Two of the most popular erectile dysfunction drugs available to the public are vardenafil and sildenafil, although they are more commonly known as Levitra and Viagra® respectively. Millions of men in the United States and tens of millions of men around the world use these medications.
Both are designed to help improve blood flow to the erectile tissue of the penis in order to help treat erectile dysfunction. While they both share this goal and have similar rates of success, there are a few differences that separate them that may influence which one is better for you specifically.
How Do They Work?
Levitra and Viagra® are both a specific class of medication that is known as PDE5 inhibitors. The way that they work is by relaxing the smooth muscles and tissues of the penis in order to increase blood flow, which will help to achieve and maintain erections more easily during sexual activities.
Levitra contains the active ingredient vardenafil, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2003 as an effective form of erectile dysfunction treatment. Viagra® contains the active ingredient sildenafil, which has a longer history. Originally synthesized to treat hypertension (high blood pressure), sildenafil was found to have incredible effects on increasing blood flow to the penis specifically. More research and studies were done and in 1999 the Food and Drug Administration approved it as the first oral PDE5 inhibitor to treat erectile dysfunction.
In addition to treating erectile dysfunction, sildenafil can be used as a potential treatment for high blood pressure, due to its effects on arterial blood flow. However, vardenafil is used exclusively for treating erectile dysfunction and as of yet is not currently used to treat any other conditions.
Which One Lasts Longer?
There is no real difference in the half life of Levitra and Viagra® as they both remain in the body for a similar amount of time. Both drugs are designed to provide a short term relief from the effects of erectile dysfunction, usually for one evening of sexual activity only.
Levitra, or vardenafil, has a half life that will range between four and six hours. This means it will typically take your body four to six hours to metabolize and get rid of the active ingredient. However, this doesn’t mean that the effects will disappear along with the ingredients.
On average, vardenafil will work for up to seven hours after it’s been taken, but the maximum potential of the effects will usually start to fade after about four hours. In contrast, Viagra®, or sildenafil, has a half life of four hours and will work for around three to six hours after taking a normal dose, although the effects tend to fade after about three to four hours. Both Viagra® and Levitra are designed for short term benefits and neither are particularly long lasting. The intention is for each drug to be taken around dinner time with the effects usually ending right before going to sleep.
Answer: Although they are both designed to last for one night, Levitra technically has a longer half life and its effects will be felt for longer than using Viagra®.
Which One Is More Effective?
Both options are highly effective at treating erectile dysfunction. In clinical trials, Levitra and Viagra® are effective in approximately 80% of men, who report satisfactory erections when using the medications.
- A clinical trial for Levitra found that 80% of men reported achieving an erection that was sufficient for penetrative sex with when using the 20 mg dose of vardenafil. In addition, Levitra is also effective at lower doses, with 75% of men achieving a sufficient erection using the 10 mg dose.
- A clinical trial for Viagra® found that 82% of men reported having improved erections after using the largest dose of 100mg. The 50 mg dose of Viagra®resulted in 74% of the men reporting improved erections.
Answer: When it comes to treating erectile dysfunction, there is not very much difference between these two options.
Which One is Faster?
Both Levitra and Viagra® are fast acting drugs and there shouldn’t be too much of a wait time after taking them for their effects to be felt. When taking a normal dose, Levitra will usually start working after about 30 minutes although it may take up to an hour for the drug’s maximum effects to be felt. Similar to Levitra, Viagra® also starts working around the 30 minute mark with its full effectiveness taking around an hour to achieve.
Answer: Both of these medications will take around 30 minutes to start working and reach their peak around an hour. There is no real difference between them.
Are They Affected By Food?
Levitra isn’t normally affected by food, meaning it can be taken during or shortly after a meal without impacting the time it takes before kicking in. It’s best to avoid heavy and fatty meals when using Levitra as they can slow down absorption of the drug. These high fat meals will also dim the effects a little as the body will divert blood to the digestive system in order to help break the food down. This blood diversion can impact the blood flow to the penis and negatively impact the erection.
On the other hand, Viagra® can be affected by food and is designed to be taken on an empty stomach. Taking Viagra® after eating may result in waiting longer than an hour for the medication to work, especially if the meal is large or contains a high fat content.
Answer: Levitra is the better option if you are looking for an erectile dysfunction medication that can be taken with dinner. However, even though it’s okay to take during or after a meal, there are still some foods that should be avoided in order to avoid affecting the results.
Which Drug Has The Least Side Effects?
The side effects for both Levitra and Viagra® are basically identical. However, Levitra does have one unique side effect that can be very important for people suffering from an irregular heartbeat.
The most common and shared side effects of the two include:
- Nasal congestion
- Headaches
- Flushing in the face
- Heartburn or indigestion
- Blurred or blue tinted vision and muscle aches may happen if the dose is high
The side effects of Levitra and Viagra® will normally occur around two to three hours after the medication is first taken. Many men experience the headache, heartburn and flushing once the effects of the drug have faded and after sexual activity has concluded.
In the specific case of Levitra, anyone with long QT syndrome should not use this medication. Long QT syndrome is a heart condition that can cause an irregular heartbeat and/or heart palpitations. This syndrome can be caused by several medications, such as cardiovascular drugs and other antibiotics.
If you take any other prescription medication, it’s very important to tell your doctor before considering any kinds of PDE5 inhibitors as they can have severe negative consequences.
Answer: Viagra® and Levitra have nearly identical side effects, but Levitra should not be used if you have long QT syndrome.
Which One Is Safer?
Both Levitra and Viagra® are safe to use by most men. However, there may be a few specific situations in which they can react with other medications and cause severe side effects.
- Levitra and Viagra® can both interact with nitrates, and other similar medications used to treat hypertension, to cause a sudden drop in blood pressure. If you are on any medication to treat high blood pressure or hypertension then it’s important to avoid taking any PDE5 inhibitors.
- Grapefruit and grapefruit juice will interact with Levitra and Viagra®, resulting in your body metabolizing the drug slower than normal. When using these medications it is best to avoid any food or drink containing grapefruit.
- Consuming one or two servings of alcohol will mostly be fine using a PDE5 inhibitor, but drinking in excess should be avoided when using Levitra or Viagra®.
- In the event that you’ve suffered a stroke, heart attack, or currently have a heart condition, you will need to talk with your doctor before considering erectile dysfunction medication.
Answer: Both Viagra® and Levitra are generally safe to use for most people, but it’s very important to consult with your doctor first. Other medications could have dangerous side effects when mixed with these drugs.
The Takeaway: There are a lot of similarities between Levitra and Viagra® and only a few differences. In terms of which is better, there is really no way to answer as the differences are almost negligible. The best way to find out which is better is to try both and see which one works better for you specifically.
Levitra and Viagra® are both PDE5 inhibitors and work in pretty much the same ways with the same results. Levitra may have a slightly longer half life and is not as impacted by food, but overall they are basically the same. Price can vary, depending on where you look, although Viagra® may end up being the more expensive option as a result of popularity and not effectiveness.
SOURCES
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2007/021400s010lbl.pdf
https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/oral-medications-for-erectile-dysfunction
http://www.bumc.bu.edu/sexualmedicine/informationsessions/choosing-the-right-pill-to-treat-ed/
https://www.medicines.org.uk/EMC/medicine/1474/SPC/Viagra+25mg,+50mg,+100mg/#PHARMACODYNAMIC_PROPS
