Erectile dysfunction treatment, explained

How this hub is different from Beema's ED pages

Beema's commercial pages (Tadalafil, Sildenafil, and ED Mints) explain the live telehealth program, pricing, and how to start an online visit. This hub is the educational layer: how these medicines work, the labeled dosing ranges for each active ingredient, and how Beema's tadalafil and sildenafil (the FDA-approved generics of Cialis and Viagra) relate to ED Mints, a separate compounded combination formulation.

If you already know which formulation you want to learn about, go straight to the Tadalafil, Sildenafil, or ED Mints page. Stay here for background on dosing and how the two active ingredients work before you compare options.

How tadalafil and sildenafil work

Both tadalafil and sildenafil are PDE5 (phosphodiesterase type 5) inhibitors. They relax smooth muscle and increase blood flow to the penis, which can make it easier to get and keep an erection when a person is sexually stimulated. Neither drug causes arousal by itself; sexual stimulation is still required for either medicine to have an effect.

The two molecules differ mainly in onset and duration. Sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra) typically takes effect within about 30 to 60 minutes and lasts several hours, so it is usually taken as needed shortly before activity. Tadalafil (the active ingredient in Cialis) can remain effective for up to 36 hours per its FDA label, and is available either as an as-needed dose or as a low once-daily dose that does not require timing around activity.

Labeled dosing, in plain language

Sildenafil is FDA-labeled in 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg tablets, usually taken about an hour before activity and no more than once in 24 hours; the labeled starting dose for most patients is 50 mg. Tadalafil is FDA-labeled in 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, and 20 mg tablets. The 10 mg and 20 mg strengths are typically used as needed before activity; the 2.5 mg and 5 mg strengths are typically used once daily at the same time each day, without regard to timing of sexual activity.

These are the labeled ranges for the FDA-approved single-ingredient products. A licensed provider decides the dose, if any, that may be appropriate for a specific patient - self-selecting or adjusting a dose without a provider is not a labeled use.

Combination and dissolve-under-the-tongue formulations

Some compounding pharmacies prepare formulations that combine tadalafil and sildenafil into a single dose, or add a third ingredient such as oxytocin, and deliver them as a tablet that dissolves under the tongue rather than being swallowed with water. These combination and dissolve-under-the-tongue formulations are not FDA-approved products - they are not sold as a single commercial product by any pharmaceutical manufacturer, and they should not be assumed identical in effect, strength, or safety profile to the single-ingredient tablets described above, even though they share active ingredients with them.

Oxytocin's role in erectile and sexual function has been studied mainly in animal models and small human studies, not in the large randomized trials that support tadalafil's and sildenafil's FDA labels. Beema does not claim oxytocin is proven to improve outcomes when added to a compounded formulation.

What Beema actually offers

Beema's live ED formulations are tadalafil (generic Cialis), sildenafil (generic Viagra), and ED Mints (two dissolve-under-the-tongue combination formulations). Beema's tadalafil is the FDA-approved generic version of Cialis - the identical active ingredient, strength, and intended use as the brand-name product, dispensed by a licensed pharmacy, not a compounded formulation. Beema's sildenafil is the FDA-approved generic version of Viagra - the identical active ingredient, strength, and intended use as the brand-name product, dispensed by a licensed pharmacy, not a compounded formulation. Beema's ED Mints formulations are compounded at an FDA-registered 503B outsourcing facility. They are not FDA-approved and are considered only when legally available and clinically appropriate. A licensed provider reviews each patient's intake and independently decides which formulation and dose, if any, may be appropriate; completing intake does not guarantee a prescription.

Articles in this hub

• Sildenafil + Tadalafil + Oxytocin: ODT ExplainedA compounded 3-ingredient tablet that dissolves under the tongue. What oxytocin's role is (and isn't proven to be), plus dosing and safety basics.
• Sildenafil Dosing: How 50mg and 100mg WorkSildenafil (Viagra) is FDA-labeled from 25mg to 100mg, taken as needed. See timing before activity, dose adjustments, and which strengths Beema offers.
• Tadalafil + Sildenafil Combo: How the RDT WorksA compounded tablet combining tadalafil and sildenafil that dissolves under the tongue. How it differs from single-ingredient tablets, and dosing basics.
• Tadalafil Dosing: How 5mg to 20mg Doses WorkTadalafil (Cialis) is FDA-labeled from 5mg to 20mg. See as-needed vs once-daily dosing, timing before activity, and which strengths Beema offers.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. [1] CIALIS (tadalafil) tablets, FDA-approved prescribing information via DailyMed.
2. [2] VIAGRA (sildenafil citrate) tablets, FDA-approved prescribing information via DailyMed.
3. [3] MedlinePlus. Tadalafil: drug information.
4. [4] MedlinePlus. Sildenafil: drug information.