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Should be stored at room temperature between 15-30°C (59-86°F).
Should be kept at room temperature, 15- 30°C (59-86°F).
Dosage:
Comes in 2.5,5,10 and 20 mg tablets
Comes in 25,50 and 100 mg tablets
Consumption instructions:
For most it is 10mg per day 60 min before intercourse
To be taken in the fasted state
How does it work?:
Inhibits an enzyme called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5), making muscle in the penis more likely to relax and allowing blood to flow in, causing an erection.
Inhibits an enzyme called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5), making muscle in the penis more likely to relax and allowing blood to flow in, causing an erection.
How fast does it work?:
Levitra label says to take it 60 minutes before sexual activity, but studies show it can work in 16 minutes. May be more likely to work the first time.
The FDA-approved package insert says it takes 30 minutes to 120 minutes, but studies say it takes less than 15 minutes.
Half Life:
4-5 hours
4 hours
Side effects:
acial flushing (reddening), headaches, stomach upset, diarrhea, flu like symptoms and nausea. Vardenafil also may cause chest pain, low blood pressure, blurred vision and changes in color vision, abnormal ejaculation and priapism (painful erection).
Facial flushing, headaches, stomach pain, nasal congestion, nausea, diarrhea, and an inability to differentiate between the colors green and blue.
Excretion:
Feces (91% to 95% as metabolites); urine (2% to 6%)
Feces (80%); urine (13%)
How does it look?:
Flame-orange coloured, rounded tablets
Blue, film - coated, rounded, diamond shaped tablets
Selling Point:
May work faster, and for men in whom viagra failed
Good track record. Has been used by 20 million men worldwide.
FDA Approval:
On 20th August, 2003
On 27th march, 1998
Brand owners:
Manufactured by Bayer Corp. and distributed by GlaxoSmith Kline.
Viagra is the product of the drug manufacturing company, Pfizer.
Named after:
Levitate, or la vita which means 'life'
Vigor or Niagara
Biological Function:
PDE5 inhibitor
Sildenafil citrate
US Sales:
$174 Million(2004)
$919 Million(2004)
Famous face:
Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka
Politician Bob Dole
Generic Names:
Vardenafil hydrochloride
Sildenafil citrate
Claim to Fame:
Latest pill to join the "sex tablet" bandwagon
First oral pill approved for the treatment of male impotency
Both Viagra and Levitra are drugs used to treat Male erectile dysfunction.
Viagra was approved by FDA on 27th March, 1998 as a prescription medicine and pulmonary arterial hypertension. The main ingredient of Viagra is Sildenafil, the generic name for it is Sildenafil citrate, which relaxes the muscles of penis and increases the blood flow into the penis so that a good erection can be gained followed by sexual stimulation. Viagra is the product of the drug manufacturing company, Pfizer. Viagra is a blue, rounded diamond shaped pill available in 25-mg, 50-mg and 10-mg tablets for oral administration in the fasted state and should be taken when sexual intercourse is intended.
Levitra was approved by FDA on Aug. 20, 2003 as a prescription medicine used to treat erectile dysfunction. The main ingredient of Levitra is Vardenafil, the generic name for it is Vardenafil Hydrochloride, which relaxes the muscles of penis and increases the blood flow into the penis so that a good erection can be gained followed by sexual stimulation. Levitra was manufactured by Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation and was marketed by Glaxosmithkline. Levitra is an orange colored pill, available in 2.5-mg, 5-mg, 10-mg, and 20-mg tablets for oral administration and should be taken when sexual intercourse is intended.
Sildenafil citrate is designated chemically as 1-[[3-(6,7-dihydro-1-methyl-7-oxo-3-propyl-1H-pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidin-5-yl)-4-ethoxyphenyl]sulfonyl]-4-methylpiperazine citrate. Sildenafil citrate is a white to off-white crystalline powder with a solubility of 3.5 mg/mL in water and a molecular weight of 666.7. VIAGRA (sildenafil citrate) is formulated as blue, film-coated rounded-diamond-shaped tablets equivalent to 25 mg, 50 mg and 100 mg of sildenafil for oral administration. In addition to the active ingredient, sildenafil citrate, each tablet contains the following inactive ingredients: microcrystalline cellulose, anhydrous dibasic calcium phosphate, croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate, hypromellose, titanium dioxide, lactose, triacetin, and FD & C Blue #2 aluminum lake.
The main ingredient of Levitra is Vardenafil HCI, which is a piperazine, 1-[[3- (1,4-dihydro-5-methyl-4-oxo-7-propylimidazo[5,1-f][1,2,4]triazin-2-yl)-4- ethoxyphenyl]sulfonyl]-4-ethyl-, monohydrochloride. This is almost pale and solid with molecular weight of g/mol and has the solubility of 0.11 mg/ml in plain water. Other then the main ingredient Vardenafil HCI, one tablet of Levitra contains crospovidone, microcrystalline cellulose, colloidal silicon dioxide, hypromellose, polyethylene glycol, magnesium stearate, yellow ferric oxide, titanium dioxide, and red ferric oxide. Below is the diagram that depicts the structure of Vardenafil HCI.
Viagra: Sildenafil is used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction of either organic (medical condition) or psychogenic (psychological) cause and for pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Levitra: Vardenafil is used for the treatment of impotence.
