Safety Information

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Frequently Asked Questions

This may be a sign of serious problem and must be treated right away to prevent permanent damage. If you experience symptoms of nausea, dizziness, chest pain or arm pain upon initiation of sexual activity after taking this medication, you should refrain from further activity and call your care team as soon as possible. Drinking alcohol with this medication can increase the risk of side effects. Using this medication does not protect you or your partner against HIV or other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Side effects that you should report to your care team as soon as possible: Allergic reactions—skin rash, itching, hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat Heart attack—pain or tightness in the chest, shoulders, arms, or jaw, nausea, shortness of breath, cold or clammy skin, feeling faint or lightheaded Heart rhythm changes—fast or irregular heartbeat, dizziness, feeling faint or lightheaded, chest pain, trouble breathing Low blood pressure—dizziness, feeling faint or lightheaded, blurry vision Stroke—sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, trouble speaking, confusion, trouble walking, loss of balance or coordination, dizziness, severe headache, change in vision Sudden vision loss in one or both eyes Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your care team if they continue or are bothersome): This list may not describe all possible side effects. Keep out of the reach of children and pets.

Store between 15 and 30 degrees C (59 and 86 degrees F).

Proper Use

There are no adequate and well-controlled trials of vardenafil in humans during pregnancy. In animal reproduction studies, no adverse developmental outcomes were observed during organogenesis at exposures for unbound vardenafil and its major metabolite at 100 and 29 times, respectively, the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) of 20 mg. Vardenafil is not indicated for use in females and is therefore not recommended during breast-feeding. There is no information on the presence of vardenafil and its major metabolite in human milk, the effects on the breast-fed infant, or the effects on milk production. Vardenafil is excreted into the milk of lactating rats at concentrations approximately 10-fold greater than found in the plasma; following a single oral dose of 3 mg/kg, 3.3% of the administered dose was excreted into the milk within 24 hours.

How does Levitra help with these illnesses?

Vardenafil is a medication that treats erectile dysfunction. ED is the inability to achieve and sustain an erection suitable for sexual intercourse. This medication works by increasing blood flow to your penis, which helps you maintain an erection. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Get rid of any unused medication after the expiration date.

• Vardenafil Levitra is a prescription medication for erectile dysfunction.
• It works by increasing blood flow to the penis.
• Vardenafil is marketed under the brand name Levitra.
• It typically takes about 25-60 minutes to work.
• The effects of vardenafil last up to 4-5 hours.
• It should be taken on an empty stomach for faster results.
• Common side effects include headache and flushing.
• Vardenafil is contraindicated with nitrates.
• Do not consume alcohol with vardenafil.
• Always follow your doctor's dosage instructions.

To get rid of medications that are no longer needed or have expired: Take the medication to a medication take-back program. Check with your pharmacy or law enforcement to find a location.

• Vardenafil requires a prescription; self-medicating is unsafe.
• Take Levitra approximately 60 minutes before intimacy.
• Do not take more than one dose per 24 hours.
• Symptoms like priapism need immediate medical attention.
• Levitra may cause nasal congestion or upset stomach.
• Combining vardenafil with other ED drugs increases risks.
• Alcohol can hinder the effectiveness of Levitra.
• Levitra is designed for occasional use, not daily.
• Precautions include monitoring for vision changes.
• Seek medical advice if you experience allergic reactions.

If you cannot return the medication, check the label or package insert to see if the medication should be thrown out in the garbage or flushed down the toilet.

Side Effects

Oral film-coated tablets:Vardenafil is rapidly absorbed with absolute bioavailability of approximately 15%. In healthy volunteers, peak plasma concentrations (Cmax) following administration of a single 20 mg oral tablet dose are usually reached between 30 minutes and 2 hours (median 60 minutes) in the fasted state. High-fat meals reduced Cmax by 18% to 50%. The onset of action is within 1 hour of administration.Orally disintegrating tablets:The orally disintegrating vardenafil tablets provide a higher systemic exposure than the film-coated tablets. In a study of patients with erectile dysfunction, the mean AUC was increased by 21% to 29% and the mean Cmax was decreased by 19% in geriatric patients and 8% in younger patients (18 to 45 years) as compared to the 10 mg film-coated tablets.

Who should not take vardenafil?

