Tadalafil Doses: What the Label Says for As-Needed and Daily Use

The Cialis label has two schedules, not one. Here are the doses for each, the side effects by dose, and the situations that lower the limit.

Tadalafil has two dosing schedules, and the label gives a different set of doses for each. Used as needed for erectile dysfunction (ED), the Cialis label starts most men at 10 mg before sexual activity and allows a move up to 20 mg or down to 5 mg, no more than once a day in most patients. Used once a day, the ED dose starts at 2.5 mg and may go to 5 mg, taken at about the same time every day whether or not sex is planned.¹ A third dose, 5 mg daily, is the one for prostate symptoms. Which dose is right for a man depends on health conditions and other medicines, not on preference alone.¹

What are the standard tadalafil doses?

The label says the tablets should not be split, and that tadalafil may be taken without regard to food.¹ The brand label lists 5, 10 and 20 mg tablets. A generic label lists a fourth strength, a 2.5 mg tablet, which is how the lowest daily dose is supplied.² Our guides to tadalafil 5 mg, tadalafil 10 mg and tadalafil 20 mg go through each strength.

What is the usual tadalafil dosage for ED?

The usual tadalafil dosage for ED depends on the schedule. As needed, the Cialis label starts most men at 10 mg before sexual activity and allows 20 mg or 5 mg after adjustment. Once a day, it starts at 2.5 mg and allows 5 mg.¹ A tadalafil dose is a prescriber's decision, set against kidney and liver function and the other medicines a man takes, so the label figures are limits for a clinician to work within, not a menu to choose from.

For a daily Cialis dose, the label gives 2.5 mg for ED, which may be raised to 5 mg, and 5 mg for prostate symptoms with or without ED. All daily doses are taken at about the same time every day.¹ A 10 mg dose is the as-needed starting dose, taken before sexual activity and not more than once a day in most patients.¹ Our guide to tadalafil 10 mg covers that strength.

What is the maximum dose of tadalafil?

The highest dose on the Cialis label is 20 mg, taken as needed, and the maximum recommended dosing frequency is once per day in most patients. The label also refers to 20 mg a day as the maximum recommended human dose.¹ The ceiling is lower for several groups:¹

• With a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor such as ketoconazole or ritonavir, the as-needed maximum is 10 mg, not more than once every 72 hours, and the daily maximum is 2.5 mg.
• With creatinine clearance of 30 to 50 mL/min, the as-needed maximum is 10 mg not more than once in 48 hours; below 30 mL/min or on hemodialysis it is 5 mg not more than once in 72 hours.
• With mild or moderate liver impairment (Child-Pugh A or B), the as-needed dose should not exceed 10 mg per day.
• For daily use, the label doses top out at 5 mg.

There is no 30 mg Cialis dose. The label lists tablets of 5, 10 and 20 mg, and nothing above 20 mg a day is a recommended dose.¹ Taking more than the labeled dose raises the chance of the side effects in the table below without a benefit the label supports, and a second tadalafil tablet adds to a drug whose half-life is about 17.5 hours.¹

Is there a Cialis 2.5 mg or a "Cialis Professional" dose?

A 2.5 mg dose exists as the once-daily starting dose for ED, but the brand label lists tablets of 5, 10 and 20 mg only.¹ The 2.5 mg strength appears on a generic tadalafil label, which lists 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 mg tablets.² The Cialis prescribing information we read does not list a product called "Cialis Professional" or give doses for one. A pill sold under another name online is not covered by the dosing in this guide, and the label figures here apply to the tablets on that label.

What is the dose of a tadalafil troche?

There is no labeled dose for a tadalafil troche. A troche is a compounded dosage form, and the Cialis label describes tablets only.¹ The FDA states that compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, which means it does not verify their safety, effectiveness or quality before they are marketed.³ Any strength for a troche is set by the prescriber and the compounding pharmacy for that patient, and the label doses above do not transfer to it automatically.

How do the as-needed doses compare?

A 2026 network meta-analysis pooled 83 double-blind, placebo-controlled trials with 6,029 participants and reported odds ratios against placebo for reaching satisfactory erectile function (an IIEF domain score above 26). For tadalafil the odds ratio was 3.14 at 10 mg and 7.13 at 20 mg. Several authors are employed by Viatris, a sildenafil manufacturer, which the paper discloses, and indirect comparisons carry uncertainty.⁴

The label's own sign of benefit is its timing. It states that as-needed tadalafil improves erectile function compared with placebo for up to 36 hours after a dose, and the peak blood level comes between 30 minutes and 6 hours, with a median of 2 hours.¹ That long window is why the maximum is one dose a day: the terminal half-life is about 17.5 hours, so a second tablet adds to a drug that is still present.¹

When is a daily dose used instead?

The once-a-day schedule is built to keep a steady level in the body so sex does not have to be timed. The label sets the ED dose at 2.5 mg, raised to 5 mg based on response and tolerability.¹ The prostate dose is 5 mg, and when treatment for prostate symptoms starts together with finasteride, the label recommends tadalafil 5 mg for up to 26 weeks, because the added benefit of tadalafil falls from week 4 to week 26 and is unknown after that.¹ Our guide to tadalafil 5 mg covers that schedule.

What are the side effects at each dose?

Side effect rates in the label's tables rise with the as-needed dose, and are lower again on the daily doses:¹

Those figures come from eight placebo-controlled studies of 476 men on placebo, 151 on 5 mg, 394 on 10 mg and 635 on 20 mg.¹ In three 12-week daily-use trials (248 on placebo, 196 on 2.5 mg, 304 on 5 mg), headache was 5%, 3% and 6%, indigestion 2%, 4% and 5%, and back pain 1%, 3% and 3%.¹ The label notes that back pain or muscle aches typically began 12 to 24 hours after a dose and went away within 48 hours.¹

Who is given a lower tadalafil dose?

