Vardenafil (Generic Levitra): Dosage, Side Effects and Levitra vs Viagra

Vardenafil is a prescription PDE5 inhibitor that treats erectile dysfunction. It is the active ingredient in Levitra and, in an orally disintegrating form, in Staxyn. Like sildenafil and tadalafil, it blocks the enzyme PDE5, which lets blood vessels in the penis relax and fill during sexual stimulation. It does not cause an erection on its own, and it does not raise sex drive.

The FDA approves generic vardenafil tablets and generic vardenafil orally disintegrating tablets (ODT). When we checked DailyMed on October 30, 2026, the current vardenafil labels were almost all generic; brand Levitra entries there were older repackager listings. In practice, a vardenafil prescription today is usually filled as a generic.

For most men, the FDA label's starting dose is 10 mg, taken about 60 minutes before sexual activity, no more than once a day. Based on how well it works and how well you tolerate it, a clinician may raise the dose to 20 mg or lower it to 5 mg. Vardenafil tablets come in 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg and 20 mg strengths and can be taken with or without food.

• Age 65 and older: the label says to consider a 5 mg starting dose.
• Moderate liver impairment (Child-Pugh B): start at 5 mg, and do not exceed 10 mg.
• Stable on an alpha-blocker (for example, for an enlarged prostate): start at 5 mg.
• Ritonavir or cobicistat: no more than 2.5 mg in 72 hours.
• Indinavir, saquinavir, atazanavir, clarithromycin, or ketoconazole or itraconazole 400 mg a day: no more than 2.5 mg in 24 hours.
• Erythromycin, or ketoconazole or itraconazole 200 mg a day: no more than 5 mg in 24 hours.

For a deeper look at strengths across all ED drugs, compare our sildenafil dosage guide and tadalafil dosage guide.

The orally disintegrating tablet (the Staxyn form) comes only in 10 mg and is not interchangeable with the 10 mg film-coated tablet. The ODT label says it delivers higher blood levels than the 10 mg Levitra tablet, so you cannot swap one for the other milligram for milligram. You place the ODT on the tongue, let it dissolve, and take it without liquid, about 60 minutes before sex, no more than once a day.

The ODT suits men who dislike swallowing pills. Its trade-off is flexibility: if 10 mg is too much or too little, the clinician has to switch you to the regular tablet. HealthyMale lists both forms; the ODT costs more.

The label says to take vardenafil about 60 minutes before sex. Blood levels peak between 30 minutes and 2 hours after a dose (median 60 minutes), and its half-life is about 4 to 5 hours. That puts vardenafil in the same short-acting group as sildenafil, not in tadalafil's long-acting group.

Half-life is how long it takes for half the drug to clear, not the length of an erection. In practice, the window in which sexual stimulation can produce an erection more easily lasts several hours. A high-fat meal lowered peak vardenafil levels by 18% to 50% in label studies, so a heavy meal right before a dose may blunt or delay it.

If you want a longer window, tadalafil lasts up to 36 hours. See how long Cialis lasts for the comparison.

The most common vardenafil side effects in the FDA label are headache (15% vs 4% on placebo), flushing (11% vs 1%) and rhinitis, a stuffy or runny nose (9% vs 3%). They are usually mild and fade as the drug wears off. The label's full list of reactions reported by at least 2% of men and more often than placebo:

• Headache: 15%
• Flushing: 11%
• Rhinitis (stuffy or runny nose): 9%
• Dyspepsia (upset stomach): 4%
• Sinusitis: 3%
• Flu-like symptoms: 3%
• Dizziness: 2%
• Raised creatine kinase on a blood test: 2%
• Nausea: 2%
• Back pain: 2.0% (vs 1.7% on placebo)

Get emergency care for an erection lasting more than 4 hours, sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes, sudden decrease or loss of hearing, chest pain, or fainting. These are rare, but they are the warnings every PDE5 inhibitor label carries.

Many of these effects overlap with sildenafil. Our sildenafil side effects guide covers how to tell normal effects from warning signs.

