Levitra

levitraType: PDE-5 inhibitor

Active ingredient: Vardenafil

Common use: Levitra is a PDE-5 inhibitor chiefly used to treat erectile dysfunction. Phosphodiesterase (PDE) type 5 is an enzyme found in human penile erectile tissue and is associated with erections. Levitra works by blocking this enzyme to enhance and prolong the erectile process.

Levitra will only cause an erection when combined with mental or physical sexual stimulation.

How to use: Unless otherwise ordered by your doctor, Levitra should be taken approximately 1 hour before sexual activity and not more frequently than once a day. Levitra should be taken orally with a glass of water. It can be taken with our without food. Check with your doctor before you eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while using Levitra.

How to store: Store Levitra at room temperature in a tightly-closed container, and keep away from heat, light and moisture.

Warnings:

  • Do not use Levitra if you are allergic to any of the ingredients.
  • Levitra should not be used if you have been advised by your healthcare provider to abstain from sexual activity.
  • Levitra is only intended for adult men. Its safety in children and women has not been tested and children and women should not use Levitra. As a consequence, its safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding is unknown.
  • It is important to tell your doctor about all your health conditions and medical treatments.Examples of conditions that are especially important to divulge (even if you only suffered from them in the past) are deformed penis, blood cell problems, prolonged erections, painful erections, eye problems, hearing problems, liver problems, kidney problems, lung problems, ulcers, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, bleeding problems, blood vessel problems, heart problems, or stroke.Examples of medicines that may interact with Levitra and increase the risk of probelmatic side- effects are alpha-blockers, medicines for high blood pressure, nitrates, nitroprusside, certain antiarrhythmics, azole antifungals, HIV protease inhibitors, macrolide antibiotics, and telithromycin.
    • Rifampin can decrease the effectiveness of Levitra.
    • Check with your doctor before you eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while using Levitra.
    • Levitra is not recommended for persons with certain serious heart problems, such as angina, severe heart failure, congenital QT prolongation. Do not use Levitra if you have had a heart attack or life-threatening irregular heartbeat within the previous 6 months, or if you are being treated with certain antiarrhythmic medicines, such as quinidine, procainamide, amiodarone, and sotalol.
    • Levitra should never be combined with nitrates in any form, including capsules, patches, ointments and tablets. Examples of medicines that contains nitrate are nitroglycerin and isosorbide. The recreational drugs commonly known as “poppers” also contain nitrates.
    • Do not combine Levitra with any other PDE5 inhibitor, such as silendafil or tadalfil.
    • Levitra is not recommended for persons that have experienced a stroke during the previous 6 months.
    • Levitra is not recommended for persons with low blood pressure, high blood pressure, severe liver problems, or severe kidney problems that require dialysis.
    • Levitra is not recommended for persons with certain hereditary degenerative eye problems, including retinitis pigmentosa.
    • Do not use any medicine, herbal preparation or dietary supplement without discussing it with your doctor first. Levitra can interact with a lot of different compounds, including over-the-counter medicines and natural remedies.
    • Alcohol, heat and fever can increase the risk of experiencing certain side-effects of Levitra, and can also make side-effects more severe.
    • Do not rise rapidly after sitting or lying down, since that increases the risk of dizziness and fainting.
    • Dot not drive, operate machinery or do anything else that is potentially dangerous until you know how you react to Levitra.
    • If you experience symptoms of a heart attack, seek immediate medical attention. Example of symptoms: chest pain, shoulder pain, jaw pain, neck pain, numbness of arm or leg, dizziness, fainting, headache, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and vision changes.
    • If you experience symptoms of a stroke, seek immediate medical attention. Example of symptoms: vision changes, speech changes, one-sided weakness, fainting.
    • Seek medical attention if you experience an erection that is painful and/or lasts for more than 4 hours.
    • Seek medical attention if you experience decrease in vision in one or both eyes, because it could be nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).

Examples of reported side-effects:

  • Dizziness
  • Drowsiness
  • Lightheadedness
  • Fainting
  • Blurred vision
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Blue/green color tint to vision
  • Heart attack (see above)
  • Stroke (see above)
  • Prolonged (>4 hour) erection
  • Painful erection
  • NAION (see above)
  • Decrease in hearing
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Runny nose
  • Stuffy nose
  • Flushing
  • Upset stomach