From the Research
To taper off daily tadalafil, a gradual reduction in dosage over 2-4 weeks is recommended, rather than stopping abruptly, to minimize potential withdrawal effects such as rebound erectile dysfunction or cardiovascular symptoms. When considering tapering off daily tadalafil, it's essential to prioritize morbidity, mortality, and quality of life as the outcome. The most recent and highest quality study on this topic is not directly available, but we can infer from related studies.
- Tadalafil has a longer half-life (17.5 hours) than other ED medications, which helps make the tapering process smoother 1.
- A study on the durability of response following cessation of tadalafil taken once daily as treatment for erectile dysfunction found that 46.3% of subjects continued to show improvement compared with baseline following a 4-week treatment-free period 2.
- While there is no direct evidence on tapering off tadalafil, a review of current strategies for tapering psychiatric drugs suggests that a gradual reduction in doses over time is a highly accepted clinical approach for treatment discontinuation, with hyperbolic tapering by exponential dose reduction appearing to be the most promising strategy 3. Some key points to consider when tapering off daily tadalafil include:
- Gradually reducing the dosage over 2-4 weeks to minimize potential withdrawal effects
- Monitoring for any changes in symptoms or side effects during the tapering period
- Consulting a healthcare provider if significant worsening of the original condition or new concerning symptoms occur
- Being aware that the body may have developed some physiological dependence on the medication's effects on blood flow and smooth muscle relaxation, particularly if taken for an extended period. It's also worth noting that alternative treatments, such as vacuum erection devices (VEDs), may be considered for patients who are tapering off or have stopped taking tadalafil, as they have been shown to be effective in treating erectile dysfunction associated with various conditions 4.