Daily Cialis?: I have castrate... - Advanced Prostate...

Advanced Prostate Cancer

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Daily Cialis?

carguy profile image
58 Replies

I have castrate-resistant MPC, on ADT for over 4 years and currently on chemo. My urologist and MO recommended I take 5mg Cialis daily to keep the blood flowing down there and prevent atrophy. I hate to take another drug, but will if it is beneficial. Does anyone take daily Cialis and are there any side effects?

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carguy profile image
carguy
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58 Replies

I used it after my RALP to promote healing only.

But after that, and in your case you need to exercise him, that will stop atrophy. Whether you do it, or a partner. That will help blood flow.

fireandice123 profile image
fireandice123

Not Cialis but I take 40 mg of Sildenafil (generic Viagra) daily. It seems to help. No side effects.

Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen

I do. No side effects for me with 10 mg/day daily dose.

tennis8285 profile image
tennis8285 in reply toTall_Allen

Does it possibly help even after the nerves were not spared during prostate removal?

Hailwood profile image
Hailwood in reply totennis8285

In my case, all of the nerves were removed with the prostate and there is subsequently « failure for any kind of lift off », sadly, but I’m relatively well, working lots and my PSA and T have been undetectable since removal and ADT. It’s swings and roundabouts I guess

Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen in reply totennis8285

The potency rate is 13% if nerves were not spared, 35% if they are. You may have more luck with Trimix.

icanwintwice profile image
icanwintwice in reply toTall_Allen

if you take Cialis daily can you tske Viagara before sex. Or should you not mix the two?

Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen in reply toicanwintwice

As long as you don’t faint,which would be embarrassing.

icanwintwice profile image
icanwintwice in reply toTall_Allen

that's funny,,,,,...

Carlosbach profile image
Carlosbach

My experience supports your doctors' recommendations. I only wish my uro had prescribed cialis or viagra early on, before I had some atrophy.

I currently take sildenafil daily, except for days when i am going to inject Trimix. As terminal says above - use it or lose it, but in my case the sildenafil has been key to maintaining sexual function.

Boywonder56 profile image
Boywonder56

I take 5mg aday

Atdabeach profile image
Atdabeach

5mg/d here too. I definitely think it has helped keep my little guy from totally wasting away.

carguy profile image
carguy in reply toAtdabeach

Thanks!

BruceSF profile image
BruceSF

I think if you can afford it and the side effects don't bother you it's worth doing since it lets your penile arteries expand and this causes more blood to flow down there, which prevents the tissues from deteriorating. You will probably enjoy your ADT holidays more if you do that - and you may get lucky and have some fun while you're on ADT, though you may need to try injections.

carguy profile image
carguy in reply toBruceSF

Thanks

Schwah profile image
Schwah

Cialis was of no help to me. But viagra was. And it had the bonus of being linked to reduced Alzheimer’s.

Schwah

London441 profile image
London441

These drugs help, but they are best used in conjunction with deliberate stimulation. They work better if you do. Side effects are minimal for most. I get a bit of a stuffy nose if I try too large a dose, which doesn’t improve the effect anyway so I avoid that.

OldVTGuy profile image
OldVTGuy

Oddly I take a daily hot tub and I have found that it does wonders in terms of bringing blood to the zone. Kind of the opposite of a cold shower.

Big_Mcc profile image
Big_Mcc

Im in the UK. Had to fight to get Cialis after significant size and sex function loss over several years of ADT. Was grudgingly referred to a sex therapist. UK allows 4x 20mg tablets per month on NHS. I take 1/4 tablet (5mg) on alternate days. This has made a huge difference. Some size regained and erections have returned. Viagra didn't work for me and gave me bad headaches. Recommend you try it and see if it works for you. Good luck.

carguy profile image
carguy in reply toBig_Mcc

Thanks so much.

turkeyjoe1 profile image
turkeyjoe1

I tried it and all I got was a stiff neck!

jastf profile image
jastf

In Scotland..referred early in ADT (Lupron three months intermittent) by advanced nurse practitioner. So no limit NHS Scotland apparently.

5mg daily whether on or off Lupron.

Does keep atrophy at bay; no side effects and with a bit of stimulation and focus allows some erectile function. Use it or lose it.

My sympathy to all those never advised of this.

carguy profile image
carguy in reply tojastf

Thank you

BanjoPicker profile image
BanjoPicker

I began daily 5 mg Cialis after IMRT and 4 months of ADT. It works. My post-treatment atrophy was reversed and I feel “close to normal” sexual function. My insurance refused to cover, but I found that Good Rx brings the cost down significantly.

carguy profile image
carguy in reply toBanjoPicker

thanks for the feedback!

