Adcirca Drug Details
Therapeutic Class:
PDE5 inhibitors
Forms:
Tablet, liquid suspension
Administration:
By mouth
Therapeutic Uses:
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)
Controlled Status:
Not a controlled substance
Adcirca Drug Class
Adcirca (ad-sir-kah) is a phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitor.
Adcirca Age Range
Adcirca is approved for use in adults. The safety and efficacy of this medication have not been established in pediatric patients.
Adcirca Uses
Adcirca Uses
Adcirca (tadalafil) is used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), also called pulmonary hypertension. This is a condition in which there is high blood pressure in the main artery (pulmonary artery) that carries blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs. Taking Adcirca helps to improve the ability to exercise by improving PAH symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, and fatigue.
There may be other uses of Adcirca (tadalafil). For example, the generic drug tadalafil is also available under the brand name Cialis, which is used to treat erectile dysfunction in men (the inability to get or keep an erection). In addition, tadalafil may be prescribed to treat symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is a non-cancerous enlarged prostate gland in men. Your doctor or pharmacist can give you further drug information.
Adcirca Mechanism of Action
In people with pulmonary hypertension, the blood vessels in the lungs are resistant to blood flow. This causes the heart to work harder to pump blood into the lungs. Adcirca (tadalafil) blocks the action of an enzyme called phosphodiesterase-5 or PDE5. This prevents a substance called cyclic guanosine monophosphate from being broken down. This, in turn, helps to relax blood vessels in the lungs and increase blood flow to the lungs, thereby reducing the workload of the heart and improving PAH symptoms.
Adcirca Doses
Adcirca comes as a 20 mg tablet. It is also available as a 20 mg/5 mL liquid suspension (brand name Tadliq). The recommended dose of Adcirca (tadalafil) to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension is 40 mg (two 20-mg tablets or 10 mL of the suspension) once daily by mouth, taken with or without food. Dividing the dose is not recommended.
Adcirca Directions
How To Use Adcirca
Adcirca (tadalafil) comes as a tablet and liquid suspension that is taken once daily by mouth with or without food. Take your medicine at around the same time every day. Take all of the prescribed doses at one time. Do not divide the dose or take the two 20-mg tablets at different times of the day.
Read the prescription label carefully and follow your doctor’s dosing instructions. Use Adcirca exactly as prescribed. Do not change the dose or dosing frequency without your doctor’s approval.
Adcirca (tadalafil) can help to control the symptoms of pulmonary hypertension, but it will not cure the condition. Continue taking the medicine even if you feel well. Talk to your doctor before discontinuing treatment.
Missed dose: If you miss a dose of your medicine, take it as soon as you remember. But if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose or extra medicine to make up for the last dose you missed.
Storage: Store Adcirca at room temperature (59°F to 86°F or 15°C to 30°C) in its original container, tightly closed. Do not store medications in the bathroom cabinet where they can be exposed to heat and moisture.
Unused medicine: Unused Adcirca (tadalafil) should be disposed of in a way that children, other people, and pets cannot get to them. Do not throw the medicine in the trash or flush it down the toilet. The best way to dispose of expired or unneeded medicine is through a drug take-back program. Learn more about proper medication disposal.
NOTE: This medication guide is a summary and may not contain all possible drug information on Adcirca (tadalafil). The information contained here may not be up-to-date. This sheet is for information purposes only. If you have questions about Adcirca, talk to your doctor or pharmacist for medical advice and additional information.
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Adcirca Side Effects
Adcirca Side Effects
The most common side effects of Adcirca are listed below. Call your doctor for medical advice if they are severe or persistent.
