The Independent Pharmacy

Spedra Vs Viagra: All About The Popular Alternative ED Treatment

Scott McDougall
Scott McDougallMPharmDirector & Registered Manager

Reviewed on 10 Oct 2023

Although it may feel embarrassing, suffering from erectile dysfunction (ED) up to 1 in 5 men experience ED at some point in their lives. Luckily there are plenty of effective ED treatments that will help to treat it such as Spedra. But are there any side effects, and which is best when it comes to Spedra vs Viagra?

Below, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Spedra, answering any questions you may have about the ED treatment to help determine if it’s right for you.

What is Spedra?

Spedra is a popular and effective treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED). It can take effect as soon as 20 minutes after ingesting it and works for 4-5 hours but does require sexual stimulation to work.

Spedra comes in tablet form in 50mg, 100mg & 200mg doses; the active ingredient is avanafil. Avanafil is a PDE-5 inhibitor — a drug that tackles ED by increasing the blood flow to your penis once you have become aroused.

The effects of Spedra last for about 4-5 hours, during which your ability to achieve and maintain an erection will increase (this doesn’t mean that you will maintain an erection for this amount of time).

The treatment is available with a prescription in the UK from your doctor or a registered online pharmacy.

You can find out more about ED, as well as various ED treatments here.

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How does Spedra work?

Spedra works by promoting blood flow towards the penis, which results in an increased ability to maintain erections.

Avanafil is the active ingredient in Spedra tablets which tackles ED. It is a PDE-5 inhibitor — a drug that increases the blood flow to your penis once you have become aroused. This blood flow will only occur during sexual stimulation; using Spedra doesn’t mean you will achieve an erection as soon as you take the tablet.

Other PDE-5 inhibitors are Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra. Spedra works in a similar way to all of these ED medicines, but it is the most fast-acting, taking effect in just 20 minutes.

What are the side effects of using Spedra?

Many people who take Spedra do not experience any side effects at all. However, if you have never taken this ED medication before, or if you take the stronger 200mg dosage of Spedra, you are more likely to experience side effects.

The following Spedra side effects are common, which means they may appear in up to 1 in 10 people:

  • Flushing
  • Nasal congestion
  • Headache

Spedra also has a small risk of nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and skin rash as with all medicine. The Patient Information Leaflet enclosed with your medicine will detail a full list of side effects.

Stop taking Spedra and see a doctor immediately if you notice any of the following serious side effects:

  • Blurred vision
  • Sudden decrease or loss of vision in one or both eyes
  • Sudden decrease or loss of hearing (you may also feel dizzy or have ringing in your ears)
  • An erection that will not go away (known as priapism). If you get an erection that lasts more than 4 hours, this must be treated as soon as possible or lasting damage can happen to your penis (including not being able to get erections)

It may be that you need urgent medical treatment, so you should see a medical professional as soon as possible.

If you experience any of the above side effects, notice anything else unusual or you are concerned about using Spedra, consult with a doctor or pharmacist.

To find out how our customers have found using the treatment, visit our page of Spedra customer reviews.

Using Spedra with other medications

You should not take any other erectile dysfunction treatments or tablets alongside Spedra or within 24 hours of taking them. If you find that your Spedra dose is not working effectively for you, you can up it to 200mg, or speak to your doctor to try a different ED medication.

You should also avoid using Spedra alongside the below medications:

  • Nitrate medicines for heart conditions or chest pain such as amyl nitrate or glyceryl trinitrate
  • Medicine for AIDS or HIV, such as indinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, atazanavir, or nelfinavir
  • Fungal infection medication such as itraconazole, voriconazole, or ketoconazole
  • Some antibiotics such as clarithromycin or telithromycin

This is because Spedra can alter the effects of these medicines (and vice versa).

You should also inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are using any of the following medications and plan on using Spedra:

  • Alpha-blockers for lowering blood pressure or prostate problems
  • Medications for treating arrhythmias, such as procainamide, quinidine, sotalol or amiodarone
  • Antibiotics such as erythromycin
  • Primidone, phenobarbital, or carbamazepine for epilepsy
  • Riociguat Moderate CYP3A4 inhibitors such as aprepitant, diltiazem, amprenavir, fosamprenavir, fluconazole, and verapamil (these may prevent Spedra from breaking down inside the body)

Always inform your doctor or pharmacist of any medicines you are currently taking or intend to take; they will let you know if there is any risk to your health if you take Spedra alongside another type of medication.

