Levitra (vardenafil citrate) Levitra (vardenafil citrate) is a prescription oral medicine used for the treatment of male impotence (erectile dysfunction) that has been in the market for over 10 years. Levitra is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor and its effects are purely physical, although patients taking this medicine also report an improved libido and self-esteem due to the absence of fear of failure. Levitra works by preventing the specific enzyme in your body from working too quickly. This enzyme called phosphodiesterase 5 is one of the eleven kinds of such enzymes found in the area of the penis and responsible for reversing the erection, which is why Levitra does not affect other areas of the body. Therefore, the effects of Levitra are only temporary – it is a treatment rather than a cure. You are recommended to take Levitra about an hour before having sex, although you may actually experience the effects of this medicine sooner than that – some people report as little as 35 minutes are needed for the medicine to work. Levitra comes in the doses of 5 mg, 10 mg and 20 mg to suit the needs of different patients. As with any other medicine before you start the treatment there are a number of factors that have to be taken into consideration. Firstly, it’s your allergies. You need to make sure you are not allergic to the active ingredient of this medicine (vardenafil citrate) or report to your health care provider any cases of being allergic to anything else. If your body once rejected some medicine the same thing may happen again, so it’s very important that in this case you have some tests done to establish the safety of using Levitra in you. Secondly, you must make sure that when you are taking this medicine it will not get in hands of other people – especially women that are pregnant or breastfeeding. Although Levitra is not intended for women, its safety for unborn babies has been studied. This drug being an FDA pregnancy category B is not expected to produce any dangerous effects in babies, but it is not known for sure whether Levitra can pass into breast milk and affect the health of an unborn baby. It’s therefore very important that any women intending to take Levitra due to any reasons should visit a qualified health care professional to discuss all the risks and benefits. Thirdly, older patients may be more sensitive to the effects of Levitra. Men older than 65 years may be started on a lower dosage of Levitra to see if it’s efficient. The dosage may later be adjusted by your health care provider depending on the way your body responds to the treatment.

Drug interactions have been reported also – which means you are not supposed to start any new medicines before talking to your health care provider. If you are already on some drug, either prescription or over-the-counter, tell your doctor about it before asking for a prescription. You are not supposed to take Levitra with nitrate-based drugs as a dangerous drop in blood pressure is possible, leading to fainting and even death. Some drugs used together with Levitra can lower its efficiency or alter the effects. You should be especially careful with taking any of the following drugs simultaneously with Levitra: irregular heartbeat medications, quinidine, alpha blockers, sotalol, erythromycin, indinavir, ketoconazole, ritonavir, and any other meds that you think may potentially cause concern. In general, you need to discuss your health condition as well to make sure your health care provider is able to prescribe the most beneficial dose for you that will not make you experience any side effects. People who smoke, those older than 50 as well as patients diagnosed with diabetes, low cup disk ratio, coronary artery disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, bleeding disorders, kidney or liver disease, or high cholesterol may be at risk of developing a number of rare but serious side effects, which is why it is so important for you to be examined carefully before you are prescribed anything. If you have a history of a stroke or NAION (sudden vision loss), abnormal penis shape, retinal disorders or a history of a stroke make sure your doctor is notified of that as well. There are a number of other conditions that can affect your treatment, so even if they are not mentioned here it’s important to report them to your health care provider.

Levitra is very well tolerated with just a few minor side effects being commonly reported including headache, upset stomach, back pain, stuffy nose and memory problems. These side effects do not need to be reported unless they bother you too much and do not go away soon. There are, however, more serious side effects that you must report to your health care provider as soon as possible, including vision changes, ringing in the ears, shortness of breath, seizures, swelling in your limbs, irregular heartbeat, chest pain when having sex, nausea, sweating, lightheadedness and priapism (a painful erection lasting for over 4 hours that can damage the tissues of the penis unless timely medical assistance is given). Make sure you observe all the recommendations of your health care provider and do not take more of Levitra than recommended. Levitra must not be taken more often than once every 24 hours. If you have any symptoms that cause concern or think that Levitra is not working properly for you the first thing you need to do is talk to your health care provider. Since Levitra is taken on the when-needed basis you can stop the treatment whenever you feel like it.

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