Vardenafil warnings

Do not take Vardenafil if:

• You are allergic to vardenafil or any of the other ingredients of this medicine. Signs of an allergic reaction include a rash, itching, swollen face or lips and shortness of breath
• You are taking medicines containing nitrates, such as glycerol trinitrate for angina, or nitric oxide donors, such as amyl nitrite. Taking these medicines with vardenafil could seriously affect your blood pressure
• You are taking ritonavir or indinavir, medicines used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections
• You are over 75 years of age and are taking ketoconazole or itraconazole, anti-fungal medicines
• You have a severe heart or liver problem
• You are having kidney dialysis
• You have recently had a stroke or heart attack
• You have or have had low blood pressure
• Your family has a history of degenerative eye diseases (such as retinitis pigmentosa)
• You have ever had a condition involving loss of vision due to damage to the optic nerve from insufficient blood supply known as non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION)
• You are taking riociguat. This drug is used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (i.e. high blood pressure in the lungs) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (i.e. high blood pressure in the lungs secondary to blood clots). PDE5 inhibitors, such as vardenafil have been shown to increase the hypotensive effects of this medicine. If you are taking riociguat or are unsure tell your doctor

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Vardenafil if you:

• Have heart trouble. It may be risky for you to have sex
• Suffer from irregular heart beat (cardiac arrhythmia) or inherited heart diseases affecting your electrocardiogram
• Have a physical condition affecting the shape of the penis. This includes conditions called angulation, Peyronie’s disease and cavernosal fibrosis
• Have an illness that can cause erections which won't go away )priapism). These include sickle cell disease, multiple myeloma and leukaemia
• Have stomach ulcers (also called gastric or peptic ulcers)
• Have a bleeding disorder (such as haemophilia)
• Are using any other treatments for erectile difficulties, including any medicines contain vardenafil
• Experience sudden decrease or loss of vision, stop taking vardenafil and contact your doctor immediately

Other medicines and Vardenafil

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. Some medicines may cause problems, especially these:

• Nitrates, medicines for angina, or nitric oxide donors, such as amyl nitrate. Taking these medicines with vardenafil could seriously affect your blood pressure. Talk to a doctor and do not take Vardenafil
• Medicnie for the treatment of arrhythmias, such as quinidine, procainamide, amiodarone or sotalol
• Ritonavir or indinavir, medicines for HIV. Talk to a doctor without taking Vardenafil
• Ketoconazole or itraconazole - antifungal medicines
• Erythromycin, or clarithromycin - macrolide antibiotics
• Alpha-blockers - a type of medicine used to treat high blood pressure and enlargement of the prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia)
• Riociguat
• Do not use Vardenafil tablets combined with any other treatment for erectile dysfunction

Vardenafil with food, drink and alcohol

You can take Vardenafil with or without food, but preferably not after a heavy or high-fat meal as this may delay the effect. Don’t drink grapefruit juice when you use Vardenafil. It can interfere with the usual effect of the medicine. Alcoholic drink can make erection difficulties worse.

Vardenafil dosage

The recommended starting dose for men who have not taken erectile dysfunction treatment is 10 mg. Take one Vardenafil tablet about 25 to 60 minutes before sexual activity. With sexual stimulation you may achieve an erection anywhere from 25 minutes up to four to five hours after taking Vardenafil.

Swallow one tablet with a glass of water. Do not take Vardenafil film-coated tablets with any other forms of Vardenafil or other ED treatments. Do not take Vardenafil more than once a day. If you think Vardenafil is too strong or too weak, please contact our medical team or your GP, who can advise you on changing your dosage. They may suggest a switch to an alternative Vardenafil formulation with a different dose, depending on how well it works for you.

Vardenafil ingredients

The ingredients in generic Vardenafil tablets produced by Zentiva are:

Active ingredient: vardenafil (as hydrochloride trihydrate) 5 mg, 10 mg or 20 mg.

The other ingredients are: Tablet core: Cellulose, microcrystalline; Silica colloidal anhydrous; Crospovidone (type A); Stearic acid. Tablet coating: Hypromellose; Macrogol 400; Titanium dioxide (E171); Iron oxide yellow (E172); Iron oxide red (E172).

Vardenafil side effects

Like all medicines, Vardenafil can produce side effects in some men, although it is generally well-tolerated. The chance of having a side effect when taking Vardenafil is described by the following categories:

Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people):

• Headache

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):

• Dizziness
• Flushing
• Blocked or runny nose
• Indigestion.

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):

• Swelling of skin and mucous tissue including swollen face, lips or throat
• Sleep disorders
• Numbness and impaired perception of touch
• Sleepiness
• Effects on vision; redness of the eye, effects on colour vision, eye pain and discomfort, light sensitivity
• Ringing in the ears, vertigo
• Fast heart beat or pounding heart
• Breathlessness, stuffy nose
• Acid reflux, gastritis, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, feeling sick (nausea), dry mouth.
• Raised levels of liver enzymes in your blood
• Rash, reddened skin
• Back or muscle pain; increase in blood of a muscle enzyme (creatine phosphokinase), muscle stiffness.
• Prolonged erections
• Malaise

If you experience any adverse effects from taking Vardenafil it is important to let us know immediately. Please log in to your online account and message one of our healthcare professionals or alternatively call us on 0333 2200 519. In a medical emergency you should contact the emergency services or go straight to your local Accident & Emergency.

For further information on the possible side effects, please view the Vardenafil patient information leaflet: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.9841.pdf