Viagra: For most patients, the recommended dose is 50 mg taken, as needed, approximately 1 hour before sexual activity. However, VIAGRA may be taken anywhere from 4 hours to 0.5 hour before sexual activity. Based on effectiveness and toleration, the dose may be increased to a maximum recommended dose of 100 mg or decreased to 25 mg. The maximum recommended dosing frequency is once per day.
Levitra: For most patients, the recommended starting dose of LEVITRA is 10 mg, taken orally approximately 60 minutes before sexual activity. The dose may be increased to a maximum recommended dose of 20 mg or decreased to 5 mg based on efficacy and side effects. The maximum recommended dosing frequency is once per day. LEVITRA can be taken with or without food. Sexual stimulation is required for a response to treatment.
Take this medicine 60 minutes before sexual intercourse. This medicine is taken on an as needed basis. Do not take one dose more often than every 24 hours, unless instructed by healthcare provider.
Viagra: Over half of all men with impotence are thought to have some physical (medical) cause. The remainder are believed to have psychogenic causes of impotence. Medical causes of impotence include diabetes and circulatory, neurological or urological conditions. Penile erection is caused by the engorgement of the penis with blood. This engorgement occurs when the blood vessels delivering blood to the penis increase the delivery of blood and the blood vessels carrying blood away from the penis decrease the removal of blood. Under normal conditions, sexual stimulation leads to the production and release of nitric oxide in the penis. Nitric oxide then activates the enzyme, guanylate cyclase, which causes the production of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). It is the cGMP that is primarily responsible for the erection by affecting the amount of blood that the blood vessels deliver and remove from the penis. Sildenafil also reduces the pressure in the pulmonary artery in a serious condition called pulmonary arterial hypertension. Sildenafil inhibits an enzyme called phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) which destroys the cGMP. Thus, sildenafil prevents the destruction of cGMP and allows cGMP to accumulate and persist longer. The longer cGMP persists, the more prolonged the engorgement of the penis.
Levitra: Penile erection is caused by the engorgement of the penis with blood. This engorgement occurs when the blood vessels delivering blood to the penis increase in size and increase the delivery of blood to the penis. At the same time, the blood vessels carrying blood away from the penis decrease in size and decrease the removal of blood from the penis. Sexual stimulation that leads to the engorgement and erection causes the production and release of nitric oxide in the penis. Nitric oxide then activates the enzyme, guanylate cyclase to produce cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). The cGMP is primarily responsible for increasing and decreasing the size of the blood vessels carrying blood to and from the penis, respectively. Vardenafil prevents an enzyme called phosphodiesterase-5 from destroying cGMP so that cGMP persists longer. The longer cGMP persists, the more prolonged the engorgement of the penis.
Viagra: Like with all medicines, some people taking VIAGRA may experience side effects. These are usually mild and don’t last longer than a few hours. The most common side effects are:
Headache
Facial flushing
Upset stomach
Less common side effects are temporary bluish vision or blurred vision, or being sensitive to light. In clinical studies:
Patients rarely stopped taking Viagra because of side effects
The frequency of side effects has been shown to decrease over time
Taking Viagra does not make you more dependent upon it to get or maintain an erection.
Levitra: The most common side effects of levitra are
Flushing. Wearing layers of clothes or summer clothes and cool environment may help.
Mild dizziness
Headache
Nasal congestion
Stomach upset
Sensitivity of the eyes to light
Temporary blue tint in vision or other vision abnormalities
In rare cases people who have used PDE5 inhibitors like Levitra, have experienced a sudden loss of vision which can be temporary as well as permanent although the main reason behind it has still not been explored. It is not confirmed whether the medicine is responsible for vision loss or not.
If you have an allergy to vardenafil or any other part of this medicine.
Tell healthcare provider if you are allergic to any medicine. Make sure to tell about the allergy and how it affected you. This includes telling about rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other symptoms involved.
Viagra: Sildenafil increases the effects of the blood pressure lowering medications. It also increases the blood pressure lowering effects of nitrates, e.g. isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil), isosorbide mononitrate (Imdur, Ismo, Monoket), nitroglycerin (Nitro-Dur, Transderm-Nitro) that are used primarily for treating angina. Patients taking nitrates should not receive sildenafil. Cimetidine (Tagamet), erythromycin, ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox) and mibefradil (Posicor) can cause marked increases in the amount of sildenafil in the body. Patients taking these medications should be observed carefully if sildenafil is used. It is expected that rifampin will decrease blood levels of sildenafil and probably reduce its effectiveness.
Levitra: The breakdown and elimination of vardenafil from the body is inhibited by erythromycin, ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), indinavir (Crixivan) and ritonavir (Norvir). Therefore, these drugs increase the concentration of vardenafil in the blood. If these drugs are being used at the same time as vardenafil, the dose of vardenafil should be reduced in order to avoid side effects from vardenafil. Vardenafil reduces the concentration of ritonavir and indinavir and may reduce the effect these drugs. Vardenafil increases the heart rate and also exaggerates the blood pressure lowering effects of nitrates (e.g. nitroglycerine). In patients who take nitrates for chest pain (angina), vardenafil could cause chest pain by increasing heart rate and lowering blood pressure. Therefore, patients with angina should not use vardenafil. Vardenafil also exaggerates the blood pressure lowering effects of alpha-blocking drugs, e.g. terazosin (Hytrin), and should not be used by individuals who also use alpha-blockers.
