Day 1844: Experience with Levitra (Vardenafil)

My experience with Levitra (vardenafil) has been slightly more positive than with Cialis (tadalafil) or Viagra (sildenafil). It definitely helps the quality of my erections. The side effects are slightly more bearable than with the alternative drugs. Perhaps this is due to its biochemical makeup. And from what I hear in the community of men with erectile differences, there are simply lots of variations from person to person in how our bodies respond to the different drugs. Here’s my story.

Keeping on trying

I don’t like it when the side effects of a sex aid I use overshadow the joy of sex itself. That has generally been true for me with these erection drugs. But a friend recently said “guys give up on Viagra or Cialis way too easily” and maybe he has a point. Sexologist and nurse practitioner Melissa Hadley Barrett advocates a “challenge dose” in which you try these drugs again after a break of some months.

Previously, I have tried both Cialis (tadalafil) and Viagra (sildenafil). On balance I found the physical disadvantages outweighed the benefits for me. But I know my friend and Melissa are right, it’s a good idea to keep trying from time to time with these drugs, as our bodies change. My urologist also recommended trying all three variants – Cialis, Viagra and Levitra or their generic alternatives. I couldn’t get Levitra (vardenafil) in South Africa but it is available in Canada.

Joys of firmer erections with Levitra (vardenafil)

I have tried 10 mg doses of vardenafil three times now, and twice it led to long lasting firm erections that were great for penetrative sex. It worked particularly well in the mornings. For economy, I bought the 20 mg tablets and cut them in half. I took the 10 mg half-tablet on waking and it supported my erection within half an hour. It remains active for four to six hours.

My partner and I were able to savour a kind of morning delights we have rarely experienced since my prostate surgery five years ago. Compared with my current natural erections, these were harder, bigger and much more reliable. As I have previously written, it is true for me that the last five percent of erectile hardness is often the sweetest.

Side effects of Levitra (vardenafil)

Within twenty minutes of taking the 10 mg tablet, I felt my face flushing. This is no big deal. After all, a rosy face is often the consequence of passionate sex. However the sensation, a bit like blushing, continues for me for the entire four to six hours that the drug is active in my body.

There is a bigger problem, which spoils some of the post-coital bliss for me. I get a kind of hangover feeling that lasts four to six hours. My head feels thick, my nose a bit stuffy, and there is a faint ringing in my ears. It doesn’t feel like a good idea to shake my head – as if my brains might fall out. It’s not painful enough to describe as a headache. Just a kind of dull thickness in the head as if I had drunk too much wine last night.

Compared to Cialis, a benefit of this drug for me is that the side effects wear off within half a day. I tried taking it in the evening, so I could sleep off the side effects, but found that the drug kept me awake, as does Cialis/tadalafil.

Weighing up the pros and cons of Levitra (vardenafil)

This is one of those classic cases of “big head vs little head.” My little head (the one between my legs) is extremely happy and in favour of taking this drug every time there is an opportunity for sexual play. My big head (the one above my shoulders) has contradictory responses. On the one hand, my mental wellbeing is suffused with post-coital bliss. On the other hand, my head doesn’t appreciate half a day of hangover in exchange for an hour of sexual pleasure.

For me there is no single solution. I am glad to be able to enjoy sex and intimate relationship without erections or conventional orgasms. This takes off the pressure to get hard to be sexual. It turns a drug like this into an option rather than a requirement.

Medical and considerations and limitations

Here’s the first and most important thing to remember if you’re reading about these erection support tablets (collectively known as PDE5i drugs) for the first time. They only work in conjunction with sexual stimulation and arousal from another source. This is their key difference from penile injections and mechanical implants. Injections and implants can create an erection without any internal arousal mechanism. PDE5i tablets only support and amplify whatever natural initial swelling impulse your body and mind produce.

Here’s another way of looking at it. These drugs strengthen blood flow to the penis. But your own body and/or mind still has to initiate that blood flow. It’s important to remember that this could come from either mental stimulation or physical touch, or both. For me, it took much longer for the mental arousal pathway to reconnect with physical swelling. On the other hand, the pleasure of direct stroking was not interrupted by surgery. This is because the pudendal nerves enabling sensation in the penis are different to the cavernosal nerves managing blood flow. Only the latter are usually affected by prostate surgery.

The second thing is to check whether there are any adverse indications to you using the drugs. For example, according to the official Canadian consumer information for Vardenafil, you must never take Vardenafil in conjunction with medicines containing nitrates. Drugs containing nitrates range from several heart medications to the popular recreational drugs known as “poppers.” There are also other medications with adverse reactions. Don’t take my advice on this, read the details at the source linked above. Your health depends on it.

Are doctors paying attention?

I have been amazed how casually doctors often prescribe these drugs. In most countries they are only available on prescription. But in my personal experience, I’ve never been asked qualifying questions before doctors prescribed the medication. I don’t remember ever being warned of the adverse reaction risks until I read them on the package insert that came with my generic Vardenafil.

This lack of rigour in prescribing Cialis, Viagra and Levitra goes for both urologists and family doctors, both in Canada and in South Africa, in my personal experience. I fear that these drugs are increasingly and incorrectly being seen as a universal fix for all erectile problems.

Continuing to explore sexual pleasure with erectile differences

There is no doubt for me that sexual play without drugs is my preference, and I am deeply grateful for all I have learned about sex without erections. Much as I have learned to delight in softer sex, I can’t deny how much fun hard erections can be.

So I think I will continue to try, but not rely on, the occasional use of these PDE5i drugs. I’ll take a few hangovers for the sheer joy of experiencing a return of my old eager firmness. I promise to write a comparative review of the three drugs (Cialis/tadalafil, Viagra/sildenafil and Levitra/vardenafil) soon.