EdinBmore profile image
EdinBmore

Study I was in recommended 60mg 3 times a wk of sildenafil. Now, only as needed (as it were). Consider penis pump. It works. While on ADT I had no interest in anything sexual but kept to a routine. It helped, I think. Minimal genital shrinkage (just one more f-ing indignity of PCa). Get a partner/significant other to participate in play. Make it fun.

Good luck to you.

EdinBaltimore

carguy profile image
carguy in reply toEdinBmore

thanks for the advice.

icanwintwice profile image
icanwintwice in reply toEdinBmore

what pump works? Ive tried one and got nowhere….

EdinBmore profile image
EdinBmore in reply toicanwintwice

The study provided pump, meds, etc. The pump is manufactured by NuPath and, yes, it works. The hardest (no pun intended) part was getting into a routine and forcing pleasure on myself (! LOL) There are other brands - check Amazon or sex shop. Unfortunately, it's not something one can try on at the store (?)

Good luck to you.

EdinBaltimore

anonymoose2 profile image
anonymoose2

I use it, keeps me from peeing on my shoes.

Carlosbach profile image
Carlosbach in reply toanonymoose2

Wow, mine only keeps me from peeing on my laces. The toes still get wet

SierraSix profile image
SierraSix

I’ve been taking 5 mg of cialis daily for years. First to treat BPH and now to help with ATD

Scout4answers profile image
Scout4answers in reply toSierraSix

are you sexually active?

SierraSix profile image
SierraSix in reply toScout4answers

no, not since the hammer of ADT came down. I'm hoping it will help me weather the storm. I'm am thinking of bumping up to 10mg to see if that changes things

Anesthesia966 profile image
Anesthesia966

I take it every day, and supplement another 5 if things are looking promising! I use Mark Cuban’s cost plus drug’s pharmacy and get 90 pills for about 12$, amazing savings there.

carguy profile image
carguy in reply toAnesthesia966

My urologist recommended Mark Cuban’s cost plus also. I placed an order also for $12 including shipping. I will give the meds a try.

Lslal profile image
Lslal in reply tocarguy

Amazing price. Here in Canada 10 cialis pills cost me $160. Anyone in Ontario know where to get it cheaper? Ouch

Anesthesia966 profile image
Anesthesia966

academic.oup.com/jsm/articl...

Apparently it’s good for your health as well

carguy profile image
carguy in reply toAnesthesia966

Good to know…. Thanks.

j-o-h-n profile image
j-o-h-n

Every day is really hard on willy.....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Sunday 05/21/2023 2:05 PM DST

Amadeus71 profile image
Amadeus71

Can't thank you enough for asking about this. I had no idea

Carlosbach profile image
Carlosbach in reply toAmadeus71

I hate that the urologist scared the hell out of me with an estimate of 18-24 months to live,

But I also hate that he told me that the adt would end my sex life. F**k him!

When I told him that I still had interest in sex and intercourse 2 years after diagnosis and beginning adt, his response was that he had other patients who would be glad to hear that, because he had been telling them that a continued sex life was impossible.

UROLOGISTS be advised, tell your new patients that not only is intercourse possible during ADT, it can be possible, and life saving

IMHO, Anything less is malpractice

Derf4223 profile image
Derf4223 in reply toCarlosbach

Your urologist's intention might have been to motivate you to do the things you've done == 95% vegetarian, exercise more... My urologist did not go into survival guessing, but got my total attention by saying my PCa is incurable. They get to break the grim news of a cancer diagnosis and I doubt there is a way to sugar-coat it in the slightest. Since PCa runs in my family, I was all too aware of the QoL downsides. (old SciFi Blade Runner reference.) Its like PCa treatment turns us into replicants.

Carlosbach profile image
Carlosbach in reply toDerf4223

“It’s Too Bad She Won’t Live. But Then Again, Who Does?”

I wish I could be as generous in my eval of my original urologist's intentions. Unfortunately, the evidence points to a less optimistic take. He originally missed the cancer, then he tried to treat only my incontinence. After passing clots, two foley catheters, 4 months of self cathing, he scheduled a biopsy, Following the biopsy he called to say I had stage II cancer and that he could take care of it withsurgery. The next day he called back to say that the cancer was probably stage III, and the following day he called again to say that it was stage IV, that he was sorry that he missed it for a year, that I had 18-24 months, and that he was sorry.

Several months later when he found out from my primary care that I still had sex regularly, he was amazed and said that he thought that it was impossible to have an erection while on ADT. My onclologist took a look at my chart and started cussing out "that damn plumber" - the onco's words. In the oncologist's opinion, if the urologist had been on top of his game I most likely would have been diagnosed prior to developing lung mets. Kind of a big deal. I'm no longer angry, but I am also not gracious in my estimation of the uro's expertise.