Do not take vardenafil if you use any nitrate (such as nitroglycerin for chest pain) or a guanylate cyclase stimulator such as riociguat. The combination can drop blood pressure to a dangerous level. That rule applies to every PDE5 inhibitor.

• Heart rhythm: the label says men with congenital QT prolongation, or who take class IA antiarrhythmics (such as quinidine or procainamide) or class III antiarrhythmics (such as amiodarone or sotalol), should avoid vardenafil.
• Alpha-blockers and blood pressure drugs: combining them can lower blood pressure and cause dizziness or fainting, which is why the starting dose is 5 mg.
• Heart health: if a doctor has told you sex is not safe for your heart, a PDE5 inhibitor does not change that.
• Phenylketonuria: some vardenafil products contain phenylalanine, a component of aspartame. At least one current generic tablet label says so, so ask the pharmacist to check your product.

If you take blood pressure medication, our guide to ED meds and blood pressure explains the interactions in plain terms.

Levitra (vardenafil) and Viagra (sildenafil) work the same way, take effect on a similar timeline and wear off on a similar timeline. Neither label shows one is better for most men. The real differences are practical.

• Dose in milligrams: vardenafil starts at 10 mg and sildenafil at 50 mg. A smaller number does not mean a weaker or stronger drug; the two simply differ in potency per milligram.
• Timing: both are taken about an hour before sex. Sildenafil's label allows 30 minutes to 4 hours.
• Half-life: about 4 to 5 hours for vardenafil, about 4 hours for sildenafil.
• Food: a high-fat meal slows both. With sildenafil, the label reports a 60-minute delay and a 29% lower peak.
• Side effects: similar headache and flushing. Sildenafil's label also notes a temporary color tinge to vision at higher doses. Vardenafil carries the QT-interval caution.
• Cost and availability: generic sildenafil is sold almost everywhere and is usually cheaper. HealthyMale lists generic sildenafil from $20 and vardenafil at $78, and Nu Image lists sildenafil as low as $3 a tablet on a 12-month supply.

Some men respond better to one PDE5 inhibitor than another, so a switch is a reasonable step when the first one does not work or causes side effects. That decision belongs to your clinician. For the broader matchup, read Viagra vs Cialis and sildenafil vs tadalafil.

The main difference is duration. Tadalafil (Cialis) has a 17.5-hour half-life and improved erections for up to 36 hours in label studies, while vardenafil is a short-acting drug with a 4 to 5 hour half-life. Tadalafil is also unaffected by food and comes in a low daily dose. Vardenafil suits men who want a shorter-acting drug that clears faster, for example to limit how long side effects last. Tadalafil suits men who want spontaneity across a weekend or a daily routine. Our daily vs as-needed tadalafil guide covers that choice.

Generic vardenafil costs more than generic sildenafil or tadalafil at most online sellers we track. On October 30, 2026, HealthyMale listed Vardenafil HCL 20 mg at $78 and the ODT at $182, against $20 starting prices for its generic sildenafil and tadalafil. DrHouse charges $129 or your copay for the visit and leaves the medication price to the pharmacy you pick, so you can shop the fill price with a discount card. Shed's Rise tablet combines apomorphine, tadalafil and vardenafil from $66.33 a month, but it is compounded and not FDA-approved.

Among non-partners, BlueChew sells a compounded vardenafil chewable (VAR) that is not FDA-approved. For every way to cut the cost of an ED prescription, see our ED drug coupon and discount guide.

• Vardenafil hydrochloride tablets, current generic label (dosage, interactions, adverse reactions, half-life, food effect, QT): DailyMed, vardenafil hydrochloride tablet (read 2026-10-30)
• Vardenafil orally disintegrating tablets (not interchangeable with film-coated tablets, taken without liquid): DailyMed, vardenafil ODT (read 2026-10-30)
• Sildenafil timing, half-life and food effect: DailyMed, VIAGRA label
• Tadalafil half-life and 36-hour efficacy: DailyMed, CIALIS label
• Patient overview: MedlinePlus, Vardenafil
• HealthyMale vardenafil listings and prices: healthymale.com/erectile-dysfunction and its vardenafil page (checked 2026-10-30)