Levitra

Special warnings about Levitra

If you have heart problems severe enough to make sexual activity a danger, you should avoid using Levitra. If you take this drug and develop cardiac symptoms (for example, dizziness, nausea, and chest pain) during sexual activity, do not continue. Alert your doctor to the problem as soon as possible.

Because Levitra has not been studied in people with cardiovascular disease, it's best to avoid this drug if you've recently had a stroke or heart failure, or if you've had a heart attack within the past 6 months. Be equally cautious if you have severe high or low blood pressure, heartbeat irregularities, or unstable angina (crushing heart pain that occurs at any time). If you develop angina after taking Levitra, seek medical attention immediately.

If you have severe kidney or liver problems, a bleeding disorder, stomach ulcer, or an inherited retinal disorder such as retinitis pigmentosa, use this medication with caution. Its safety under these circumstances has not yet been studied.

Rare cases of prolonged and sometimes painful erections (known as priapism) have been reported with Levitra. If you develop an erection that lasts more than 4 hours, seek medical treatment immediately. Otherwise, permanent damage and impotence could result.

If you have a condition that might result in long-lasting erections, such as sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma (a disease of the bone marrow), or leukemia, use Levitra with caution. Also use caution if you have a genital problem or deformity such as Peyronie's disease.

Remember that Levitra offers no protection from transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Possible food and drug interactions when taking Levitra

Be sure to check with your doctor about the medications that should never be taken with Levitra, including:

Alpha-blocking drugs prescribed for high blood pressure or prostate problems, including doxazosin (Cardura), tamsulosin (Flomax), terazosin (Hytrin), prazosin (Minipress), and alfuzosin (Uroxatral)
Nitrate-based drugs prescribed for chest pain, such as nitroglycerin patches (Nitro-Dur, Transderm-Nitro), nitroglycerin ointment (Nitro-Bid, Nitrol), nitroglycerin pills (Nitro-Bid, Nitrostat), and isosorbide pills (Dilatrate-SR, Isordil, Sorbitrate)
Street drugs known as "poppers," including amyl nitrate and butyl nitrate

If Levitra is taken with certain other drugs, the effects of either could be increased, decreased, or altered. It is especially important to check with your doctor before combining Levitra with the following:

Other impotence drugs including alprostadil (Caverject), sildenafil (Viagra), and tadalafil (Cialis)
Amiodarone (Pacerone)
Erythromycin (E-Mycin, Ery-Tab, PCE)
Indinavir (Crixivan)
Itraconazole (Sporanox)
Ketoconazole (Nizoral)
Nifedipine (Procardia)
Procainamide (Procanbid)
Quinidine (Quinidex)
Ritonavir (Norvir)
Sotalol (Betapace)

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