EXCLUSIVEIt's the 'miracle' sex drug that keeps men going all weekend... but women reveal the dark side of Cialis - Viagra's 'hot younger brother': JANA HOCKING By JANA HOCKING Published: 16:38 BST, 15 July 2025 | Updated: 16:50 BST, 15 July 2025 Fresh out of a divorce and preparing for a date with a woman 17 years his junior, Steven* had worked himself into a bit of a state. Worried about how he'd perform with someone far hotter and younger than him, he took advice from one of his friends and made a spur-of-the-moment decision. He took a pill. Not the blue one, Viagra, but the sex wonder drug's 'hot younger brother', Cialis, which has the same erection-boosting effect but lasts for 36 hours. Actually, he swallowed two of those little yellow wonders. He didn't need to take them - not really. But he figured it was always good to have a back-up plan. It worked. The date went well. The young lady was thoroughly satisfied. In fact, Steven was so giddy on cloud nine that he didn't realise hours later that he was still hard - even though he didn't feel aroused. That's a little odd, he thought. So he went to bed and when he woke up, he was still hard. How did it all end? 'They almost had to chop my d**k off,' he tells me. Young, healthy men are using prescription sex pills to boost their performance in the bedroom, without much thought about the possible risks (stock image posed by models) Viagra (sildenafil - the blue pill) and Cialis (tadalafil - the yellow pill) both increase blood flow to the penis. Viagra lasts for a few hours, whereas Cialis works for up to 36 hours (stock image) You see, my buddy had taken too much and had a two-day erection that had turned a troubling shade of blue and swelled to the size of a literal eggplant. When he finally got himself to the hospital in agony, things got seriously grim. Doctors had to make small incisions to relieve the pressure caused by blood clots in his pecker. When that didn't work, they began talking about amputation. Thankfully, after some frantic blood thinning, the clots cleared and the swelling subsided. He's back to working order but fears he'll never be quite the same. Talk about a bedroom horror story. (I should note that priapism - the condition of having an unstoppable erection - is an exceedingly rare side effect of Viagra and Cialis.) Now, if you're new to the world of d*** pills, here's the lowdown: Viagra (sildenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil) are prescription medications designed to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) by increasing blood flow to the penis. Viagra is the OG - pop it an hour or so before a root and you're sorted. Cialis arrived later - many men prefer it because of its longer duration of effectiveness. You can take it on a Friday night and still feel the effects on a Sunday morning, hence its nickname 'the weekend pill'. Viagra (sildenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil) are prescription medications designed to treat ED. They are life-changing for those who need them - but increasingly, men are taking them for a 'boost' Ultimate taboo saving couples from sexless marriages - but some wives swear they'll never go there These drugs are brilliant for men who need them - life-changing, even. But more and more, guys without ED are popping them for fun. And doctors are reporting that recreational use is exploding among young, healthy men who want to last longer, impress their partners, or recover faster after a big night. And while it might sound harmless - recreational Viagra/Cialis use is hardly the next opioid epidemic - there are a few things on the label that most men tend to ignore. These little pills can cause headaches, blurred vision, palpitations and dangerously low blood pressure - especially if mixed with alcohol or drugs. They can also cause the aforementioned priapism - a medical term for an erection that won't go away. Left untreated, it can cause permanent damage to your penis. After hearing my friend's story, I put a call out to my Instagram followers, asking if they'd ever used Viagra or Cialis recreationally. Not for medical reasons - just to go harder and longer. And hand on heart, I've never received so many DMs. Here's what they told me… Special occasions Most men tell me they use Viagra or Cialis - with or without a prescription - when they're preparing for 'special occasion sex'. Think anniversaries, weekends away, sex parties. 'I've used it a couple of times for fun,' one young man tells me. 'Like, if I wanted to have sex all day long, or when I was lining up a threesome. When two women are involved, you can't exactly afford to tap out early. I needed backup.' Cocaine's best friend Several men told me Viagra and Cialis are their unofficial secondary party drugs. Discreetly popping one in the bathroom means they don't embarrass themselves at the end of a long night of drinking or taking cocaine or MDMA. 'Oh yes, it keeps the party going for sure,' one man in his 30s tells me. 'It's especially helpful on those occasional coke nights when things don't quite work naturally, if you know what I mean. 'You want to be able to perform, or at least look like you can.' There's an even better cure for coke d***, my friend... not taking coke! Takes the stress away DailyMail+ columnist Jana Hocking explores the rise of so-called recreational Viagra use A repeat theme in my inbox was guys wanting to take the pressure off sex, especially if they're trying to rebuild their confidence after failing to perform. One fella tells me he tried it after receiving a spam email (hey, it turns out some people do answer them!) He was shocked to discover it was the real deal - not some herbal substitute - and actually worked. 