In a study of healthy male volunteers (18 to 50 years), the mean Cmax was 15% higher and the mean AUC was 44% higher compared to the 10 mg film-coated tablets. The median time to reach Cmax in a fasted stated was 1.5 hours (range: 45 minutes to 2.5 hours). High fat meals had no effect on vardenafil AUC or Tmax in healthy volunteers, but reduced the Cmax by 35%. When the orally disintegrating vardenafil tablets were administered with water, the vardenafil AUC was reduced by 29% and the median Tmax was shortened by 60 minutes, while Cmax was not affected. Vardenafil is not indicated for use in females. If you are not sure, ask your care team. If it is safe to put it in the trash, empty the medication out of the container. Mix the medication with cat litter, dirt, coffee grounds, or other unwanted substance. Seal the mixture in a bag or container.

Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE): Quality-assessed Reviews [Internet].

Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items generic levitra 24 h buy may interact with your medicine. If you notice any changes in your vision while taking this medication, call your care team as soon as possible. Stop using this medication and call your care team right away if you have a loss of sight in one or both eyes. Contact your care team right away if the erection lasts longer than 4 hours or if it becomes painful. It may not cover all possible information. If you have questions about this medicine, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or health care provider.

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Bibliographic details

Talk to your care team about the use of this medication in children. Overdosage: If you think you have taken too much of this medicine contact a poison control center or emergency room at once. NOTE: This medicine is only for you. Do not share this medicine with others. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Note: Introduction and Additional Common Questions written and medically approved by Cleveland Clinic professionals. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE): Quality-assessed Reviews [Internet].

York (UK): Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (UK); 1995-. This review assessed the safety and efficacy of vardenafil, compared with placebo, for erectile dysfunction (ED). The authors concluded that vardenafil is superior to placebo in the treatment of symptoms of ED, although more research is required on its effectiveness and safety in different groups of patients. The authors' conclusions appear to be supported by the evidence presented, but the reliability of them is unclear. To assess the efficacy and safety of vardenafil in the treatment of male erectile dysfunction (ED). MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Current Contents and the Cochrane Library were searched (from January 2001 to November 2003), as were the proceedings of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medical Products; the search terms were reported. In addition, the Science Citation Index was used for frequently cited papers, conference proceedings and other relevant publications were searched, the bibliographies of relevant papers were checked and experts were contacted.

Levitra’s Market Status and Why the Brand Was Discontinued

We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. VARDENAFIL (var DEN a fil) treats erectile dysfunction (ED). It works by increasing blood flow to the penis, which helps to maintain an erection. This medicine may be used for other purposes; ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions. They need to know if you have any of these conditions: Eye or vision problems, including a rare inherited eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa Heart disease, angina, a history of heart attack, irregular heart beats, or other heart problems History of blood diseases, such as sickle cell anemia or leukemia An unusual or allergic reaction to vardenafil, other medications, foods, dyes, or preservatives Take this medication by mouth with water.

At what dose is Stendra typically prescribed?

Take it as directed on the prescription label. The dose is usually taken 1 hour before sexual activity. You should not take this dose more than once per day. You can take it with or without food. If it upsets your stomach, take it with food. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of at least 12 weeks' duration were eligible for inclusion. Trials comparing vardenafil with placebo were eligible for inclusion. Most of the included trials used a fixed dose, with treatment arms of 5, 10 or 20 mg.

Patient characteristics

The major metabolite M1 is the result of desethylation at the piperazine moiety of vardenafil and is further metabolized. M1 has phosphodiesterase selectivity similar to that of vardenafil and an in vitro inhibitory potency for phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) that is 28% of that of vardenafil. M1 accounts for about 7% of the total pharmacological activity. Vardenafil is excreted as metabolites predominantly in the feces (approximately 91% to 95% of an oral dose) and to a lesser extent in the urine (about 2% to 6% of an oral dose). The elimination half-life of vardenafil and M1 is about 4 to 5 hours with the use of the film-coated tablets.

Study designs of evaluations included in the review

The elimination half-life of vardenafil is 4 to 6 hours and the elimination half-life of MI is 3 to 5 hours with the use of the orally disintegrating tablets. Affected Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) isoenzymes and drug transporters: CYP3A4, P-glycoprotein (P-gp)Vardenafil is primarily a substrate of CYP3A4. Concomitant use of vardenafil with moderate or strong CYP3A4 inhibitors may require a reduction in vardenafil dosage to reduce the risk of adverse effects. In vitro data suggest that vardenafil may inhibit P-gp at therapeutic doses. While concomitant use of vardenafil did not significantly increase plasma concentrations of digoxin (a P-gp substrate), the effect of vardenafil on plasma concentrations of P-gp substrates more sensitive than digoxin (e.g., dabigatran) is unknown.