Spedra dosages

Spedra comes in three different dosages: 50mg,100mg, and 200mg.

It is usually recommended that you start by taking the 100mg tablets. Then, if this dosage isn’t correct for you, you can change it to a different dosage.

For example, it could be that you experience negative side effects such as headaches, heart palpitations, or flushing. If these persist after using the medication multiple times, you might want to consider a reduced dosage of 50mg or switching to another medicine altogether.

If you have tried the 100mg dosage without success (or other ED treatments), you can increase the dosage up to 200mg. Spedra 200mg tablets are the highest dosage available and should be strong enough to treat almost all cases of ED.

Our trained, UK-based doctors will prescribe the right dosage for you, based on your needs. You can buy Spedra in all its dosages from us at The Independent Pharmacy.

As with all ED medication, there is a small chance that there will be little or no effect. This is particularly true if it is one of the first times you are using this medicine, so we generally advise that you try your Spedra dose at least eight times before switching to another dosage or medicine.

Spedra Versus Viagra

If you suffer from ED and you’re considering using Spedra, then you’ll want to know how it compares to Viagra.

Viagra has dominated the ED drug market for years and is the most popular and well-known of all ED medications. On the other hand, Spedra is a relatively new product and not as established as Viagra. So how do the two compare?

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Does Spedra take effect faster than Viagra?

Spedra is a much faster treatment than Viagra — it can take as little as 20 minutes to take effect. It is normally recommended that you take one Spedra tablet around 30 minutes before sex (and for some men, it can work as quickly as 15 minutes after consumption, particularly if you take it on an empty stomach).

Viagra, on the other hand, needs to be taken one hour before sex as it will not work before then.

The only exception to this is if you take Spedra on a full stomach after a large meal — in which case it can take as long as 90 minutes to work.

Does Spedra last longer than Viagra?

In this case, it’s a draw between the two medicines. Both of these ED treatments last a similar amount of time — approximately 4-5 hours.

It’s worth noting that this doesn’t mean that you will maintain an erection for this amount of time, but that your ability to achieve and maintain an erection will increase during this time.

Is Spedra more effective than Viagra?

In clinical trials, Viagra provides effective treatment for erectile dysfunction in about 80% of men, whereas Spedra only provides effective treatment to about 60% of men.

It really depends on what you want to prioritise — Viagra is a trusty ED treatment that will work for most people; however, Spedra is significantly faster-acting, so if you’re looking for speed then Spedra wins.

Are there fewer side effects from Spedra than from Viagra?

Spedra is a more recent product, which makes it harder to know if it has fewer side effects than Viagra (which has proven to be safe and effective for many people). As Spedra is chemically similar to Viagra and other erectile dysfunction treatments, the side effects that patients experience are likely to be similar.

If you are concerned about side effects, then using Viagra would be a simpler choice. However, you should always speak to your doctor about this when they are prescribing the right treatment for you.

Using Spedra with alcohol

Overall, we would generally recommend avoiding drinking alcohol while you are using Spedra.

Although it isn’t dangerous to do, drinking alcohol at the same time as taking Spedra may increase your heart rate and lower your blood pressure. You might also feel dizzy (especially when standing up), have a headache, or feel your heart beating particularly quickly or strongly in your chest (also known as heart palpitations).

Drinking alcohol may also decrease your ability to get an erection — so drinking alcohol might undo the work you have done taking Spedra in the first place.

Summary

If you are suffering from erectile dysfunction, then there are many different medications you can use to help you.

Spedra is, in particular, an effective and fast-acting ED medication that can take effect as quickly as 20 minutes after use — and can help you to achieve and maintain an erection for a window of 4-5 hours.

If you are interested in using this popular ED treatment, you can buy Spedra from The Independent Pharmacy. All you need to do is complete a quick and easy online consultation (which is free to do) that will be reviewed by one of our qualified medical team and you can receive your medication as quickly as the very next day.

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