Drug Details

Vardenafil

( Levitra )

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Harshi Dhingra, M.D.

Last Reviewed: Jul 08, 2024

Vardenafil Drug Details

Generic Name:

Vardenafil hydrochloride

Common Brands:

Levitra, Staxyn (brand name products discontinued)

Availability:

Prescription only

Therapeutic Class:

Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors

Forms:

Tablet, orally disintegrating tablet

Administration:

By mouth

Therapeutic Uses:

Erectile dysfunction (ED)

Controlled Status:

Not a controlled substance

Vardenafil (Levitra) Drug Class

Vardenafil (var-den-a-fil) belongs to a group of drugs called phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors.

Vardenafil (Levitra) Age Range

Vardenafil is approved for use in adult men. This medication is not indicated for use in women or children.

Vardenafil Uses

Vardenafil (Levitra) Uses

Vardenafil is used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) (impotence or the inability to achieve and sustain an erection for satisfactory sexual intercourse).

There may be other uses of vardenafil—your pharmacist or doctor can give you further drug information.

Vardenafil (Levitra) Mechanism of Action

Vardenafil works by blocking the action of an enzyme called phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) and increasing blood flow to the penis to achieve an erection. In the presence of sexual stimulation, the cells in the penis release nitric oxide, which leads to the formation of a substance called cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in the smooth muscle of the penis. cGMP triggers relaxation of the penile smooth muscle, allowing increased blood flow to the penis, resulting in an erection. The enzyme phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) breaks down cGMP. Vardenafil blocks PDE-5 and makes more cGMP available, thereby enhancing erectile function. These effects occur only in the presence of sexual stimulation, which is required for the release of nitric oxide.

Vardenafil (Levitra) Doses

Vardenafil is available in 5 mg, 10 mg, and 20 mg tablets taken by mouth. It is also available as a 10-mg orally disintegrating tablet.

The usual recommended dose of vardenafil is a single dose of 10 mg by mouth 1 hour before sexual activity. The dose can be adjusted to 5 mg or 20 mg as needed based on the response and side effects. A starting dose of 5 mg is recommended for men 65 years of age and older and those with reduced liver function. The maximum dose is 20 mg. The maximum dosing frequency is once every 24 hours. Vardenafil does not work in the absence of sexual stimulation.

Vardenafil Directions

How To Use Vardenafil (Levitra)

You should take a vardenafil tablet by mouth an hour before sexual activity. You can take this medication with or without food. Do not take vardenafil more than once a day. If you have certain health conditions such as heart disease, liver disease, or kidney disease, your doctor may recommend using a lower dose of vardenafil or using it less often.

Read the prescription label and patient information leaflet carefully and take vardenafil exactly as prescribed. Do not change the dose or dosing frequency without your doctor’s approval.

If you are taking the orally disintegrating tablet, read the instructions on how to remove the tablet from the blister pack. Place the tablet on your tongue and allow it to dissolve. Do not take it with water or other liquids. The regular tablets and orally disintegrating tablets cannot be substituted for one another. Make sure you take the formulation prescribed by your doctor.

Sexual activity can place a strain on your heart, especially if you have a history of heart disease. If you develop chest pain during sexual activity, call your doctor immediately and avoid further sexual activity until your doctor tells you it is okay.

Talk to your doctor about eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while on vardenafil. Grapefruit juice can increase blood levels of the drug and cause more serious side effects such as flushing and low blood pressure.

Tell your doctor if you have phenylketonuria (PKU) or fructose intolerance. The rapidly disintegrating tablets of vardenafil are sweetened with aspartame and sorbitol and can cause problems in people with these conditions.

You should know that vardenafil only works in the presence of sexual stimulation. This medication does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), so you should take precautions, such as using a condom.

Missed dose: Vardenafil is taken as needed at least one hour before sexual activity.

Storage: Store vardenafil between 15-30° C or 59-86° F (at room temperature) away from moisture, heat, and direct light in a tightly closed container. Do not store medications in the bathroom where they can be exposed to moisture and heat. Keep all medications safely out of reach of children and pets.

Unused medicine: Unused vardenafil should be disposed of in a way that children, other people, and pets cannot consume them. Do not flush vardenafil down the toilet. The best way to dispose of expired or unneeded vardenafil is through a drug take-back program. Learn more about proper medication disposal.

NOTE: This sheet is a summary and may not contain all possible drug information on vardenafil. The information contained here may not be up-to-date. This sheet is for information purposes only. If you have questions about vardenafil, talk to your doctor for medical advice.

