How much does tadalafil build up with daily dosing?

At steady state on a daily schedule, the model's level is about 1.63 times what one dose gives, and it swings about 2.37:1 between the peak and the trough before the next dose. Longer gaps between doses mean less build-up and a bigger swing.

Is this chart my actual tadalafil level?

No. It is a modeled estimate from a published half-life, using the same one-compartment model as the Dose Track app. Real levels vary with body weight, food, kidney and liver function and other factors, and only a lab test measures them. It is not medical advice.

Tadalafil Half-Life: Peak and Steady State Chart

Q: When does tadalafil peak after a dose?

Blood levels peak about 2 hours after a dose by mouth, according to Cialis (tadalafil) label. Individual timing varies with food, the amount and the person.

Q: How long does tadalafil take to reach steady state?

About 3.6 days of regular dosing at the same amount and interval, which is 5 half-lives. With a half-life of about 17.5 hours, levels reach about 50% of steady state after 17.5 hours and about 90% after 2.4 days. Changing the dose or interval starts a new climb toward a new steady state.

Q: How long does tadalafil stay in your system after the last dose?

Roughly 5 half-lives, about 3.6 days, until about 97% has cleared in the model. Half is gone about 17.5 hours after levels start falling. Real clearance varies from person to person, and a drug can still have effects after levels are low.

Short answer: Tadalafil has a half-life of about 17.5 hours (Cialis (tadalafil) label) and reaches steady state after about 3.6 days of regular dosing. Levels peak about 2 hours after a dose by mouth. On a daily schedule the model builds up to about 1.6× a single dose, with a peak-to-trough swing of about 2.37:1.

What do tadalafil levels look like with daily dosing?

The Cialis label dose for BPH is 5 mg once daily; the label says steady state is reached within 5 days. Source: Cialis (tadalafil) label. Bioavailability 80% as in the app. Dashed line: 5 half-lives. Change the amount or schedule in the calculator.

When does tadalafil peak after a dose?

Levels peak about 2 hours after a dose by mouth.

How long does tadalafil take to reach steady state?

With regular dosing at a fixed amount and interval, levels climb toward steady state by the same fraction every half-life, whatever the dose. At a half-life of about 17.5 hours:

Time from the first dose to each share of steady state, tadalafil (half-life 18 hours).
Share of steady state	Half-lives	Time
50%	1	17.5 hours
75%	2	35 hours
90%	3.3	2.4 days
97% (Dose Track's steady-state rule)	5	3.6 days

How much do tadalafil levels swing between doses?

The longer the gap between doses compared with the half-life, the bigger the swing from peak to trough and the less the levels build up. These ratios do not depend on the amount.

Steady-state peak:trough and build-up by dosing interval, tadalafil, in Dose Track's model.
Interval	Peak : trough	Build-up vs one dose
Daily	2.37 : 1	1.63×
Every other day	6.08 : 1	1.18×
Twice weekly	25.2 : 1	1.04×
Weekly	703 : 1	1×
Every 2 weeks	over 1,000 : 1	1×

Build-up is the accumulation ratio 1 / (1 − e^−k·τ), with k = ln 2 / half-life and τ the interval.

How long does tadalafil stay in your system?

After the last dose, about half is gone every 18 hours. After 5 half-lives, about 3.6 days, roughly 97% has cleared in the model.

Where do these numbers come from?

The FDA Cialis label gives a mean terminal half-life of 17.5 hours in healthy people, with peak levels between 30 minutes and 6 hours after a dose (median 2 hours), and steady state within 5 days of daily dosing. The Adcirca label reports a longer half-life, about 35 hours, in people with pulmonary arterial hypertension, and a median time to peak of 4 hours at 40 mg.

The curve uses the half-life, time to peak, route and bioavailability built into the Dose Track app for tadalafil, and the same one-compartment model with first-order absorption. These are modeled estimates from published half-lives, drawn with the same one-compartment model as the Dose Track app. Real levels vary from person to person, and only a lab test measures them. This is not medical advice and not a dosing recommendation; dosing decisions belong with you and your prescriber.

Vial sizes and syringe math are in the Tadalafil guide.

When does tadalafil peak and reach steady state?