Generic Cialis: how tadalafil works and how to get it in Spain
| Availability: | Yes |
| Delivery: | 4-7 days |
| Payment: | credit cards, bank transfer |
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Generic Cialis contains tadalafil, the same active ingredient as Lilly's Cialis. In Spain it's prescribed for erectile dysfunction and, at 5 mg a day, for the urinary symptoms of an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia).
Below the price table you'll find how to take it, how long it lasts, who should avoid it and how prescriptions work here if you're not Spanish. The 40 mg tablets are twice the maximum daily dose allowed in Spain (20 mg), and we don't recommend them. In Spain, prescription-only medicines may not be sold online, and customs can hold a parcel that contains them. We do not check prescriptions: talk to your doctor before you order.
| What it is | A PDE5 inhibitor. It helps you get an erection when you're aroused and eases the urinary symptoms of an enlarged prostate. |
|---|---|
| Active ingredient | Tadalafil (tadalafilo in Spanish) |
| What Spanish pharmacies stock | Cialis (Lilly) 5, 10 and 20 mg, plus generics sold as «Tadalafilo» with the maker's name (Cinfa, Normon, Sandoz, Stada…) or brands such as Citax and Victogon. 2.5 mg is authorised but not on sale at present. |
| Prescription needed? | Yes, it's prescription-only in Spain (CIMA). The public health system doesn't fund it. |
| As needed | 10 mg; 20 mg if 10 mg isn't enough. One tablet a day at most. |
| Once a day | 5 mg (can be lowered to 2.5 mg). For an enlarged prostate, 5 mg. |
| Timing | At least 30 minutes before sex; works for up to 36 hours. |
| In this shop | «Cialis Generic» 5, 10, 20 and 40 mg, in packs of 10 to 360 tablets. The manufacturer isn't stated. |
Cialis or generic: what's the difference?
Cialis is Lilly's brand name for tadalafil. Since 2017, Spanish pharmacies have also sold generics, marked EFG on the box (equivalente farmacéutico genérico). Before approving one, the Spanish Medicines Agency (AEMPS) requires proof that your body absorbs its tadalafil just as it does the original. Name, look and price differ; dose and precautions don't.
The product on this page doesn't name its manufacturer and isn't supplied by a Spanish pharmacy. Ask us for the manufacturer and batch number before ordering if you want to know exactly what you'll receive. You can check which tadalafil products are authorised in Spain on CIMA, the AEMPS database (in Spanish).
What it's used for
- Erectile dysfunction in adult men. It won't cause an erection on its own: you still need to be aroused.
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): weak flow, needing to go often, getting up at night. Your doctor should rule out prostate cancer first.
It doesn't boost libido, delay ejaculation or protect against STIs, and it isn't for women. Erection problems can be an early sign of diabetes or heart disease, so see a doctor even if the tablets work.
How to take it: as needed or every day
These are two separate regimens: you use one or the other, and your doctor chooses based on how often you have sex and how well you tolerate it.
| As needed | Daily | |
|---|---|---|
| Dose | 10 mg; 20 mg if that's not enough | 5 mg; 2.5 mg if 5 mg doesn't suit you |
| Best for | Occasional sex | Sex at least twice a week, or BPH |
| When | At least 30 minutes beforehand | Same time every day, sex or no sex; levels settle after 5 days |
| Limit | One tablet a day; 10 or 20 mg shouldn't be taken daily on an ongoing basis | Review with your doctor from time to time |
- Swallow it with water, with or without food: a meal doesn't change how it's absorbed.
- Never take a second tablet within 24 hours, even if the first didn't work.
- Severe kidney disease: 10 mg as needed at most, and no daily regimen. Liver problems: 10 mg as needed.
- Age and diabetes don't change the dose.
How long does tadalafil last?
Blood levels peak about 2 hours after a dose and halve in roughly 17.5 hours. In trials, some men managed sex 16 minutes after a dose, and the effect lasted up to 36 hours. That's a window, not a 36-hour erection: you get an erection when you're aroused, and it goes down afterwards as usual. An erection lasting 4 hours or more is an emergency.
The strengths sold here
| Tablet | What the Spanish product information says |
|---|---|
| 5 mg | Daily regimen and BPH. |
| 10 mg | Usual as-needed dose. |
| 20 mg | Maximum as-needed dose. |
| 40 mg | Not sold in Spain for erectile dysfunction: it's double the maximum. We don't recommend it. |
We don't stock 2.5 mg. A 40 mg daily dose is used only for pulmonary arterial hypertension, a different illness managed by specialists. Larger packs work out cheaper per tablet, but 360 tablets is a year's supply: only buy in bulk once your doctor has confirmed tadalafil is right for you.
