Vidalista 20mg vs Cialis: Same Tadalafil, What Actually Differs

Vidalista 20mg and Cialis 20mg contain the same active ingredient, tadalafil, at the same dose. That single fact explains most of the comparison: the way the drug works, how long it lasts, its side effects and who should avoid it all come from tadalafil itself, not from the brand on the pack. What differs is who makes it, which regulator has reviewed it, and what it costs.

This guide sets out what is the same, what is different, and what the evidence behind tadalafil 20 mg actually shows. We sell Vidalista, so we have tried to be specific about what is known and what is not.

The short answer

Vidalista 20mg is a generic tadalafil tablet made by Centurion Laboratories in India. Cialis is the original tadalafil brand from Eli Lilly. Because the molecule and dose match, you should expect the same 36 hour window, the same onset and the same side effects. The honest difference is regulatory: Cialis and the generic tadalafil sold in US pharmacies are FDA approved, while Vidalista is not, and we are not aware of a published bioequivalence study comparing Vidalista with Cialis. For many men the lower cost outweighs that; for others, an FDA approved product is worth paying more for.

Vidalista 20mg vs Cialis at a glance

	Vidalista 20mg	Cialis 20mg
Active ingredient	Tadalafil 20 mg	Tadalafil 20 mg
Manufacturer	Centurion Laboratories, India	Eli Lilly
FDA approved	No	Yes
Clinical trial data	Relies on tadalafil data	The tadalafil registration trials
Published bioequivalence study vs Cialis	None we are aware of	Reference product
Expected window after a dose	Up to 36 hours	Up to 36 hours
Other strengths from the same maker	2.5 mg to 80 mg, plus chewable and sublingual forms	2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg
Relative cost	Low	High, unless covered by insurance

What Vidalista 20mg is

Vidalista is Centurion Laboratories' tadalafil range. The Vidalista 20mg tablet matches the maximum as-needed dose on the Cialis label, and it is the direct counterpart to Cialis 20mg. Centurion also makes lower strengths that line up with the labelled doses (2.5 mg, 5 mg and 10 mg) and higher strengths that go beyond anything the label covers. Our Vidalista 20mg guide covers storage and day-to-day use.

Same molecule: what that does and does not guarantee

Tadalafil is tadalafil. Once it is in the bloodstream, a molecule made by Centurion behaves exactly like one made by Lilly. So the pharmacology in this article applies equally to both.

What the molecule does not guarantee is that a tablet releases the right amount of drug at the right speed. That depends on manufacturing: the amount of active ingredient, the fillers and coating, and how consistently each batch is made. For an FDA approved generic, the manufacturer has to show bioequivalence, which in practice means the 90% confidence intervals for total exposure and peak level fall within 80% to 125% of the brand, and the FDA inspects the factory. Vidalista is made under Indian regulation for export and has not been through that FDA review. We have not seen a published study comparing its absorption with Cialis.

That does not mean Vidalista is weak or unsafe. It means the evidence for it is the evidence for tadalafil plus the manufacturer's quality systems, rather than a US regulatory file. You should know that when you choose.

How tadalafil works

Sexual arousal releases nitric oxide in the penis, which raises a messenger molecule called cGMP. cGMP relaxes the smooth muscle in the blood vessels so blood can flow in. The enzyme PDE5 breaks cGMP down, and tadalafil blocks PDE5, so the erection is easier to get and keep. Tadalafil does not cause an erection without arousal and does not increase desire.

What the trials show for tadalafil 20 mg

A pooled analysis of 11 placebo-controlled trials in 2,102 men (Carson 2004, PMID 15180622) is the clearest summary of what 20 mg does:

Outcome	Placebo	Tadalafil 10 mg	Tadalafil 20 mg
Successful intercourse attempts	31%	58%	68%
Men reporting improved erections	33%	71%	84%
Mean improvement in erectile function score (IIEF) from baseline	Smaller (not given in the abstract)	6.5 points	8.6 points

These are Cialis trial results. They apply to Vidalista to the extent that Vidalista delivers the same dose of tadalafil, which is the assumption every generic buyer is making.

