Both Stendra and Cialis have features that set them apart from each other and from other oral erectile dysfunction drugs. Here are some tips for picking the one that best suits your needs and preferences.

Men trying to make a choice between the erectile dysfunction drugs Cialis and Stendra must take into consideration a number of factors. Perhaps the most important is just how they plan to use the drug.

If they’re looking for a faster-acting drug, the clear winner would be Stendra, which usually takes effect within 15 minutes, faster than any other oral ED drug on the market. However, if they’re looking for the drug that will last the longest, high-strength Cialis simply can’t be beat. Its effects can last for up to 36 hours.

Both Are PDE5 Inhibitors

Both of these drugs belong to a family of medications known collectively as PDE5 inhibitors, so called because they temporarily disable the phosphodiesterase-5 enzyme that can interfere with optimal blood flow to the penis.

Unlike all other PDE5 inhibitors on the market, Cialis comes in two distinctive formulations that differ not in chemical composition but rather in terms of the amount of active ingredient tadalafil each contains. At lower doses — 2.5 and 5 milligrams — Cialis is marketed as a daily drug that allows men who take it faithfully every day to be ready for sex whenever the time is right. Higher-strength Cialis — 10 and 20 milligrams — is the on-demand form of the drug, most notable for its long-lasting effects, as mentioned earlier.

Generic Cialis Is Lowest in Cost

If price is the primary consideration — and for many consumers, it certainly is — Cialis’s generic equivalent, tadalafil, is the best choice. While the prices for 10 tablets of 200-milligram Stendra range from $680 to $730, 10 tablets of 20-milligram tadalafil will set you back less than $550.

That works out to $34 to $36.50 per 100-milligram dose (the recommended starting dose, or RSD) for Stendra, vs. $27.50 per 10-milligram dose of tadalafil, the RSD. And, as previously noted, Cialis or tadalafil should give you many more hours of erectile function than you’ll get from Stendra.

Daily Cialis Is in a Class by Itself

While daily Cialis (or tadalafil) is cheaper per dose, it’s not designed to be taken on an as-needed basis but rather as part of a daily regimen. Monthly prices for 30 tablets of 5-milligram Cialis range from $450 to $475, while 30 tablets of 5-milligram tadalafil run from $270 to $320.

Cialis, tadalafil, and Stendra can all be taken with or without food, and all have relatively minimal side effects, so there’s little difference between the drugs in terms of these criteria.

No Stendra Generic Likely Soon

Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2012, Stendra is the latest of the oral ED drugs to make its debut. It’s unlikely that a generic formulation of the medication will become available anytime soon.

No matter which ED drug you ultimately decide on, you can often save time and money by ordering it from longtime online facilitator eDrugstore.com. In business since the late 1990s, eDrugstore has a full range of ED medications, including both brand-name and generic products. It also offers complimentary online consultations with licensed U.S. physicians who can authorize prescriptions if appropriate. To learn more, visit eDrugstore’s Erectile Dysfunction page.