Levitra

Levitra (vardenafil) is a medication for men with erection problems.

Indications for use

Levitra is indicated for the treatment of male erectile dysfunction, or the inability to achieve and maintain an erection necessary to complete sexual intercourse.

How does it work?

Violation of erectile function is caused by a violation of blood supply to the pelvic organs under the action of enzymes. The drug blocks their action, providing a stable erection. The medicine is useless without sexual stimulation. Also, the medicine helps to delay ejaculation, which helps to prolong sexual intercourse.

How to use Levitra?

It is important to take the drug correctly. The main recommendations of the instructions for using this drug are as follows:

You can take medication regardless of foods;
The initial dosage should not exceed 10 mg;
Take the remedy half an hour before the planned sexual activity;
The medicine is used no more than once a day;
Patients who have had prostate surgery and diabetes need the drug in a dose of 20 mg;
For men over 60, the standard dose is a 5 mg tablet;
The maximum dosage of Levitra is 40 mg per day;
Grapefruit juice weakens the effect of the drug.

The active ingredient is valid for 5-8 hours. When you take the medication before meals, the onset time is reduced to 10 minutes.

Contraindications

These tablets are contraindicated in the following situations:

diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
violation of amino acid metabolism;
when recovering from a heart attack or other diseases that impose restrictions on sexual activity;
when using drugs containing nitrates and drugs prescribed for HIV;
use of similar drugs for erectile dysfunction;
diseases of the retina;
adolescence.

If you have liver and kidney diseases, as well as when taking Ketoconazole, Erythromycin and their analogues, taking the medicine is possible only under the supervision of a doctor in strict compliance with individual recommendations.

Side effects

Taking Levitra with a dosage of more than 20 mg in most cases causes a number of side reactions:

Migraine, dizziness, loss of energy;
Blood pressure surges;
Nausea;
Swelling of the nasal mucosa, rhinitis;
Deterioration of vision;
Swelling;
Back pain;
Painful sensations during erection.

Compatibility with alcohol

The combination of Levitra with alcoholic beverages is not contraindicated, but in this case, the drug can affect the liver. In addition, alcoholic beverages tend to slow down the onset of an erection and reduce sexual arousal, so the effect of the drug can be significantly weakened. Besides, it can cause side effects.

Overdose

Overdose symptoms:

Headache, stomach and back pain;
Vertigo;
Feeling of nausea;
Soreness during erection;
Irritation of the nasal mucosa;
Sudden rush of blood to the cheeks and neck;
Increased sweating;
Sharp changes in blood pressure;
Attacks of tachycardia;
Edema;
Indigestion;
Decreased vision;
Nosebleeds;
Increased anxiety.

Subject to the recommended dosage, the course of treatment with the drug does not cause side effects. There have been cases when taking Levitra at a dosage of 40 mg per day did not provoke negative consequences.

Drug interactions

Levitra (vardenafil) can interact with some drugs:

Therapeutic doses of vardenafil can lengthen the QT interval, therefore it is not prescribed to patients with congenital lengthening of this interval or with concurrent administration of antiarrhythmic drugs (Procainamide, Sotalol, Quinidine, Amiodarone);
The combination of vardenafil with other substances for the treatment of erectile dysfunction is not recommended;
Ketoconazole, Indinavir, Itraconazole, Ritonavir, Erythromycin, Clarithromycin can reduce the clearance of the active component and increase its plasma concentration;
The pharmacokinetic parameters of vardenafil are not affected by Cimetidine, Glibenclamide, Glyburide, Warfarin, Nifedipine, Digoxin, Maalox (antacid),
Ranitidine, Heparin, Acetylsalicylic acid, diuretics, Metformin (hypoglycemic drug);
Vardenafil can enhance the hypotensive effect of sublingual nitrates;
The combination of the drug with alpha-blockers (Tamsulosin, Terazosin) leads to arterial hypertension;
The drug does not potentiate the hypotensive effect of ethanol;
In high concentrations, vardenafil can enhance the antiplatelet effect of sodium nitroprusside (nitric oxide donor).

Special instructions

Since the drug can cause dizziness, it is important to find out the reaction to the drug before driving.

No dose adjustment is required for patients with liver and kidney pathologies. Before starting treatment with Levitra, it is important to consider the list of drugs that the patient is taking.

The remedy should be used with caution if you have congenital anomalies of the penis. Before prescribing this medicine, the doctor must examine the condition of the patient’s heart and blood vessels.