'I've done it about 12–15 times over the last five years. I always tell my partner so she doesn't get weirded out,' he adds. 'I didn't really need it - really I just needed to get out of my own head a bit - but it takes the pressure off and lets me just enjoy myself. Less stress, more fun. 'There are some side effects - bit of a head rush, red face, maybe a tight chest - but it's always worth it.' Ready for round two (and three) 'I wanted to last longer in bed and try new things without overthinking it,' says one man who was keen to workshop a few different ideas with his wife in a single session. 'Normally, we'd have sex and I'd climax and that's the end of it. With Viagra, I'm ready to go again and the fun isn't over. 'It makes you feel like a rock star.' It's better for her D*** pills aren't just about the boys having more fun. Many men tell me they do it to keep their wives and girlfriends happy. 'I'm not a one-pump guy by any means, but knowing I can go harder for longer is great for my wife. Her face honestly lights up when I tell her I've taken one,' a husband tells me. 'It gives her more confidence, too. She is more into it knowing that I'll last longer and she doesn't have to rush to orgasm.' But sometimes women aren't on board 'We had sex for over an hour in every position - he used every trick in the book,' one exhausted wife tells me after her Cialis-fuelled dirty weekend with her husband. 'But the thing is, there was no happy ending for him. He couldn't finish - I guess maybe he masturbated earlier? I had an orgasm, but feeling so sore afterwards took the shine off the experience, personally. 'It was honestly kind of exhausting.' We don't want you going all night I heard many women say that while Viagra and Cialis have their benefits - getting harder more quickly, stronger erections, lasting longer - there are downsides, too. The biggest complaint? You become a marathon man - and we don't want that! 'A lot of the time, a guy will go all night, but not actually be able to orgasm at the end of it,' says one woman who's bedded a few pill-poppers in her time. 'I can usually tell straight away when they've taken something. 'They get hard really fast but you can tell it's not because they're turned on by you. It's like their body is disconnected from their actual arousal.' The side effects are real One man was very candid about a recent experience when he couldn't get it up with his fiancée (which happens from time to time and is nothing to worry about, fellas!) 'I had one on Thursday night after an unexpected soft-d*** moment,' he says. 'I just thought I'd quietly take a Viagra and fix the problem for round two, but my heart rate went crazy. Thankfully, my partner's a nurse and she ended up putting a heart rate monitor on me and asked why it was suddenly so high. 'I had to 'fess up. Then we laughed... and still shagged, which was nice.' She sounds like a keeper. You can look really bad Looking flushed and having red lips is a common side effect of ED drugs. Usually it's not too noticeable - but after a night on the 'nose beers', it can be very obvious. 'I've used both Viagra and Cialis for fun. It definitely made my d**k feel like a weapon,' admits one charmer. 'I've also taken it on nights out when I've also had cocaine, as it really helps with the side effects from that. 'But the blocked nose and sweaty flush aren't ideal when you're trying to look sexy.' The lads are all on it One woman who works in an office full of young men says Viagra ('the blue one') and Cialis ('the yellow one') are discussed openly and without embarrassment. 'I work with loads of young lads in their twenties and thirties… they all use it to last longer. They talk about it like it's chewing gum,' she says. 'But it makes me wonder if they're burning through something they might actually need later?' The antidepressant fix A 24-year-old tells me he started taking a low dose of Cialis after antidepressants wreaked havoc on his sex life. 'I was with my partner for eight years but I'd get so anxious about performing that I'd feel physically sick,' he confesses. 'Cialis helped me relax. It gave me my confidence back and - honestly - it saved our relationship.' The perfect balance? I spoke to a guy on the cusp of middle age who seems to have some balance when it comes to taking Cialis. 'I'm in my 40s. I try not to overuse it, but for big occasions like anniversaries, holidays, birthdays, it just takes the pressure away,' he tells me. 'It felt really bloody good to feel strong again. And yeah, I'd like to think my partners enjoy it, too.' JANA'S TAKE Do I get it? Totally. A magic pill that turns you into a bedroom god sounds irresistible - if I were a bloke, I'd probably be on them too! So don't think I'm here to shame anyone. But if you're relying on them every single time you get it on, I don't think you're chasing a 'little boost'. That sounds like psychological dependency. And it's crucial to remember this, fellas: sometimes it's great to last a few minutes longer, but when it goes on forever, it becomes boring, tedious and painful. Personally, I'd rather a quick, meaningful shag over nightly bedroom Olympics that leave me exhausted and bruised. Confidence is the real hard-on. No prescription required. * Name has been changed InstagramJana Hocking Share or comment on this article: It's the 'miracle' sex drug that keeps men going all weekend... but women reveal the dark side of Cialis - Viagra's 'hot younger brother': JANA HOCKING Add comment