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Vardenafil Side Effects

Vardenafil (Levitra) Side Effects

Common side effects of vardenafil are listed below. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects if they are severe or do not go away in a few days.

Headache
Heartburn
Stomach upset
Flushing
Flu-like symptoms
Runny or stuffy nose

Some of the potential adverse reactions of using this medication are more serious. Call your doctor right away or seek emergency medical attention if you develop:

An unusual or allergic reaction with skin rash, hives, itching
Swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, throat, hands, lower legs, ankles, or feet
Difficulty breathing or swallowing
Hoarseness
Fainting
Dizziness
Ringing in the ears
Sudden loss of hearing
Vision changes, including changes in color vision or blurred vision
Sudden loss of vision
A prolonged erection that lasts more than 4 hours

The above list may not include all the potential side effects of vardenafil. Call your doctor if you have any unusual side effects or if the side effects do not get better over time. You can also report unusual side effects to the Food and Drug Administration at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Vardenafil (Levitra) Overdose: In case of an overdose of vardenafil, call your doctor immediately or call the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222. If a person has collapsed, stopped breathing, had a seizure, or is not responsive, call 911 for emergency medical help. Symptoms of an overdose may include blurred vision, back pain, and muscle pain.

Source: FDA

Vardenafil Warnings

Vardenafil (Levitra) Risks, Warnings, and Complications

Vardenafil can cause or worsen health problems in certain high-risk individuals. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other treatment options for erectile dysfunction if you are at an increased risk of complications from this medication.

Cardiovascular Effects: Treatment of erectile dysfunction with vardenafil is not recommended for men who are at cardiac risk with sexual activity. Using this medication is also not recommended for men with unstable angina, hypotension (low blood pressure), uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure), life-threatening arrhythmias, severe heart failure, recent stroke, or recent heart attack. Patients with conditions such as aortic stenosis are more sensitive to the action of PDE-5 inhibitors, which are vasodilators. Vardenafil can result in a transient decrease in supine blood pressure, even in healthy men. Your healthcare professional will carefully weigh the benefits vs risks of taking vardenafil before prescribing this medication to you for erectile dysfunction. Tell your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical help if you develop chest pain, difficulty breathing, dizziness, or fainting.
QT Prolongation: Studies have shown that taking vardenafil can lead to an increase in the QTc interval on electrocardiogram tracings. These ECG changes are more likely when you combine vardenafil with other drugs that also have effects on the QT interval. Tell your doctor if you have a history of congenital or acquired QT prolongation. Give your doctor a complete list of your medications before starting vardenafil therapy.
Interactions with Other Medications: Taking vardenafil with medications that are CYP3A4 inhibitors (for example, HIV medications such as ritonavir, indinavir, and cobicistat; antifungal agents such as ketoconazole; and antibiotics such as erythromycin) can lead to increased plasma concentrations of vardenafil. Your doctor will adjust the dose of vardenafil if you are taking certain medications.
Caution is also advised when taking PDE-5 inhibitors, including vardenafil, with a group of drugs called alpha-blockers, which are also vasodilators with blood-pressure-lowering effects. These medications are prescribed for high blood pressure and prostate problems. If you are taking an alpha blocker and vardenafil together, tell your doctor immediately if you develop symptomatic hypotension (low blood pressure) with lightheadedness or fainting.
Priapism: Rarely, taking PDE-5 inhibitors such as vardenafil to treat erectile dysfunction can lead to a prolonged, painful erection lasting more than 4 hours (this condition is called priapism). Seek immediate medical attention if this occurs. Without immediate treatment, priapism can lead to permanent damage to the penile tissue and loss of the ability to achieve erections. Before starting treatment, tell your health care professional if you have any structural defects of the penis, such as angulation, Peyronie’s disease, or cavernosal fibrosis. Also, tell your doctor if you have sickle cell anemia, leukemia, or multiple myeloma. These conditions can increase the risk of priapism.
Sudden Vision Loss: Rarely, taking phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, including vardenafil, can lead to sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes. This may be a sign of a rare eye disorder called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Seek emergency medical attention if you develop any vision problems or loss of vision.
Sudden Hearing Loss: Rarely, PDE-5 inhibitors, including vardenafil, can cause serious problems such as a sudden decrease in hearing or hearing loss. This may be accompanied by dizziness and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Seek prompt medical attention if this occurs.
Hepatic Impairment: The dose of vardenafil needs to be adjusted in people with moderate hepatic impairment (reduced liver function due to liver disease). Vardenafil is not prescribed to people with severe hepatic impairment.
Renal Impairment: Vardenafil is not for men who are on renal dialysis, as it has been studied for safety in such individuals.
Combined Treatment with Other ED Drugs: We do not know the safety and efficacy of taking vardenafil with other treatments for erectile dysfunction. The use of combination treatments is therefore not recommended.