Scout4answers profile image
Scout4answers in reply toCarlosbach

mine gave me a prescription and told me about the RX price

Carlosbach profile image
Carlosbach in reply toScout4answers

Glad that you had a better experience Scout

Scout4answers profile image
Scout4answers in reply toCarlosbach

I have been taking Cialis for 10 years and was buying it from India , he just made cheaper and easier, how could I refuse it😎

silver5 profile image
silver5

I’m 80 and my beautiful, empathetic, supportive, retired marriage family counseler wife is 77. Sex has been an important and joyful part of our relationship and marriage for over 45 years. We didn’t want to lose that when I had a nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy in 2011, with 6 months follow-up ADT and radiation the first part of 2012. Thankfully that summer we were able to enjoy sex again.

But when my PSA started to rise in 2017 and I eventually had to return to ADT, it lowered my libido and killed my erections. A penis pump helped maintain circulation, but I couldn’t get hard enough to enjoy regular intercourse. My wife and I still made do touching one another, and that helped a lot.

After my PSA got down to “undetectable” for a few months my doctor let me go on ADT vacation in 2020 until my PSA started going up again a year later. Good sex again during that vacation!

In December, 2020, I happened to hear a talk on ““Incontinence and Sexual Side Effects of Prostate Cancer Treatment” by Salt Lake City Urologist & Men’s Sexual Health Physician Dr William Brant, who said daily Cialis was helping a number of his patients. Links to his talk and slides can be found at

Talk: gotostage.com/channel/586ae...

Slides: naspcc.org/docs/Incontinenc...

Thanks to those links I was able to persuade my Kaiser urologist to prescribe 5mg daily Tadalafil (generic for Cialis) “for urinary problems.”

Since then, Tadalafil has helped my libido and even enabled me to keep an erection at least for a minute or two after manual stimulation from my wife so we can even enjoy senior sex every week or so – despite ADT. Great for my mood and our relationship.

I do experience some sinus pressure I try reduce by taking Loratadine (generic for Claritin) shortly before we make love. After reading other comments above in this thread, I might try taking an additional 5mg of tadalafil to see if that might help give my erection a boost without making the sinus pressure worse.

Good luck carguy! Please let us know how Tadalafil/Cialis works for you.

Scout4answers profile image
Scout4answers in reply tosilver5

silver5

so glad you posted this info. I invite you to join Carlosbach and I and start a club for those of us continuing to have regular sex in spite of PCa.

Having an interested and interesting partner is very helpful, you are a lucky man.

Carlosbach profile image
Carlosbach in reply tosilver5

Thats awesome. Love me some senior sex, especially when its all I can get😁

Yearofthecow profile image
Yearofthecow

The caution is if you take nitroglycerin. The combination can dro BP too low. Combining with an alpha blocker might also cause some issues.

That being said I take 5mg/day cialas and it helps.

you should go through a doctor for the Rx who knows your medical history

TEBozo profile image
TEBozo

You should take it until you get a penile implant. I've one and it is a weapon.

hanseunuch profile image
hanseunuch

I take over about three years tadalafil 5 mg and have no sideeffect, but a good blood-flow and -filling. without the pill my morning-wood (atleast half-mast) in bed will be very weak!!

Baldylocks profile image
Baldylocks

sounds like the guys covered this for you pretty well. TeBozo will crack you up but I’ve followed him and find him to be a pretty smart guy as are they all. Like many my insurance wouldn’t cover it either despite having BPH issues. A co-patient in treatments with me on this journey learned so much the hard way and too late. He quickly reached a point of no arousal and ultimately so much shrinkage that is junk is no longer recognizable as functional but he has a wonderful wife and two loving kids and because of the loss of his libido he says he doesn’t fret over it. He set me on to daily Cialis but I had to ask my oncologist to prescribe it. I don’t get how every member of any of our medical team isn’t on top of this for us with as much experience as they have, embarrassment on their part be damned. This is important to each of us perhaps more so for what we stand to lose with the battle. I’ve conveyed it to mine. I don’t see that anyone mentioned it but if you don’t have a partner to help you then don’t be bashful about helping yourself. This is the time of your life it’s okay to be a “Jerk” 😁.

Korvgubbe profile image
Korvgubbe

I'm stage 4b widespread pc and take daily 5mg cialis and it works good. Bevor it was verry cold in the "privat room" and he was only like a childs.. but so it's ok

edfriedman profile image
edfriedman

Recently it has been shown that Cialis helps prevent adverse heart events. See: everydayhealth.com/heart-he...

carguy profile image
carguy in reply toedfriedman

Another advantage to taking it.

bandgeek profile image
bandgeek

I've been on for 6 months.....can see the benefit. No side affects. And as someone else said....use it or lose it.....to prevent atrophy.

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