- Headache
- Stomach upset or indigestion
- Stomach pain
- Heartburn
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Flushed skin
- Nasopharyngitis (stuffy nose, runny nose)
- Muscle pain
- Back pain
- Pain in the arms or legs
- Cough
Rarely, Adcirca can cause some very serious side effects. Stop taking Adcirca and call your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical help if you develop:
- Sudden decrease in vision or sudden vision loss
- Blurred vision
- Problems with color vision (difficulty differentiating between green and blue or seeing a blue tinge around objects)
- Sudden decrease in hearing or sudden hearing loss
- Ringing in the ears
- Priapism (painful erection that lasts for more than 4 hours)
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Skin rash, hives, itching, blistering or peeling of the skin
- Swelling of the face, eyes, lips, tongue, throat, hands, lower legs, ankles, or feet
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
The above list may not include all the potential side effects of Adcirca. Contact your healthcare provider if the side effects are unusual or severe or if they do not get better over time. You can also report unusual side effects to the Food and Drug Administration at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Adcirca Overdose: In case of an overdose of Adcirca (tadalafil), call your doctor immediately. You can also call the national poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Call 911 if someone has collapsed, is not responding, has stopped breathing, or has had a seizure.
Source: FDA
Adcirca Warnings
Adcirca Risks, Warnings, and Complications
Adcirca (tadalafil) can cause or worsen health problems in certain people. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other treatment options for pulmonary arterial hypertension if you are at an increased risk of complications from this drug. Some of the risks of Adcirca use include:
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Precautions Before Starting Adcirca
Tell your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction to tadalafil (Adcirca, Tadliq, Cialis), any of the active or inactive ingredients in tadalafil tablets or liquid suspension, other PDE5 inhibitors such as sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra), or avanafil (Stendra), or any other drugs. Your pharmacy can give you a list of ingredients.
Give your doctor and pharmacist a complete list of your medications, including prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements, and herbal products. This can help avoid potentially dangerous interactions between your medications.
Give your doctor a complete medical history. Adcirca may not be safe for people with certain medical conditions, such as smoking; a painful or prolonged erection lasting more than 4 hours; recent diarrhea, vomiting, excessive sweating, or dehydration (lack of enough fluids); pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD) or blockage of veins in the lungs; abnormal shape of the penis; high cholesterol; diabetes; high blood pressure or low blood pressure; irregular heartbeat; angina (chest pain); heart attack; heart failure; stroke; stomach ulcers; problems with blood circulation; bleeding disorders; problems with blood cells such as sickle cell disease; cancers such as multiple myeloma or leukemia; kidney disease; liver problems; a personal or family history of eye conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa; sudden vision loss; or sudden hearing loss.
If you are a woman taking Adcirca to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension, tell your doctor if you are pregnant, could be pregnant, or are planning a pregnancy soon. Also, tell your doctor if you plan to breast-feed an infant.
Precautions During Use of Adcirca
Keep all your medical and lab appointments while on treatment with Adcirca (tadalafil).
It can take several weeks for Adcirca to improve exercise ability. Continue taking Adcirca even if you feel well. This medicine can improve your exercise capacity (ability to do physical activity without shortness of breath or dizziness), but will not cure the underlying medical condition.
Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages while taking tadalafil. Drinking large amounts of alcohol while on Adcirca (tadalafil) can increase the risk of side effects such as headache, dizziness, fast heartbeat, and low blood pressure.
Tell your doctor if you become pregnant while taking Adcirca.
Tell all your doctors you are on Adcirca (tadalafil), including before any surgical procedures or dental treatments. Tell healthcare providers you are on tadalafil if you need emergency medical treatment for a heart condition.
Adcirca Drug Interactions
Taking Adcirca (tadalafil) with certain other drugs can affect how the medications work. Interactions between Adcirca and other medications may increase the risk of severe adverse effects. Your healthcare professional may change the dose, monitor you carefully for side effects, or switch you to a different medication if you are at risk of drug interactions.
Tell your doctor if you are currency taking or have recently taken the following medicines. You should not take them at the same time as tadalafil:
- Guanylate cyclase stimulators such as riociguat (Adempas), which are prescribed for pulmonary hypertension.
- Nitrates such as isosorbide mononitrate (Monoket), isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil), and nitroglycerin (Minitran, Nitro-Dur, Nitromist, Nitrostat, others). These medicines are prescribed for angina (chest pain) and heart disease and come in the form of tablets, sublingual tablets, patches, sprays, ointments, and pastes.
