Vardenafil HCl

Also known as: vardenafil, Levitra (branded), Staxyn (branded), PDE5 inhibitor

Sexual Well-Being

In plain English

Vardenafil is another erectile-dysfunction medicine in the same family as sildenafil and tadalafil. It improves blood flow to the penis during sexual arousal and is taken before sexual activity. It is FDA-approved and taken by mouth. It should not be taken with nitrate heart medicines.

The science

Vardenafil is a potent PDE5 inhibitor with pharmacology similar to sildenafil (onset ~30-60 minutes, half-life ~4-5 hours). Its first large at-home randomized trial (Porst 2001) demonstrated significant improvement across all doses in men with mixed-etiology erectile dysfunction, and it is an established first-line option in the AUA guideline. It may prolong the QT interval modestly (relevant with other QT-prolonging drugs) and, like the class, is contraindicated with nitrates and guanylate cyclase stimulators. Common effects are headache, flushing, rhinitis, and dyspepsia. FDA-approved tablets/orally disintegrating tablets exist; compounded capsules/troches are not FDA-approved formulations.

References

• Porst et al., Int J Impot Res 2001 (first at-home vardenafil RCT)
• Burnett et al., J Urol 2018 (AUA Erectile Dysfunction Guideline)