Precautions Before Starting Vardenafil (Levitra)

Tell your doctor if you have ever had allergic reactions to vardenafil, any of the active compounds or inactive ingredients in vardenafil tablets, other PDE-5 inhibitors, or any other medicines. Your pharmacy can give you a list of ingredients.

Give your doctor a complete list of medications, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products. This can help avoid possible interactions.

Vardenafil may not be safe for people with certain medical conditions. Tell your doctor if you currently have or have ever had a history of smoking; priapism (prolonged erection); conditions that affect the shape of your penis, such as Peyronie’s disease, cavernosal fibrosis, or angulation; high cholesterol; high blood pressure; low blood pressure; diabetes; heart disease; heart rhythm abnormalities; a personal or family history of long QT syndrome; angina (chest pain); heart attack; stroke; stomach ulcers; bleeding disorders; sickle cell anemia or other blood disorders; blood cancers such as leukemia or multiple myeloma; liver disease; kidney disease; seizures; hearing problems; severe vision loss or eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosus.

Vardenafil tablets are only for men. Women should not take this medication. Call your doctor if a woman takes vardenafil, especially a woman who could be pregnant or is currently breastfeeding.

Precautions During Use of Vardenafil (Levitra)

Keep all your medical and laboratory appointments while taking vardenafil. Your health care professional may adjust your vardenafil dose based on your response and side effects.

Call your doctor immediately if you develop chest pain during sexual activity. Refrain from further sexual activity until your doctor clears you.

Tell all your healthcare providers you are on vardenafil, especially before any surgery or emergency treatment for heart problems.

Vardenafil (Levitra) Drug Interactions

Concomitant use of vardenafil with certain other drugs can affect how the medications work. Possible drug interactions between vardenafil and other medications can increase the risk of severe adverse effects. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications, switch you to alternative treatments, or monitor your carefully for side effects if there are potential interactions.

You should not take vardenafil if you are currently taking or have recently taken riociguat (Adempas) or a nitrate medicine such as nitroglycerin (Nitrostat, Nitro-Dur, Minitran, Nitromist, others), isosorbide mononitrate (Monoket), or isosorbide dinitrate (Dilatrate-SR, Isordil, in BiDil). These medicines come as tablets, sublingual tablets, patches, sprays, ointments, and pastes.

Also, you should not take street drugs containing nitrates such as amyl nitrate or butyl nitrate (commonly called poppers) while on vardenafil.

Vardenafil can also have interactions with the following medications:

Alpha blockers such as doxazosin (Cardura), alfuzosin (Uroxatral), tamsulosin (Flomax, in Jalyn), prazosin (Minipress), and terazosin
Antiarrhythmics such as amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone), procainamide, sotalol (Betapace, Sorine, Sotylize), quinidine, and disopyramide (Norpace)
Antifungal medications such as itraconazole (Onmel, Sporanox), fluconazole (Diflucan), and ketoconazole (Nizoral)
Antibiotics such as clarithromycin (Biaxin, in Prevpac), moxifloxacin (Avelox), and erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Erythrocin)
Psychiatric medications such as haloperidol (Haldol) and thioridazine
HIV medications such as indinavir (Crixivan), ritonavir (Norvir, in Kaletra), atazanavir (Reyataz, in Evotaz), and saquinavir (Invirase)
Medications used to treat high blood pressure or irregular heartbeat
Calcium channel blockers such as verapamil (Covera, Calan, Verelan, others)
Other medications for erectile dysfunction
Opioid pain medications, including methadone (Dolophine, Methadose)
Medications prescribed for tics, such as pimozide (Orap)
Herbal products such as St. John's wort.

Give your doctor or pharmacist a complete list of your medications, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies. Also, tell your health care professional if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use recreational drugs because some of these substances can cause serious health complications when used with prescription medicines.

Vardenafil Pros & Cons

Vardenafil (Levitra) Pros and Cons

pros header.svg

You can take vardenafil as needed 1 hour before sexual activity.
It is available as an orally disintegrating tablet and a regular tablet.
You can take it with or without food.
There is a lower-cost generic available for vardenafil

cons header.svg

You need to allow 1 hour before sexual activity for vardenafil to work. Other ED drugs, such as Cialis (tadalafil), may start working sooner (within 30 minutes).
Vardenafil and other PDE-5 inhibitors are not recommended for people with a history of heart attack within the past 6 months.
It is not safe to take vardenafil with heart medications (nitrates) used to treat angina (chest pain).
Vardenafil does not prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

Vardenafil Pharmacist Tips

Vardenafil (Levitra) Tips from Pharmacists

Take vardenafil 1 hour before sexual intercourse.
You can take this medicine with or without food. However, it works faster when you take it on an empty stomach.
Avoid alcohol, as drinking alcohol can make it harder to get an erection.
Practice safe sex, for example, by using a condom. Vardenafil does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases.
If you develop a prolonged erection lasting more than 4 hours, seek immediate medical care.

Vardenafil Rx Savings Tips

Vardenafil (Levitra) Rx Savings Tips

Vardenafil is a generic medication and is available at significantly lower prices than the brand names. Brand names Levitra and Staxyn (discontinued) and generic vardenafil contain the same medicine and are equally effective and safe. Like with most medications, generic vardenafil offers better value. However, a BuzzRx vardenafil coupon can result in even bigger savings on the generic form of the drug. With a BuzzRx discount card, savings card, or discount coupons, the medication could cost you a fraction of retail prices. Vardenafil may be under $47.50 for 10 tablets of the 20 mg dose at Walmart, Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS Pharmacy, and other participating pharmacies with a BuzzRx discount card or free coupon. For the biggest discounts on vardenafil, give the checkout clerk your vardenafil discount coupon when you drop off your prescriptions at the pharmacy counter.

Lowest Price for Vardenafil (Levitra)

Brand
$159.55

Generic
$47.21

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Pricing based on most commonly-filled versions. Select the strength and quantity of your medication for the most accurate pricing.

Vardenafil Common Questions

Common Questions about Vardenafil (Levitra)

Is vardenafil as good as Viagra?

Both vardenafil and Viagra (sildenafil) belong to the same group of drugs (PDE-5 inhibitors), and both are effective in treating erectile dysfunction. Your doctor will help you choose the best ED medicine based on your medical history, symptoms, side effects, and personal preferences.

How many hours does vardenafil last?

The effects of vardenafil last for 4-5 hours. This medication helps you achieve and keep an erection in the presence of sexual stimulation. Tell your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical help if you develop a prolonged erection that lasts more than 4 hours.

Which is better: vardenafil or Cialis?

Both vardenafil and Cialis (tadalafil) can effectively treat erectile dysfunction. However, Cialis has a half-life of 17.5 hours, while vardenafil has a half-life of 4-6 hours. This means the effects of Cialis last considerably longer, and you can take it at any time of the day and not necessarily immediately before sexual activity. This is often a deciding factor for many men.

What is the strongest ED pill?

Vardenafil is 10 times stronger than sildenafil (Viagra) and also more selective for PDE type 5 compared to other types of PDE. You need to take smaller doses of vardenafil to achieve an erection, and this reduces the risk of side effects. Due to its selectivity for PDE-5, vardenafil is less likely to cause changes in color perception compared to Viagra.

Can I mix vardenafil and Viagra?

You should not mix vardenafil and Viagra or any other similar medications for erectile dysfunction. This can put you at risk of serious side effects such as symptomatic hypotension (low blood pressure) and fainting.

What is the price of vardenafil without insurance?

Without insurance, vardenafil can be as high as $682.77, but with a free BuzzRx prescription discount coupon, you could pay as low as $47.21 for the most common version of this medication. Use the BuzzRx drug price look-up tool to find the lowest discounted price, and be sure to enter the correct dosage, form, and quantity for the most accurate pricing. While generics tend to have the best savings, you can also use your BuzzRx card and coupons to purchase brand-name versions. It never hurts to ask your pharmacist to try BuzzRx when filling or refilling any of your prescription drugs—whether you have insurance or not.

What is the price of vardenafil with insurance?

Ask your pharmacist or insurance provider for your copay price on vardenafil—Copay amounts vary depending on the type of insurance plan you have and if there is a deductible to reach before prescription drug coverage begins.

You could save up to 80% on your prescription medication with a free BuzzRx discount coupon for vardenafil. When using the BuzzRx lookup tool to find the price of your medicine, be sure to enter the correct dosage, form, and quantity to receive the most accurate discounted pricing. It never hurts to ask your pharmacist to try BuzzRx when filling or refilling any of your prescriptions—whether you have insurance or not.

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