Vardenafil was co-marketed by Bayer Pharmaceuticals, GSK, and SP under the trade name Levitra. As of 2005, the co-promotion rights of GSK on Levitra have been returned to Bayer in many markets outside the U.S. In Italy, Bayer sells vardenafil as Levitra and GSK sells it as Vivanza, thus, because of European Union trade rules, parallel imports might result in Vivanza sold next to Levitra in the EU.
Levitra is an oral therapy for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
How Taken Levitra comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It should be taken as needed about 1 hour before sexual activity. Some form of sexual stimulation is needed for an erection to occur with Levitra. Levitra should not be taken more than once a day. Levitra can be taken with or without food.
Warnings/Precautions Before taking Levitra, tell your doctor if you currently have or have ever had a heart attack, stroke, irregular heartbeats, angina (chest pain), or congestive heart failure; have high or low blood pressure; have a personal or family history of a rare heart condition known as prolongation of the QT interval (long QT syndrome); have liver problems; have kidney problems; have ever had blood problems, including sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma, or leukemia; have a bleeding or blood clotting disorder; have a stomach ulcer; a family history of degenerative eye disease (e.g., retinitis pigmentosa); or have a physical deformity of the penis such as Peyronie’s disease. You may not be able to take Levitra, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above. Although Levitra is not indicated for use by women, it is in the FDA pregnancy category B. This means that Levitra is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Levitra should not be taken by women. It is not known whether Levitra passes into breast milk. Levitra should not be taken by women. If you are over 65 years of age, you may be more likely to experience side effects from Levitra. Your doctor may prescribe a lower dose of the medication.
Missed Dose Levitra is used as needed, so you are not likely to miss a dose.
Possible Side Effects The most common side effects with Levitra are: -Headaches -Flushing -Stuffy or runny nose Levitra may uncommonly cause: An erection that will not go away (priapism). If you get an erection that lasts more than 4 hours, get medical help right away. Priapism must be treated as soon as possible or lasting damage can happen to your penis including the inability to have erections. Vision changes, such as seeing a blue tinge to objects or having difficulty telling the difference between the colors blue and green. These are not all the side effects of Levitra. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Storage Store at 25C (77F); excursions permitted to 15-30C (59-86F). Keep Levitra and all medicines out of the reach of children.
Overdose Seek emergency medical attention if an overdose is suspected. Symptoms of a Levitra overdose are not known, but are likely to include chest pain, back pain, dizziness, an irregular heartbeat, abnormal vision, and swelling of the ankles or legs.
More Information Do not take Levitra if you: -Take any form of medication known as “nitrates” (type of medicine used to relieve chest pain that can occur as a result of heart disease). Taking Levitra in combination with nitrates may result in serious side effects. -Take medicines called “alpha-blockers” (sometimes prescribed for prostate problems or high blood pressure). Taking Levitra with alpha-blockers may drop your blood pressure to an unsafe level. -Your doctor determines that sexual activity poses a health risk for you. You have a known sensitivity or allergy to any component of Levitra. The use of Levitra offers no protection against sexually transmitted diseases. Counseling of patients about protective measures necessary to guard against sexually transmitted diseases, including the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), should be considered.
Disclaimer This drug information is for your information purposes only, it is not intended that this information covers all uses, directions, drug interactions, precautions, or adverse effects of your medication. This is only general information, and should not be relied on for any purpose. It should not be construed as containing specific instructions for any particular patient. We disclaim all responsibility for the accuracy and reliability of this information, and/or any consequences arising from the use of this information, including damage or adverse consequences to persons or property, however such damages or consequences arise. No warranty, either expressed or implied, is made in regards to this information.
Since 1998, Viagra has dominated the erectile dysfunction market. However with the recent release of both Cialas and Levitra, men are left with the question of which one to use. While all three have been proven very effective, there are specific attributes to each drug that you may find suite your needs better.
All three drugs are in a class of drugs called PDE-5 inhibitors. They have all been proven to work in 70% of all men with all types of erectile dysfunction. All require sexual stimulation to activate.
Viagra, the first of the three to be introduced to the market is said to be the fastest acting time, taking only 14 minutes to be absorbed into the body if taken on an empty stomach. Although Viagra has the fastest acting time, its most significant draw back is its decreased absorption due to food take. It takes around 30 minutes for the drug to reach its maximum affect, but then looses 50% of its maximal effect every 4 hours. Side effects may include mild headaches, upset stomach, unusually bright vision, and facial flushing.
The second drug to be released on the market was Levitra. Levitra has a slight chemical compound difference that has been found to be more effective in hard to treat groups. Levitra takes around 45 minutes to take affect and unlike Viagra, eating and drinking do not affect the effectiveness except for highly fatty substances. Levitra is thought to have more potency, efficacy, and longer duration than Viagra. Levitras’ side effects include headache, flushing, and stuffy or runny nose.
The last drug to be released was Cialis. Cialis has been approved for duration of 36 hours, but some studies have shown it is effective for up to 100 hours, resulting in the nickname, “the weekender”. Cialis absorption is not affected by any type of food, and peak results are seen two hours after consumed. Cialis has a half-life anywhere between 16 and 22 hours depending on the age of the patient. Cialis’ most common side effects are headaches, upset stomach, back aches, and muscle aches.
Cialis definitely out performs both Viagra and Levitra in almost all the major categories. Since all three medications cost the same and can be found at most any pharmacy, Cialis hands down wins the fight of the PDE-5 inhibitors.
Levitra comes as a boon to those suffering with sexual function problems including erectile dysfunction and impotence. Levitra boosts your sex drive by helping in increasing blood flow into the penis allowing you to maintain an erection. Levitra is not meant for women or children. There are certain precautions that you need to take in case you are thinking of purchasing Levitra. You should not be taking Levitra if you are using any recreation drug usually refereed to as ‘poppers’, containing amyl or butyl nitrate or any other form of nitroglycerin and nitrates.
Just in case you are not sure whether a particular medicine contains nitrate or not, you can always check with your pharmacist or doctor. It is also important that you don’t take Levitra if you are taking any alpha-blocker medicine such as terazosin or prazosin. You should also consult your doctor if you are already taking any other medicine for impotence, medicine for abnormal heartbeats and certain antifungal medicines. You should also not start or stop any other medicine without your doctor’s approval. You also need to inform your doctor for any other medical condition including a history of painful erections, blood system cancers, anemia , certain eye diseases, stomach ulcers or heart problems, to mention only a few. You should also be not taking this medicine if you have been told by your doctor not to have sexual intercourse because of certain health conditions, especially heart related problems.
It is therefore always recommended that you always consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have any sort of queries on Levitra. One should always read the patient information leaflet carefully before using Levitra. This medicine is to be taken orally one hour before any sexual activity or as directed by your physician. You should take this medicine only in the prescribed dosage. Do not exceed the dosage without consulting with your doctor. You can take this medicine either on an empty stomach or with food. In case of any adverse side effects it is important that you immediately contact your doctor. Remember that you can always shop around for Levitra either online or through retailers, only after consultation with your doctor.