Also, tell your doctor if you are taking street (recreational) drugs called poppers that contain nitrates such as nitrite, amyl nitrate, and butyl nitrate. Your provider will likely not prescribe tadalafil if you are using street drugs that contain nitrates.
Tadalafil is also available under the brand name Cialis to treat erectile dysfunction. Do not take Adcirca and Cialis at the same time.
Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are on the following prescription and nonprescription medications, which can also have interactions with tadalafil:
- Alpha blockers such as doxazosin (Cardura), prazosin (Minipress), alfuzosin (Uroxatral), dutasteride (Avodart, in Jalyn), tamsulosin (Flomax, in Jalyn), silodosin (Rapaflo), and terazosin, which are used to treat high blood pressure and enlarged prostate gland
- Medications used to treat heart arrhythmias such as amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone)
- Antifungal drugs such as itraconazole (Onmel, Sporanox), fluconazole (Diflucan), ketoconazole (Ketozole, Nizoral, Extina, Xolegel), voriconazole (Vfend), and griseofulvin (Grifulvin, Gris-PEG)
- Antiemetic drugs such as aprepitant (Emend) used to treat nausea and vomiting related to surgery or chemotherapy
- Antiepileptic drugs such as carbamazepine (Tegretol, Carbatrol, Epitol, others), phenobarbital, and phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek)
- Certain antibiotics such as clarithromycin (Biaxin, in Prevpac), erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin), telithromycin (Ketek), rifabutin (Mycobutin), and rifampin (Rimactane, Rifadin, in Rifamate, in Rifater)
- Calcium channel blockers such as diltiazem (Cartia, Cardizem, Tiazac, others) and verapamil (Calan, Covera, Verelan, in Tarka)
- HIV medications such as efavirenz (Sustiva, in Atripla), indinavir (Crixivan), ritonavir (Norvir, in Kaletra), nelfinavir (Viracept), and nevirapine (Viramune)
- Cholesterol-lowering drugs such as lovastatin (Altocor, in Advicor)
- Drugs prescribed to treat high blood pressure
- Antidepressants such as nefazodone and sertraline (Zoloft)
- Medications prescribed for erectile dysfunction
- Other medicines prescribed for pulmonary arterial hypertension, such as bosentan (Tracleer) and others
- Herbal products such as St. John's wort
Give your doctor and pharmacist a complete list of your medications, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies. Also, tell your healthcare professional if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use recreational drugs because some of these substances can cause serious health complications when used with prescription medications.
Adcirca Pros & Cons
Adcirca Pros and Cons
- Adcirca can help to improve your ability to exercise if you have pulmonary arterial hypertension.
- You only need to take Adcirca once daily.
- You can take this medicine without regard to meals.
- There is a liquid suspension available for people who have trouble swallowing pills.
- There is a lower-cost generic available.
- It can take a few weeks to months for Adcirca to improve exercise ability.
- Common side effects include headache, stuffy or congested nose, upset stomach, and muscle pain.
- Serious side effects include vision loss, hearing loss, and painful, prolonged erections.
- You cannot take Adcirca with medications for erectile dysfunction.
- Adcirca interacts with many other medications.
Adcirca Pharmacist Tips
Adcirca Tips from Pharmacists
Take Adcirca at around the same time every day. You can take it with or without food.
Do not split the dose. If you have been prescribed 40 mg Adcirca, take two of the 20 mg tablets at the same time.
If you are taking the oral suspension (Tadliq), shake the bottle before use. Use a dose measuring syringe or cup to measure the liquid medicine accurately. Do not use a regular household spoon as this can result in wrong dosing.
Avoid drinking alcohol while on Adcirca. Alcohol can make side effects like dizziness, headache, and low blood pressure worse.
Avoid drinking grapefruit juice while taking Adcirca. Doing so can increase blood levels of the drug and cause more serious side effects like headache, dizziness, and low blood pressure.
