Does Tadalafil Lower Blood Pressure? Here’s What It Does

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Posted by Prescription Hope - See Editorial Guidelines (Last Updated On: Mon Jul 10 2023)

Can tadalafil lower blood pressure? Well, for those currently taking tadalafil, or those who might be prescribed it, it’s helpful to know exactly what it treats.

In this article, we will outline what tadalafil targets in its treatment, how it works, and what effect it could have on blood pressure.

Does tadalafil lower blood pressure? PH (pulmonary hypertension) or PAH (pulmonary arterial hypertension) are two types of high blood pressure, and tadalafil lowers blood pressure for these conditions. Tadalafil is used to treat erectile dysfunction, PH, and PAH.

Before getting further into the topic, it’s a good idea to get an overview of what tadalafil is and how it works.

This will provide a better understanding of how it does or doesn’t lower blood pressure.

What tadalafil is used for

Tadalafil is a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) and symptoms of an enlarged prostate (benign prostate enlargement).

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While tadalafil is primarily prescribed to treat ED, it can also be used to treat pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that happens in the pulmonary arteries – meaning it affects the blood vessels in the lungs.

This is different than regular hypertension (high blood pressure), which causes the arteries throughout the body to be constricted. Pulmonary hypertension remains confined to the blood vessels in the lungs and can cause the right side of the heart to harder.

Tadalafil is also used to treat PAH (Pulmonary arterial hypertension). This is a chronic and incurable condition that causes the walls of the arteries of the lungs to tighten and stiffen. PAH is a more serious form of PH (pulmonary hypertension), again a type of high blood pressure (hypertension).

So, apart from ED, tadalafil is used to specifically treat PH (pulmonary hypertension) and “PAH” pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Whether it can lower regular hypertension or what we call “high blood pressure” specifically, is as yet considered unreliable …more on that shortly. There are also additional ways to keep your heart healthy.

How tadalafil is prescribed for pulmonary hypertension

First, tadalafil is available only through a prescription. We can assist in obtaining your prescription much cheaper via our Patient Assistance Program – here’s more information on how it works.

Tadalafil is delivered in the form of a tablet which can be taken with or without food.

The usual dose for pulmonary hypertension is 40mg or two 20mg tablets.

If you have kidney or liver problems alongside PH (pulmonary hypertension), your healthcare provider may set your starting dose to 10mg or 20 mg. Be sure to follow your healthcare provider’s advice for your individual needs.

For most PH issues, tadalafil is initially prescribed at one tablet a day. Then your doctor will gradually increase the dose to two full doses that are two tablets of 20mg daily.

This allows you to adjust to the medication gradually.

It’s also important to mention here that this is a general dosage when you take tadalafil only for PH. So, if you take any other medications for pulmonary hypertension, consult with your healthcare provider.

Refrain from taking tadalafil and other medications for PH together. This may cause severe side effects due to drug interactions.

On the other hand, if you consider taking tadalafil for both ED (erectile dysfunction) and PH (pulmonary hypertension), consult with your healthcare provider.

How does tadalafil lower blood pressure in PH and PAH

As tadalafil is prescribed to treat PH (pulmonary hypertension), its mechanism is focused on treating this form of high blood pressure.

So, this mechanism may not necessarily work the same way to treat regular high blood pressure (hypertension).

Tadalafil is an oral medication called a phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitor. This is officially approved for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

The primary goal of tadalafil treatment for hypertension is to improve exercise ability and to delay clinical decline.

This is because PH is a condition where there is high blood pressure in the arteries of the lung. This causes shortness of breath, tiredness, chest pain, swelling of the legs, fainting, and a fast heartbeat.

All these symptoms, in general, make it harder and more difficult to exercise. As such, the process of how tadalafil works are essentially focused on improving the ability to exercise.

PDE5 compound

PDE5 (an active compound in tadalafil) is a substance naturally produced in the lungs and other parts of the body.

What this substance does is breaks down another substance called guanosine monophosphate (GMP).

GMP causes the blood vessels (arteries) to relax and widen.

So, what essentially the treatment of PH needs is reducing the activity of PDE5, so that more GMP can be released to relax and widen blood vessels.

This is exactly what a tadalafil dose does to lower blood pressure among PH patients.

As PH causes high blood pressure in the arteries, relaxing and widening blood vessels by producing more GMP reduces the blood pressure to the heart and improves its function.

This, in turn, reduces the blood pressure in the lungs and helps you be more active.

Is tadalafil effective in lowering regular blood pressure?

There are various opinions regarding this question.

Before getting into the detail, let’s emphasize that tadalafil lowers PH and PAH (two types of high blood pressure).

According to a study, tadalafil resulted in a mild decrease in regular blood pressure in healthy subjects.

The study concluded that this mild decrease in high blood pressure is not clinically relevant or significant. As such, the study had a negative reflection on tadalafil lowering regular blood pressure.

In contrast, according to another study, it was concluded that in patients with uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure) – on multiple agents – the addition of tadalafil 20 mg lowered mean 26-h blood pressure.

This reflected a positive effect on tadalafil’s capacity to lower blood pressure.

So, it’s clear that while studies contrast the effectiveness of tadalafil for high blood pressure, the takeaway is it can have at least a mild effect on lowering blood pressure.

However, this effect may be insignificant compared to the effect of tadalafil in treating PH or PAH.

So, using tadalafil for lowering regular blood pressure may seem ineffective and unreliable, especially if you have a serious record of high blood pressure, relying on tadalafil is not recommended.

So, as we always recommend that you consult with your healthcare provider on whether or not tadalafil can help you with lowering blood pressure.

Closing thoughts

If you’re currently taking tadalafil or any medications, Prescription Hope can assist with obtaining otherwise expensive medications for just $60.00 per month per medication through Prescription Hope’s medication access service.

For more questions regarding your specific condition, always consult your healthcare provider.

If you’re having trouble affording any of the medications you’ve been prescribed, visit our home page to learn more about Prescription Hope’s medication access service, compare the costs of your current prescriptions, and see how we can help obtain your medications at a cheaper price. Fill out an application today and start receiving Brand-Name prescription medications at your doorstep. Call us at 1-877-296-HOPE (4673) to speak to one of our representatives, we’re always happy to see how we can help.