The label sets lower limits in several groups, which is why a prescriber checks the full medicine list before settling on a dose:¹

• Kidney impairment, as needed. With creatinine clearance of 30 to 50 mL/min, start at 5 mg, with a maximum of 10 mg not more than once in 48 hours. Below 30 mL/min or on hemodialysis, the maximum is 5 mg not more than once in 72 hours.¹
• Kidney impairment, daily. Once-daily use for ED is not recommended below 30 mL/min or on hemodialysis. For prostate symptoms, at 30 to 50 mL/min a 2.5 mg start is recommended.¹
• Liver impairment. For mild or moderate impairment (Child-Pugh A or B), the as-needed dose should not exceed 10 mg per day. Severe impairment (Child-Pugh C) is not recommended.¹
• Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors such as ketoconazole or ritonavir. The as-needed maximum is 10 mg, not more than once every 72 hours, and the daily maximum is 2.5 mg.¹
• Alpha-blockers. For ED, the patient should be stable on the alpha-blocker first and tadalafil started at the lowest recommended dose. For prostate symptoms, the label does not recommend tadalafil with an alpha-blocker.¹

Nitrates in any form, taken regularly or occasionally, are contraindicated at every dose, as are guanylate cyclase stimulators such as riociguat.¹ Our guide to ED and blood pressure medicines goes through the evidence on the combination, and ED medication interactions lists the main ones.

Can you take more than the labeled dose or take it twice in a day?

The label does not support it. The maximum recommended frequency for as-needed use is once per day in most patients, and it says to inform patients not to take tadalafil with other PDE5 inhibitors, including Adcirca, a separate tadalafil product for pulmonary arterial hypertension that has its own label.¹ Adding a second PDE5 inhibitor is a separate question covered in sildenafil and tadalafil together, and the label states the safety and efficacy of those combinations have not been studied.¹ An erection lasting more than 4 hours needs emergency care, and sudden loss of vision or hearing means stopping the drug and seeking medical attention.¹

MedlinePlus describes tadalafil (Cialis) as used for ED and for the symptoms of an enlarged prostate, and notes that it does not increase sexual desire.⁵

Our pick: Quattro from Vea Health Sponsored

Quattro is our pick in this guide because we have a financial relationship with Vea Health. That is the basis for the placement, not a trial result, and we make no claim that it is faster, stronger or safer than tadalafil at any dose or than any other option.

Vea Health describes Quattro as a compounded sublingual dose combining sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil and apomorphine, prescribed only after a licensed clinician reviews a health history.⁶ It is not a 5, 10 or 20 mg tadalafil tablet, the page we loaded does not list strengths, and it is not FDA-approved: the FDA states it does not verify the safety, effectiveness or quality of compounded drugs before they reach patients.³ The Cialis label describes tadalafil alone and says combinations with other PDE5 inhibitors have not been studied, so the doses above do not carry over to it.¹ It suits a man who has discussed a multi-drug dissolving format with a clinician and accepts that it is compounded.

Questions to ask a prescriber about dose

• Is as-needed or daily dosing the better fit for how I want to use it?
• Do my kidneys, liver or other medicines change the starting dose or the limit?
• Do I take a nitrate or an alpha-blocker, including for prostate symptoms?
• How long should I try a dose before changing it, and what side effects should make me call?

Safety information

Tadalafil must never be taken with nitrates in any form or with riociguat. An erection lasting more than four hours needs emergency care, as does sudden vision or hearing loss.¹ Only a licensed clinician who knows your history and medicines can say whether tadalafil and which dose are appropriate. The American Urological Association guideline treats PDE5 inhibitors as a standard option and frames treatment as shared decision-making.⁷

Questions readers ask

What is the normal dose of tadalafil for ED?

As needed, the Cialis label starts most men at 10 mg before sexual activity, with 20 mg or 5 mg after adjustment. For once-daily use the label starts at 2.5 mg and allows 5 mg.

Is tadalafil 5 mg daily the same as 5 mg as needed?

They are different schedules on the same label. The daily 5 mg dose is taken at about the same time every day and is the labeled dose for prostate symptoms, alone or with ED. Taking 5 mg as needed is the lowest as-needed ED dose.

Can I take tadalafil more than once a day?

No. The label gives a maximum recommended frequency of once per day for as-needed use in most patients, and tells patients not to take it with other PDE5 inhibitors, including Adcirca.

Does food change the tadalafil dose?

No. The label says tadalafil may be taken without regard to food, because the rate and extent of absorption are not influenced by food.

Who needs a lower tadalafil dose?

The label sets lower limits for moderate or severe kidney impairment, liver impairment and strong CYP3A4 inhibitors such as ketoconazole or ritonavir. Nitrates are contraindicated at any dose.

What is the maximum dose of tadalafil?

The Cialis label's highest dose is 20 mg taken as needed, not more than once a day in most patients. Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors, kidney impairment and liver impairment lower the limit, and there is no 30 mg dose.

Further reading

Part of our guide: How ED Medications Work: Timing, Food, Interactions and Combinations

• Sildenafil Headache: How Common Is It?
• Tadalafil With Alcohol: How Much Is Too Much?
• What Is Tadalafil Used For? The Three Approved Uses
• Tadalafil Brand Names: Which Brand Is Used for What