Adcirca contains tadalafil as the active ingredient, which is also present in Cialis, a medicine used to treat ED (erectile dysfunction). Do not take Adcirca at the same time as Cialis or other ED medicines.
If you are a woman taking Adcirca for pulmonary arterial hypertension, talk to your healthcare provider about the benefits versus risks of taking this medication if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Pregnant women with untreated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) are at risk for stroke, heart failure, and maternal and fetal complications, including preterm delivery and even death.
Seek emergency medical attention if you develop any vision changes or hearing problems while on treatment with Adcirca.
Adcirca Rx Savings Tips
Adcirca Rx Savings Tips
Adcirca is a brand name medication that is also available as a lower-cost generic tadalafil. A BuzzRx Adcirca coupon can result in big savings on the branded and generic forms of the drug. With a BuzzRx discount card, savings card, or discount coupons, the medication could cost you a fraction of retail prices. Adcirca may be under $14.50 for 30 tablets of the 5 mg dose at Walmart, Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS Pharmacy, and other participating pharmacies with a BuzzRx discount card or free coupon. For the biggest discounts on Adcirca, give the checkout clerk your BuzzRx Adcirca discount coupon when you drop off your prescriptions.
Lowest Price for Adcirca | |
| Brand $28.51 | Generic $14.45 |
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Adcirca Common Questions
Common Questions about Adcirca
Is Adcirca the same as Cialis?Adcirca and Cialis contain the same active ingredient, tadalafil, and both are made by Eli Lilly. But they are prescribed for different purposes and dosed differently. Adcirca is for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in men and women. Cialis is for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men. |
How quickly does Adcirca improve exercise ability?Clinical studies have shown that Adcirca can improve exercise capacity in 16 weeks (4 months) in people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) increased by 33 meters or 108 feet in patients taking Adcirca compared to patients taking a placebo (an inactive substance). |
Can I take Adcirca with medicines for high blood pressure?Adcirca can cause low blood pressure, which can add to the blood pressure-lowering effects of antihypertensive drugs (medicines prescribed for high blood pressure). Your doctor may ask you to check your blood pressure more frequently at home when you first start Adcirca if you are also on antihypertensive drugs. Tell your provider if you develop low blood pressure, dizziness, or fainting. |
What is the difference between Adcirca, Tadliq, and Alyq?Adcirca, Tadliq, and Alyq contain the same active ingredient, tadalafil, and are used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension. Adcirca is the brand name form for the tablets, Tadliq is the oral suspension (liquid form), and Alyq is the generic form. They can be substituted for each other, dose for dose. |
Can I take Adcirca for erectile dysfunction?Do not take Adcirca for erectile dysfunction (ED). Although Adcirca contains tadalafil, the same active ingredient as the ED drug Cialis, they are dosed differently. You should not take Cialis or other similar medications, such as Viagra, if you are on Adcirca to treat PAH (pulmonary arterial hypertension). |
What is the price of Adcirca without insurance?Without insurance, Adcirca can be as high as $329.00, but with a free BuzzRx prescription discount coupon, you could pay as low as $14.45 for the most common version of this medication. Use the BuzzRx drug price look-up tool to find the lowest discounted price, and be sure to enter the correct dosage, form, and quantity for the most accurate pricing. While generics tend to have the best savings, you can also use your BuzzRx card and coupons to purchase brand-name versions. It never hurts to ask your pharmacist to try BuzzRx when filling or refilling any of your prescription drugs—whether you have insurance or not. |
What is the price of Adcirca with insurance?Ask your pharmacist or insurance provider for your copay price on Adcirca—Copay amounts vary depending on the type of insurance plan you have and if there is a deductible to reach before prescription drug coverage begins. You could save up to 80% on your prescription medication with a free BuzzRx discount coupon for Adcirca. When using the BuzzRx lookup tool to find the price of your medicine, be sure to enter the correct dosage, form, and quantity to receive the most accurate discounted pricing. It never hurts to ask your pharmacist to try BuzzRx when filling or refilling any of your prescriptions—whether you have insurance or not. |
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