Vardenafil (Systemic)

Brand name(s): Levitra

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For vardenafil, the following should be considered:

Allergies-Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to vardenafil. Also tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy-Vardenafil is not indicated for use in women. Vardenafil has not been studied in pregnant women. However, vardenafil has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in animal studies.

Breast-feeding-It is not known whether vardenafil passes into breast milk. Vardenafil is not indicated for use in women.

Older adults-Elderly people are especially sensitive to the effects of vardenafil, which may increase their chance of having side effects. Patients 65 years of age and older are started on a lower dose than younger adults. The dose may be increased by a doctor as needed and tolerated.

Other medicines-Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking vardenafil, it is especially important that your doctor and pharmacist know if you are taking any of the following:

• Medicine for irregular heart beats, such as
• Amiodarone (e.g., Cordarone) or
• Procainamide (e.g., Procan SR, Promine, Pronestyl, Pronestyl-SR) or
• Quinidine (e.g., Cardioquin, Quinaglute Dura-tabs, Quinidex Extentabs, Quin-Release) or
• Sotalol (e.g., Betapace, Sotacor)-these medicines should not be used together with vardenafil

• Alpha blockers (medicine for high blood pressure) such as
• Terazosin (e.g., Hytrin)
• Tamsulosin (e.g., Flomax)
• Doxazosin (e.g., Cardura)
• Prazosin (e.g., Minipress)
• Alfuzosin (e.g., Uroxatral)-these medicines should not be used at the same time as vardenafil because they can cause very low blood pressure and serious side effects

• Erythromycin (medicine used to treat infection)-this medicine may cause there to be more vardenafil in your body; your doctor may want to adjust your dose of vardenafil

• Ketoconazole (e.g., Nizoral)
• Itraconazole (e.g., Sporanox)-these medicines may cause there to be more vardenafil in your body; your doctor may want to adjust your dose of vardenafil

• Indinavir (e.g., Crixivan) or
• Ritonavir (e.g., Norvir, Kaletra)-these medicines may cause there to be more vardenafil in your body; your doctor may want to adjust your dose of vardenafil

• Nitrates, such as nitroglycerin (e.g., Nitrostat or Transderm-Nitro)-vardenafil increases the chance of very low blood pressure and using these medicines together is not recommended

Other medical problems-The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of vardenafil. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Angina (reoccurring chest pain) or
• Hypotension (low blood pressure) or
• Hypertension (high blood pressure) or
• Stroke (recent history of) or
• Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) or
• Heart attack (within the last 6 months) or
• Heart failure or
• Liver disease (severe) or
• Kidney disease (severe) or
• Retinal disorders (rare hereditary eye problem)-vardenafil has not been studied in patients with these medical conditions and should not be used
• Abnormal penis, including curved penis and birth defects of the penis-Chance of problems occurring may be increased and should be used with caution in these patients

• Bleeding disorders or
• Stomach ulcers-chance of problems occurring may be increased; it is not known if the medicine is safe for use in these patients

• Heart disease, underlying-chance of low blood pressure occurring is greater; vardenafil should be used carefully in these patients

• Liver disease, moderate-this condition may cause there to be more vardenafil in your body; your doctor may want to start these patients on a lower dose

• Heart blood flow problems-these conditions may cause you to be more sensitive to vardenafil

• Sickle-cell anemia
• Bone marrow cancer
• Leukemia-vardenafil should be used with caution in these patients

• QT prolongation (rare heart condition)-vardenafil may cause this condition to become worse

Last Revised: