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Vardenafil (Levitra) is a PDE5 inhibitor used in the treatment of erectile
dysfunction. It can assist men with this disorder in achieving and maintaining
an erection during sexual activity. As a
PDE5 inhibitor, vardenafil is closely related in both function and marketing to
sildenafil and tadalafil; it has a relatively short effective time, comparable
to sildenafil. History
Vardenafil was co-marketed by Bayer Pharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
under the trade name Levitra. As of 2005, the co-promotion rights of GSK on
Levitra have been "transferred back" to Bayer in many markets outside of the
United States. In Italy, Bayer markets the product as Levitra and GSK markets
the product as Vivanza. Clinical use
Main page: PDE5 inhibitor
Indications and contraindications are as for other PDE5 inhibitors.
Adverse drug reactions
More common adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are as per other PDE5 inhibitors and
are listed on that page.
Common vardenafil-specific ADRs include: nausea. Infrequent ADRs include:
abdominal pain, back pain, photosensitivity, abnormal vision, eye pain, facial
oedema, hypertension, palpitation, tachycardia, arthralgia, myalgia, rash, itch,
priapism. (Rossi, 2004)
Dose forms
Levitra TabletIt is available in 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, and 20 mg doses in round
orange tablets. The normal starting dose is 10 mg (roughly equivalent to 50 mg
of sildenafil). Vardenafil should be taken 25-60 minutes prior to sexual
activity, with a maximum dose frequency of once per day.
Retreived from
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