What do you do when you can’t get your penis up to please your wife or girlfriend on 
Valentine’s Day or your anniversary? Do you give up? Do you try a bunch of useless tricks? The fact is that when you suffer from Erectile Dysfunction, there’s not much you can do other than become celibate or take a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor.
Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is a condition characterized by sexual impotence; a man who cannot obtain an erection or properly engage in vaginal or anal sex may have ED. It is caused by many things, but the most common factor is age. Other things can cause it, too, such as anxiety, stress, substance abuse, personality disorders, Parkinson’s disease, renal failure, diabetes, and some surgeries, such as prostate, bladder, or rectal operations.
PDE5 can cause cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) to degrade and, and this can adversely affect the sexual potency of a man. Drugs like Vardenafil, or Levitra as it is commonly known, inhibit or block the processes of PDE5, and help enhance the action of cGMP.
Vardenafil was first marketed as Levitra by Bayer Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline, and Schering-Plough. Such distribution rights have been surrendered to Bayer alone outside of the US in many places. In Italy, for instance, GSK now markets it as Vivanza. Interestingly enough, European trade rules allow for both Levitra and Vivanza to be sold side-by-side, even though they are the same medication.
Other forms of PDE5 inhibitors do pretty much the same thing, but some can adversely affect other PDEs in the body more than Levitra. Additionally, Levitra has a half-life that is slightly longer than its competitor, Viagra. While its primary purpose may be to treat ED, Levitra may also be used to treat premature ejaculation, resulting in a longer time from penetration to ejaculation.
Some adverse drug reactions (side effects) exist, however. Most are as simple and as treatable as abdominal pain, back pain, photosensitivity, abnormal vision, eye pain, facial edema, hypotension, palpitations, tachycardia, athralgia, myalgia, rash, and itch. Heart attacks are rare, but possible. If the penis is erect for more than four hours, it may be a sign of priapism, and should be treated as an emergency. As with all PDE5 medications, however, the most likely candidates to endure such effects are members of at-risk groups, including smokers and men over 50. Other conditions can contribute, such as crowded disc, or low cup-to-disc ratio; hypertension (abnormally high blood pressure); coronary artery disease; diabetes (insufficient insulin action); and hyperlipidemia (high lipid content). Additionally, nitrate medications should not be taken with Levitra because blood pressure can be lowered substantially, and the risk of hypotension is greatly increased.
Now, “getting up” is no longer a problem with PDE5 inhibitors such as Levitra. While the adverse effects are severe in very few cases, the increased pleasure is enjoyed by many more. So, if you’re suffering from your erectile dysfunction and you need a way to get up and get out, talk to your physician about Levitra, and make a change that could save your sex life.