Vardenafil

Vardenafil is the active component of Levitra, a medication used to treat impotence in men. There are two other products on the market that are similar to Levitra, they are Cialis and Viagra. Like its competitors, vardenafil is a treatment used to help men attain longer, firmer erections do that they can enjoy more satisfying sexual intercourse.

It is co-marketed by Bayer Pharmaceuticals, GSK and SP and is considered most similar to the chemical in Viagra, sildenafil, except that it has a longer active time in the body. In order to understand how Levitra works, it is important to know the basic processes that occur when a man has an erection.

How does vardenafil work?

When a man becomes sexually aroused, signals are sent via his nervous system. These signals release a series of chemical messengers within the tissues of the penis. One of these chemicals is cyclic GMP. cGMP’s main task is to smooth and relax a thin layer of muscle in the blood vessel walls in the penile tissues, which causes the blood vessels to widen. This allows for a steady flow of blood into the penis resulting in a firm erection.

Typically, after satisfying sexual intercourse, more chemical messengers are sent throughout the body, one of which is called PDE-5. This particular chemical is responsible for breaking down cGMP. In doing so, cGMP can no longer function, and the blood vessels go back to there normal size and the penis becomes flaccid.

Vardenafil however, stops PDE-5 from doing its job and breaking the cGMP down. By not being able to break cGMP down, the blood vessels do not return to their normal size, and thus an increased flow of blood is sent into the penis. This is what results in a longer, firmer lasting erection.

How long does it work for?

Vardenafil becomes active in the body in as short at 30 minutes after taking it, and can remain active for 5 hours. This means that within the 5 hours that it is active, you can enjoy sexual intercourse with confidence. It is important to remember however, that this medication will not be effective if a man is not aroused. For the PDE-5 inhibitor to work, there needs to be PDE-5 in the bloodstream, and that is only around if a man is sexually aroused first.