STENDRA (avanafil)

Stendra: A Fast-Acting, Economical ED Treatment

Stendra, which is the brand name for the active ingredient avanafil, is a recent drug created for the treatment of ED. After a decade of waiting for a new ED drug, Stendra is steadily gaining popularity among patients who are concerned about the side effects and costs to treat their conditions. Most insurance companies do not cover ED treatments. This is why patients favor less expensive choices.

The side effects of Stendra seem to be mild in most patients. For a small percentage of patients, Stendra has not performed as well as its counterparts. However, when compared to most other ED treatments, Stendra reviews reflect that many patients experience far fewer side effects. Patients who wish to try Stendra should review the possible side effects and medical conditions that may disqualify them from taking it.

How Stendra Works

Stendra works by blocking an enzyme in the body known as the PDE-5 phosphodiesterase. The effect of this blockage allows more blood to flow freely to the area of the penis. Because more blood is being circulated within the penis, a powerful erection can be achieved.

Dosage

The recommended dosage for patients using Stendra is 100 mg by mouth approximately 30 minutes before sexual activity. Stendra can be taken with or without food. Stendra should be taken on an as-needed basis; however, Stendra should not be taken more than once daily. Based on a patient’s ability to tolerate Stendra, the dosage can be increased to a maximum dosage of 200 mg. Stendra can also be decreased to a minimum dosage of 50 mg.

Precautions and Warnings

Here are some of the major precautions and warnings that patients should understand before taking Stendra for the treatment of ED.

Stendra should be avoided by men who have pre-existing heart conditions or cardiovascular disease. Men who have been advised by a physician to abstain from sexual activity should also avoid using Stendra. Additionally, Stendra should not be used by individuals who have had the following medical conditions:

• Myocardial infarction
• Stroke
• Life-threatening cardiac dysrhythmia
• Coronary revascularization
• Unstable angina or angina that occurs during intercourse
• Heart failure
• Liver disease
• Kidney disease or dialysis patients
• Sickle cell anemia
• Multiple myeloma
• Leukemia
• Hemophilia
• Stomach ulcers
• Hearing or vision problems
• History of vision loss
• Retinitis pigmentosa
• Physical deformity of the penis

Stendra may decrease the blood flow to the optic nerve of the eye, which can cause sudden vision loss. Most people who have experienced this side effect had heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, or certain eye problems. It is not known if Stendra can cause permanent vision loss. The temporary vision losses reported from using Stendra were present in one or both eyes.

The FDA has listed Stendra as a Category C drug, and it should not be ingested by pregnant women. Additionally, should a pregnant woman accidentally take this drug, it is not known whether or not it will harm the unborn baby. For safety reasons, it would be wise to separate Stendra from other medications in a home shared with a pregnant woman. This will significantly reduce the likelihood of an accidental dosage.

Side Effects of Stendra

Although Stendra has caused little to no discomfort in many patients, the most common side effects caused by Stendra are as follows:

• Stuffy nose
• Headaches
• Runny nose
• Back pain
• Sore throat

Some of the most uncommon side effects caused by Stendra include the following:

• Erections that will not go away
• Sudden decrease or loss of vision
• Decrease in hearing or hearing loss

Drug Interactions

The use of Stendra in combination with organic nitrates is not recommended. However, in life-threatening circumstances, organic nitrates can be administered 12 hours after the last dose of Stendra. Caution must also be taken when using alpha beta-blockers and hypertension medications along with Stendra. Some studies have shown that the use of alcohol may cause dizziness and headaches when taken with Stendra. Alcohol should be avoided when using this medication.

Prolonged Erections

While using several types of ED drug treatments, some patients have experienced prolonged erections greater than four hours. In the event that Stendra should cause an erection persisting longer than four hours, seek medical assistance. If this condition is not treated immediately, penile tissue damage and a permanent loss of potency may occur.

Stendra Studies

The safety of Stendra has been established through several different studies. These studies were double-blind and placebo-controlled. They included a total of 1,267 randomly assigned men who took Stendra at doses of 50 mg and 200 mg. Others in the study took a placebo 30 minutes before sexual activity.

At the beginning of these studies and approximately four weeks thereafter, patients answered questionnaires that evaluated erectile function, penetration, and intercourse. Results of the questionnaires showed that patients experienced marked improvements with all three endpoints while taking various doses of Stendra.

To evaluate the safety of Stendra, a group of men from two of the studies enrolled in another trial. They received an additional 40 weeks of treatment. They were initially given Stendra at the 100 mg dose, but some of the participants had their doses increased to 200 mg or decreased to 50 mg, which was given based on their individual response to each treatment. The results indicated that the side effects commonly reported in patients using Stendra did not worsen over time.

The results of the studies were quite favorable to the evaluation of Stendra. Subsequently, Stendra was FDA approved and manufactured for consumption.

Stendra Compared to Other Treatments

Because Stendra treats ED in a similar fashion as other ED drugs, there may not be much of a change to the side effects experienced after taking it to treat ED. Stendra is known for being far less expensive than the other treatments. This is why many patients have expressed an interest in trying Stendra. A large number of people have seen excellent results from using it. Some patients were not happy with a few of the minor side effects that have occurred from using Stendra.

A prescription for Stendra is relatively easy to obtain. Although it is one of the newer drugs on the market for the treatment of ED, it has been around for a number of years. Many patients are not familiar with Stendra because the drug has not been advertised as frequently as some of the other ED drugs. However, it’s just as effective as the other treatments.

Stendra tends to act faster for some patients. For instance, nearly all ED drug treatment instructions recommended that they be taken 30 minutes before having sexual intercourse. However, many patients who use Stendra have found that it worked for them within 15 minutes. This makes Stendra a convenient treatment for those who are experiencing ED.

Shopping for Stendra

The price for Stendra is roughly half of what other ED drugs cost. Because of its low cost, Stendra is affordable for a wider range of men who are experiencing ED.

Prices for Stendra may vary among pharmacies. Patients wishing to try Stendra can find coupons online to assist with the initial cost of this drug. Coupons for Stendra are popular among those who have experienced good results with their current ED drugs but want to try a less expensive treatment. Saving money on the initial purchase of Stendra can put a damper on the cost of experimenting with a new formula should it cause side effects that their current ED treatments do not.

Online pharmacies can be used to buy Stendra. In some cases, buying this drug online can be risky. Check online pharmacies carefully for their licenses and reputations before purchasing Stendra. Most patients prefer to use a local pharmacy because it can be very difficult to discern whether or not an online pharmacy actually has a valid license to sell pharmaceuticals. Many online pharmacies sell these drugs as authentic. However, some of these pharmacies are not using authentic ED drugs. Use caution before committing to an online purchase.

Conclusion

Men who are experiencing ED often find that drug treatments such as Stendra work well. Although it may appear that there are a great number of side effects, very few men encounter anything serious while using Stendra. When considering the economic benefits of Stendra, many men have found its minor side effects to be relatively inconsequential. For those who find some of the side effects to be bothersome, there are several other ED drug treatments on the market that may be more tolerable. However, Stendra seems to have had the least bothersome side effects for a large number of men who have used it for the treatment of ED.