Levitra – The reliable route to overcome ED

Erectile Dysfunction (ED), sometimes referred to as impotence, can cast a long shadow over a man’s life, affecting him both physically and emotionally. Although ED cannot be cured, the arrival of medications such as Levitra have revolutionised the treatment of the symptoms making it possible for sufferers to once again enjoy a satisfying sex life.

Most men at some point in their lives experience some difficulties in getting and keeping an erection that lasts long enough and is hard enough for successful sexual intercourse to take place. Fortunately, this experience is often only transitory in nature and rectifies itself without the need for any type of medical intervention. But if problems in achieving or maintaining an adequate erection keep happening, if erections are not as hard as they once were or erections cannot be achieved at all, then ED is likely to be diagnosed. It is a very common condition - estimates suggest that around 15% of the male population will experience ED at some point, with the incidence increasing significantly with age.

ED is a genuine medical condition and should be medically diagnosed. The causes of ED are many and varied. It’s estimated that about 70% of cases of ED have a physical cause. High cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes all increase the risk of suffering from ED. Many other medical, physical and lifestyle matters can also lead to ED including neurological and hormonal disorders, obesity, lack of exercise, stress, lack of sleep, depression, smoking, alcohol abuse, spinal cord injury and prostate surgery. In some cases ED is a direct side-effect of medications taken for other conditions.

Levitra helps a man overcome the symptoms of ED by inhibiting the actions of the enzyme phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE5), which occurs naturally in erectile tissue. PDE5 acts to break down cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate (cGMP), the chemical that enables erections to occur. When a man is sexually stimulated, nitric oxide is released from the nerve terminals and endothelial cells in his penis. This causes cGMP to be synthesised in the smooth muscle cells of the corpus cavernosum – the two cylinders of erectile tissue found in the shaft of the penis. cGMP causes these smooth muscles to relax which allows more blood to flow into the corpus cavernosum. As the corpus cavernosum fill, the veins that let blood flow out of the penis are shut down trapping the blood inside the penis and an erection is achieved.

If this chain of events is disrupted by the man producing either too little cGMP or too much PDE5, ED problems occur. The active ingredient in Levitra is the PDE5 inhibitor vardenafil. Vardenafil inhibits the action of PDE5 and reduces its levels, making it possible for ED sufferers to quickly experience erections that are hard enough and last long enough to enable sexual intercourse to be successfully completed successfully.

Because Levitra is a PDE5 inhibitor, it requires the man to be sexually stimulated if it is to work. This means that it can safely be taken and remain in the body for several hours without the fear of it causing an instant erection without any sexual arousal. Likewise, Levitra should not keep a man erect for hours. Levitra may remain active in the body for several hours but it should not cause an erection for any longer than a man is sexually stimulated. The idea is to help the ED sufferer to achieve and keep an erection long enough to have successful sex. Once he has completed his sexual activity, the blood flow to his penis should decrease and his erection should go away.
 
Levitra does not effect a man’s libido either. It acts purely on the physical aspects of achieving and maintaining quality erections and not on the mind.

The efficacy of Levitra in overcoming ED problems has been the subject of extensive clinical trials involving over 4,400 men. Not only did these trials demonstrate how successful Levitra is as a medication to treat the symptoms of ED (over 85% of patients reported improved erections), the quality of their erections was also enhanced (erections were harder and lasted long enough to allow sufferers to enjoy successful sex which resulted in an overall improvement in sexual experiences).

The trials also established that Levitra can safely be used by men with pre-existing conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. And not only can Levitra safely be used by these men, it can also be used when ED sufferers are taking medications to treat these and a wide range of other pre-existing conditions. However, Levitra should only be taken with other medications (whether prescription or over the counter) once the advice of a doctor has been sought.
 
The advantage of Levitra is that for many men it works first time, providing them with a reliable improvement in erection quality. Indeed, Levitra is so reliable that has been known to work even when other oral ED treatments have previously failed.

Dosage

The usual starting dose is 10mg of Levitra once a day, increasing if necessary up to 20mg a day. The correct dosage should be determined by a physician.  Levitra must not be taken more than once a day. Levitra should be taken with water about an hour before an erection is desired, although studies have established that most men would be capable of successfully beginning sexual activity in under an hour from administration.

Side Effects

Levitra is generally well tolerated and any side effects are usually very mild in nature.

Possible side-effects are listed below although many men do not suffer from any side effects at all:

• Very common side effects affecting 1 in 10 people – headache, flushing
• Common side effects affecting between 1 in 10 and 1 in 100 people – blocked or runny nose, dizziness, indigestion, nausea
• Other rarer adverse effects reported include diarrhoea, muscle pain, skin rashes, and urinary or respiratory-tract infection
• Uncommon side effects affecting between 1 in 100 and 1 in 1000 people – diarrhoea, back or muscle pain, skin rashes and sensitivity of skin to sunlight, high or low blood pressure, bloodshot or watery eyes, sleepiness, breathlessness and respiratory tract infection, fast heart beat, nose bleeds, facial swelling and urinary tract infection

In very rare instances, men taking PDE5 inhibitors (including Levitra) have reported a sudden decrease or loss of vision in one or both eyes, or a sudden loss or decrease in hearing, sometimes accompanied by a ringing in the ears and dizziness. It has not been possible to determine if these effects are directly related to the PDE5 inhibitors or other factors but If any of these symptoms are experienced, Levitra administration should be stopped and immediate medical attention sought.

All ED medications also carry a very rare risk of producing an erection that lasts longer than 4 hours. Again if this happens immediate medical attention must be sought in order to avoid long term injury.

Cautions

For patients already taking beta blockers, the starting dose maybe lower. Lower doses, and possibly longer times between doses, are also recommended with a range of other medications including ritonavir, indinavir, saquinavir, atazanavir, ketoconazole, itraconazole, erythromycin and clarithromycin. Caution must be exercised if any of these medications are already being taken.

Although in general Levitra can be taken at the same time as other medications, it must not be taken if the ED sufferer is:
• Taking nitrates; Usually used to treat heart conditions such as hypotension ( low blood pressure)
• Taking ritonavir or indinavir; Unless advised by a medical professional that  it is safe to do so
• Over 75 years old and taking ketoconazole or itraconazole; Below this age, caution is advised.

Levitra must not be taken if the ED sufferer is allergic to Levitra or any of its ingredients or has uncontrolled high blood pressure.

Other medical conditions should be discussed with the patient’s doctor before taking Levitra. In particular caution is advised if the patient is receiving kidney dialysis or has:

• Heart problems, including cardiac arrhythmia, even where nitrates are not being used to treat the condition
• Liver problems
• Recently had a heart attack or stroke
• Low blood pressure
• A family has a history of degenerative eye diseases
• A physical condition affecting the shape of his penis
• An illness that can cause erections that will not go away
• Stomach ulcers
• Bleeding disorder

Levitra is not a contraceptive, it does not provide protection from STD’s nor should it be taken by women.