conditions
Cialis inhibits PDE5, which is a substance found in the platelets in your blood. Platelets are the parts of your blood that cause clotting when your skin becomes punctured, and if these blood cells do not function properly, you could lose the ability to control your bleeding. Patients who already have bleeding disorders should steer clear of Cialis, and it's possible that you could experience uncontrollable bleeding when you use this drug. However, a direct causal relationship between Cialis use and uncontrolled bleeding has not been established.
General Side Effects
In addition to the serious side effects listed above, Cialis can also cause temporary malaise-type side effects that usually aren't too intense or threatening to your overall health. Headaches, digestive discomfort, and back pain are common side effects of this drug, and widespread muscle pain and dizziness are also commonly associated with Cialis use. Your nose may also become stuffy when you use Cialis, and you may experience skin flushing. In most cases, these symptoms will disappear promptly, but if they persist for an unreasonable amount of time, get in touch with your doctor immediately.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
While sexually transmitted diseases aren't technically side effects of Cialis, some patients who have been prescribed this drug have been under the incorrect impression that Cialis prevents STDs. However, Cialis provides zero protection against STDs, and proper sexual health measures should be taken whether or not a patient is using Cialis.
Is There a Controversy Surrounding Cialis?
Since the beginning of the "Viagra revolution," which is a term used to denote the overall advent of Cialis-type drugs to treat male impotence, Cialis has been mired in controversy. The controversy really began in 2005 when the U.S. Congress voted to bar drugs like Cialis and Viagra from state-controlled medical insurance programs. At the time, Representative Steve King of Iowa made the case that state programs like Medicare and Medicaid should be reserved for lifesaving drugs and that drugs like Cialis are "lifestyle" drugs. With this legislative action, Cialis and related drugs were relegated to the role of unnecessary medications, and any future coverage of Cialis by public insurance providers will need to be arranged by altered legislation.
The Cialis controversy deepened as cases of men developing blindness in relation to impotence drugs became more and more commonplace. The public perception that Cialis and related drugs cause blindness had gained the status of a social phobia by around 2013, and the FDA decided to investigate reports of blindness in men who had used drugs like Cialis. Interestingly, Cialis itself was spared much of the blame for this spate of blindness cases; it was found that this drug's main competitor, Viagra, was much more likely to cause blindness than Cialis. The FDA compiled reports stating that out of the 43 reported cases of blindness associated with impotence drugs, 38 were caused by Viagra, but only four were caused by Cialis. Since Viagra and Cialis combined have been used by over 30 million men worldwide, the rate of incidence for NAION is incredibly low, but these cases of blindness still impacted the image of Cialis, Viagra, and related drugs.
Interestingly, the positive aspects of drugs like Cialis have also come under fire by certain social critics. Before Viagra, Cialis, and other drugs came along, men who experienced impotence were saddled with an aura of doom that often caused them to lose their sexual partners and their pride. While these impotence drugs have helped many couples stay together, they have also split many couples apart; men who use Cialis, bolstered with new enthusiasm, often leave their committed partners in search of younger women. Many sexual counselors and divorce lawyers have noted that marriage splits due to Viagra and Cialis have become a significant aspect of the social landscape when it comes to divorce, and in many cases, these impotence drugs fuel adultery that eventually culminates in the dissolution of a marriage. While impotence is no longer a taboo subject due to drugs like Cialis, these impotence medications have also gained reputations as home wreckers.
The sometimes over-the-top commercials that are used to sell impotence drugs like Cialis have been the subject of public scorn and ridicule for over a decade, but it appears that this rejection of these libido-infused advertisements has finally gone mainstream. As of 2017, for instance, the NFL no longer airs commercials for drugs like Cialis, Viagra, and Levitra, and while this football organization was relatively obscure in the reasons they gave for this action, it's plain to see that people are finally fed up with ads depicting 50-somethings frolicking in semi-lewd situations.
Are There Any Lawsuits Against Cialis?
Starting in 2015, a mass of lawsuits were levied against both Viagra and Cialis amid claims that these drugs caused melanomas. This type of skin cancer can be deadly, and many of the plaintiffs who sued the makers of these drugs ended up getting substantial settlements. Intriguingly, however, a study was published in 2017 that seems to refute these claims; in this study, researchers contend that impotence drugs don't actually increase the potential of developing melanoma. Hundreds of women who have lost their husbands would disagree.
In early 2018, however, public outcry against Cialis was renewed when a new mass tort lawsuit was started based on the same claims that were made in 2015. It appears that people around the country remain convinced that Cialis and Viagra cause skin cancer, and if you've developed melanomas after using impotence drugs, now is the time to seek justice for your pain.
Find a Cialis Lawsuit Attorney Near Me
If you've experienced negative effects after using Cialis, it's time to find a team of experts who can help you receive justice for your drug injury. Even if your injury is irreversible, you can still gain compensation for your suffering, and the drug lawsuit experts at Consumer Alert Now are standing by to help you navigate the legal hurdles that stand between you and justice. This company helps people all around the country get compensation for their Cialis injuries, and to get started, give Consumer Alert Now a call at (800) 511-0747.