The 36 hour window

Tadalafil's half-life is 17.5 hours, much longer than sildenafil's 4 hours. The Cialis label reports a trial in which men attempted intercourse 36 hours after a single 20 mg dose: 64% reported success (88 of 137), compared with 37% on placebo (49 of 133).

A long window does not mean a 36 hour erection. It means the drug is still active if arousal happens during that time. It also means side effects, and interactions such as the one with nitrates, last longer than with shorter acting drugs.

When to take it

Tadalafil reaches its peak blood level at a median of 2 hours after a dose, within a range of 30 minutes to 6 hours. Some men notice an effect within 30 minutes, but judging it on an attempt that soon is a common reason men think it has failed. Taking it an hour or two ahead is more reliable. Food does not change how tadalafil is absorbed, so it can be taken with or without a meal. Take no more than one dose in 24 hours.

Side effects of Vidalista 20mg

The side effect profile is tadalafil's. In the eight placebo-controlled trials behind the Cialis label, these were the most common reactions at the as-needed doses:

Side effect	Placebo (n=476)	5 mg (n=151)	10 mg (n=394)	20 mg (n=635)
Headache	5%	11%	11%	15%
Indigestion	1%	4%	8%	10%
Back pain	3%	3%	5%	6%
Muscle aches	1%	1%	4%	3%
Nasal congestion	1%	2%	3%	3%
Flushing	1%	2%	3%	3%
Pain in limb	1%	1%	3%	3%

Only 3.1% of men on 10 or 20 mg stopped because of side effects, against 1.4% on placebo. If 20 mg gives you headaches or indigestion, 10 mg is the labelled step down and still works for most men.

Back pain and muscle aches

These are more typical of tadalafil than of sildenafil. The Cialis label says they generally start 12 to 24 hours after a dose and usually resolve within 48 hours, tend to affect the lower back, buttocks and thighs, and are often worse lying down. Tadalafil also acts on an enzyme called PDE11 in muscle, which is often blamed, but the label states that the clinical consequence of this has not been defined. A lower dose, or a switch to sildenafil, is the practical answer if they bother you.

Who needs a lower dose

Situation	What the Cialis label says
Age 65 and over	No dose adjustment based on age alone (exposure about 25% higher)
Kidney impairment, creatinine clearance 30 to 50 mL/min	Start at 5 mg, maximum 10 mg no more than once every 48 hours
Kidney impairment under 30 mL/min or dialysis	Maximum 5 mg no more than once every 72 hours; daily dosing not recommended
Mild or moderate liver impairment	No more than 10 mg once a day
Severe liver impairment	Not recommended
Ketoconazole, ritonavir or other strong CYP3A4 inhibitors	Maximum 10 mg no more than once every 72 hours

For anyone in the kidney, liver or interacting medicine rows, Vidalista 20mg is the wrong starting strength. Vidalista 5mg or Vidalista 10mg fit those limits.

Age is not a reason to lower tadalafil on its own

An earlier version of this page said men over 65 should start at 5 mg. That was wrong, and we have corrected it. The Cialis label found that healthy men aged 65 and over had about 25% higher exposure with no change in peak level, and it states that no dose adjustment is warranted based on age alone. It does add that some older people are more sensitive to medicines. In practice, kidney function and other medicines matter far more than age, and both become more common as men get older.

Nitrates, alpha blockers and alcohol

• Nitrates: never combine tadalafil with nitrates in any form, including nitroglycerin for angina and nitrite poppers. If a nitrate becomes medically necessary in an emergency, the label says at least 48 hours should pass after the last tadalafil dose.
• Alpha blockers: for men taking doxazosin, tamsulosin or similar drugs, be stable on the alpha blocker first and then start tadalafil at the lowest dose.
• Riociguat: do not combine with tadalafil.
• Alcohol: the label warns that 5 or more units with tadalafil can increase dizziness, headache, a faster heart rate and a drop in blood pressure on standing.

Daily 5 mg vs 20 mg as needed

Tadalafil is the only common ED tablet with a daily regimen. The label starts at 2.5 mg once a day and allows 5 mg. Taken daily, it keeps a steady level so there is nothing to time. The 5 mg daily dose is also approved for the urinary symptoms of an enlarged prostate. For men who have sex more than a couple of times a week, daily Vidalista 5mg or Vidalista 2.5mg often works out simpler, and sometimes cheaper, than 20 mg as needed. Taking 20 mg every day is not a labelled regimen.

