Archive for the ‘Levitra’ Category

Levitra.

Tuesday, September 11th, 2007

Levitra (Vardenafil) is an oral therapy for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.


Levitra (Vardenafil) comes as a tablet to take it orally. It should be taken, as needed about 1 hour before sexual activity. Some form of sexual stimulation is needed for an erection to occur with Levitra. Levitra should not be taken more than once a day. Levitra can be taken with or without food.

Levitra (Vardenafil) is an oral drug that is used to treat impotence (the inability to attain or maintain a penile erection.). It is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor that is similar to sildenafil (Viagra).
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.

 
Before taking Levitra (Vardenafil), tell your doctor if you currently have or have ever had a heart attack, stroke, irregular heartbeats, angina (chest pain), or congestive heart failure; high or low blood pressure; if you have a personal or family history of a rare heart condition known as prolongation of the QT interval (long QT syndrome); liver problems or kidney problems; have ever had blood problems, including sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma, or leukemia; have a bleeding or blood clotting disorder; have a stomach ulcer; a family history of degenerative eye disease (e.g., retinitis pigmentosa); or if you have a physical deformity of the penis such as Peyronie’s disease. You may not be able to take Levitra, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above. Although women do not indicate Levitra for use, it is in the FDA pregnancy category B. This means that Levitra is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Women should not take Levitra. It is not known whether Levitra passes into breast milk. If you are over 65 years of age, you may be more likely to experience side effects from Levitra. Your doctor may prescribe a lower dose of the medication.