Who shouldn't take it
According to the Spanish product information (ficha técnica), don't take it if you:
- use any nitrate (GTN tablets, spray or patches; isosorbide mononitrate or dinitrate) or riociguat;
- have had a heart attack in the last 90 days or a stroke in the last 6 months;
- have unstable angina or get chest pain during sex;
- have had heart failure (NYHA class II or above) in the last 6 months, or have uncontrolled arrhythmia, blood pressure below 90/50 or uncontrolled high blood pressure;
- have lost sight in one eye from NAION (non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy);
- are allergic to tadalafil or any of the ingredients, or have been told sex isn't safe for your heart.
Poppers are just as dangerous as nitrates. See a doctor first if you have a curved penis (Peyronie's disease), sickle cell anaemia, myeloma or leukaemia, kidney or liver disease, take an alpha-blocker, or are lactose intolerant (Cialis contains lactose).
Side effects
The common ones (fewer than 1 in 10 people) are headache, indigestion, back or muscle pain, aching arms and legs, flushing and a blocked nose. They're usually mild; on the daily dose, headaches mostly turn up in the first 10 to 30 days. Less common: dizziness, blurred vision, palpitations and ringing in the ears.
- you have chest pain or tightness, feel short of breath or faint; tell them you've taken tadalafil and when;
- an erection lasts 4 hours or more, as it can cause permanent damage;
- you suddenly lose sight or hearing; stop taking it;
- your face, lips or throat swell up.
Side effects can be reported to the Spanish pharmacovigilance system at notificaRAM.es.
Interactions
| Medicine | What happens |
|---|---|
| Nitrates, poppers, riociguat | Severe drop in blood pressure. Must not be combined. |
| Doxazosin | Low blood pressure for 12 hours or more. Not recommended. |
| Ketoconazole, itraconazole, ritonavir, clarithromycin, erythromycin, grapefruit | More tadalafil in the blood: two to four times as much with ketoconazole. |
| Rifampicin, carbamazepine, phenytoin | Less tadalafil (88% less with rifampicin), so it may work less well. |
Can I take it with…?
Tick anything you take. This sums up the product information; it doesn't replace your doctor or pharmacist.
Tadalafil or something else?
Sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil block the same enzyme and none is best for everyone. They differ mainly in how long they last and whether food matters:
- Generic Viagra (sildenafil): lasts a few hours; slower to work after a heavy meal.
- Generic Levitra (vardenafil): similar duration; a fatty meal can delay it too.
- Original Cialis: the same tadalafil under Lilly's brand name.
In our erectile dysfunction range you'll also see «Soft», «Super Active» and «Professional» versions. None of them is authorised in Spain.
Getting a prescription in Spain
If you're registered with the Spanish health system and have a tarjeta sanitaria (health card), book an appointment with your médico de familia, the GP at your local centro de salud. A private GP or urologist can prescribe it too. Expect questions about your heart and other medicines, and possibly a blood test.
Whoever writes the prescription, you pay the full price at the farmacia: the public system doesn't fund tadalafil, either for erectile dysfunction or for BPH.
Delivery
There's no shop counter to buy from and no order collection: orders go out by post or courier. Times and terms are on our delivery conditions page.
Questions people ask
Can I buy Cialis without a prescription in Spain?
No. Tadalafil is prescription-only here, and that applies to every pharmacy, resort towns included. Prescription medicines can't legally be sold online in Spain either.
How long does tadalafil last?
Up to 36 hours after a dose. During that time you get an erection when aroused; it isn't constant.
5 mg daily or 20 mg when needed?
They're different regimens. 5 mg daily suits frequent sex or prostate symptoms; 10 or 20 mg is taken only before sex. Most men start on 10 mg, but your doctor decides.
Will my UK or EU prescription work in a Spanish pharmacy?
A prescription from another EU country can be dispensed if it has the required details, though the pharmacist may refuse if in doubt, and you pay in full. The UK is no longer covered by these EU rules, so a Spanish prescription is the safest route.
Does the Spanish health system pay for it?
No. Even with a public prescription you pay the full price, whether it's prescribed for erections or for the prostate.
Can I drink alcohol with it?
A drink or two doesn't change how it works. Heavy drinking raises the risk of dizziness and low blood pressure.
It didn't work. Can I take another one?
No, one tablet a day is the limit. It sometimes takes a few attempts on different days; if it still doesn't work, see your doctor.
Sources: Spanish product information (ficha técnica) for Cialis and generic tadalafil (CIMA, AEMPS); Cialis product information from the European Medicines Agency; BIFIMED, Spanish Ministry of Health (funding status); Royal Decree 81/2014 (EU prescriptions). General information only: it doesn't replace advice from a doctor. In Spain, prescription-only medicines may not be sold online, and customs can hold a parcel that contains them. We do not check prescriptions: talk to your doctor before you order.