Other Vidalista strengths and forms

• Vidalista 40mg, 60mg, 80mg and Vidalista Black 80mg: above the 20 mg maximum for erectile dysfunction. No trial has shown better erections above 20 mg, and in the one trial that compared 20 mg with 40 mg (in lung hypertension) headache rose from 32% to 42%. Our high-dose tadalafil guide covers the evidence.
• Vidalista CT (chewable) and Vidalista Professional (sublingual): 20 mg in a different format. We have not seen published data showing they act faster than an ordinary tablet.
• Vidalista D: tadalafil 20 mg with dapoxetine 60 mg, only for men who also have premature ejaculation.

Cost: how to compare fairly

Brand Cialis is expensive in the US, and many insurance plans do not cover it for erectile dysfunction. FDA approved generic tadalafil is also sold in US pharmacies with a prescription, and its cash price varies widely between pharmacies and discount programs. Vidalista costs far less than brand Cialis. Against FDA approved generic tadalafil the gap is smaller and depends on where you buy.

To compare properly, work out the cost per dose you will actually use, including delivery, and put it next to what you would pay locally for FDA approved generic tadalafil with a discount card. If the gap is small, the FDA approved product is the stronger choice. If the gap is large, Vidalista gives the same molecule at the same dose for less. We would rather you made that comparison than bought on price alone.

Who Vidalista suits, and who should choose Cialis

Vidalista 20mg tends to suit men who:

• have used tadalafil before and know the dose works and suits them;
• pay out of pocket and want the lowest cost per dose;
• want the long window that tadalafil gives.

Brand Cialis or an FDA approved generic makes more sense if:

• your insurance covers it or makes it cheap;
• you want a product reviewed by the FDA and made in an FDA inspected facility;
• you are starting treatment for the first time and want your doctor to supervise dose and interactions.

If you are still choosing between tadalafil and sildenafil, our tadalafil vs sildenafil comparison sets out the head-to-head trial data.

Buying tadalafil online safely

• Speak to a doctor before starting, especially if you have heart disease, take nitrates, alpha blockers or HIV or antifungal medicines, or have kidney or liver problems.
• Buy from a pharmacy that names the manufacturer and strength clearly and gives a way to contact a real person.
• Check that the tablets arrive sealed in blister strips that match the product described.
• Be wary of products that promise effects no tablet can deliver, such as working without arousal or lasting days at a time.

Our generic Cialis guide and Vidalista review cover the brand range in more detail.

Warning signs that need emergency care

• An erection lasting more than 4 hours.
• Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes.
• Sudden decrease or loss of hearing, sometimes with ringing in the ears or dizziness.
• Chest pain, fainting or severe dizziness during or after sex.
• Swelling of the face or lips, or a severe rash.

All the treatments we stock are listed on our erectile dysfunction page.

References

• FDA prescribing information for Cialis (tadalafil), DailyMed: sections 2.1 to 2.7 (Dosage and Administration), 4 (Contraindications), 5 (Warnings and Precautions), 6.1 Table 1, 12.1, 12.3 (Pharmacokinetics) and 14 (Clinical Studies)
• Carson CC, Rajfer J, Eardley I, et al. The efficacy and safety of tadalafil: an update. BJU Int. 2004;93(9):1276-81. PMID 15180622
• Adcirca (tadalafil) US prescribing information, section 6.1, Table 1 (placebo-controlled pulmonary arterial hypertension trial, 20 mg and 40 mg)
• US Food and Drug Administration. Guidance for industry on bioequivalence studies for generic drugs (80% to 125% acceptance range for the 90% confidence interval of AUC and Cmax)

Medical disclaimer: this article is for information only and is not medical advice. Tadalafil is a prescription medicine, and Vidalista is not approved by the FDA. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist before starting it, especially if you have heart disease, take nitrates or alpha blockers, or have kidney or liver problems. If an erection lasts more than 4 hours or you suddenly lose vision or hearing, seek emergency care.