Stendra Generic (Avanafil): Uses, Side Effects and Precautions

Stendra is used to address erectile difficulties (also known as impotence) in men. It became available in the United States in 2012, and one year later, it entered the European market. It can also be obtained in New Zealand and Australia. The main active component of Stendra is avanafil. Avanafil is currently being marketed under the names Stendra and Spedra. Avanafil is a PDE5 inhibitor, so its mechanism of action is fairly similar to those of Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra. Stendra works by inhibiting a particular enzyme, which is present everywhere in the body, but mainly in the penis and the eye retina. By doing so, it allows the muscles in the penis to relax. Simultaneously, the medication provides increased blood flow to the organ, so that the soft tissues in the corpus cavernosum of the penis can relax and become filled with blood, making an erection possible.

Stendra has many similarities with other ED medications due to the identical mechanism of action. However, the active components are different in all four drugs, so the side effects, as well as some other details, may vary. For instance, Stendra is known to take effect faster than Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra. During clinical trials, about 65% of patients were able to achieve an erection in as little as fifteen minutes after taking the medication.

How to Use

You should take this medication exactly as it was prescribed by your healthcare provider. Make sure that you read and understand all instructions written on your prescription label. If you fail to understand something, do not hesitate to ask your doctor to clarify it. Do not use Stendra longer than recommended by your medical practitioner, and don’t increase or decrease Stendra dosage without your doctor’s approval.

You can take Stendra with or without food. No connection between the amount of food in a patient’s stomach and the speed of Stendra’s effect onset was found during clinical trials. Stendra is not to be taken on a regular basis, but only before sexual activities, when its effect is required. You shouldn’t take more than one dose within 24 hours. Even though some men report being able to develop and maintain an erection in as little as 12 minutes after taking Stendra, it is still recommended that you take it 30 minutes prior to attempting sexual intercourse.

You should understand that Stendra will not be able to do all the work for you. It creates the right conditions for your body to develop an erection by increasing blood flow to the penis and relaxing it. However, you won’t get an erection unless you are exposed to sexual stimulation. Make sure that you make proper use of the time before Stendra becomes properly effective: foreplay will not only increase your chances of becoming erect, but also add to the intimacy and stability of your relationship.

It is recommended that you refrain from drinking a lot of alcohol while taking Stendra, as it might increase the probability of experiencing side effects. Thus, don’t have more than three drinks before taking Stendra. Furthermore, avoid eating grapefruit and drinking grapefruit juice, because their interaction with Stendra is known to cause some unpleasant adverse effects. The same can be applied to any products that contain grapefruit.

You’re unlikely to miss a dose because Stendra shouldn’t be taken according to a schedule. If you overdose, you’ll face a significantly higher risk of developing serious side effects and complications, including hypotension and priapism. Should you overdose, seek emergency medical help immediately.

Your initial Stendra dosage will be based on your health care provider’s decision. If you find that the first dosage was sufficient, you might want to reduce it until you find the minimum one that still works. You’ll have to discuss all intended dosage changes with your medical practitioner before you try them. Most likely, you will start with a 100 mg dose, which can later be reduced to 50 mg or increased to 200 mg. You should not take more than 200 mg of avanafil in one day, even if the maximum dosage is ineffective.

Stendra is known to have some potentially dangerous interactions with other medications. Do not attempt to use it in combination with any other ED drug. Additionally, make sure that you don’t take sildenafil, Tadalafil, and vardenafil under different brand names (Revatio, for instance).

You’ll need to give your doctor a full list of all medications you’re taking so that he/she can identify those that could interact with Stendra.

You shouldn’t use Stendra if you’re currently taking:

• any other ED medication
• antibiotics
• antifungal medicines
• drugs that reduce blood pressure
• drugs that treat prostate disorders
• hepatitis C medications
• medicines for HIV/AIDS

This list is not complete, but these are the categories of drugs that could have the most significant interactions with avanafil. You may experience other interactions, so you should consult your healthcare provider for further details. Don’t start or stop taking any medication without consulting your medical practitioner first, while using Stendra.

Generic Stendra should be stored in a place where it can’t be reached by children and pets, away from sources of light and moisture. If you have some pills left that you don’t intend to use anymore, you should dispose of them in the proper way. Ask your healthcare provider for more information if you’re not sure about how you are supposed to dispose of your medications.

Precautions and Warnings

Even though you can easily buy avanafil online without visiting your healthcare provider, it is still recommended that you make an appointment with him/her to discuss the medication and its possible impact on your health, and get a prescription. There are several things you should know before you start taking Stendra if you want to avoid a negative impact on your health.

For instance, you should be aware of the fact that Stendra can cause a significant drop in blood pressure if used simultaneously with other medications. You shouldn’t take Stendra if you’re already using a nitrate-based medicine.

You should not use Stendra if you are allergic to avanafil. To make sure that Stendra is safe for you, tell your healthcare provider as many details about your medical history as possible.

Products you can be interested in:

Generic Cialis

Generic Viagra

Hydroxychloroquine

Generic Nexium

Ivermectin

Amoxil

Your doctor should pay particular attention to the following conditions:

• cardiovascular problems
• heart surgery conducted less than six months ago
• heart attacks or strokes
• dangerous heart rhythm disorder
• heart failure
• chest pain (angina)
• hypertension or hypotension
• liver disorders
• kidney disorders (as well as undergoing dialysis)
• blood cell/bleeding disorders (hemophilia, leukemia, sickle cell anemia, etc.)
• stomach ulcer
• a history of hearing or vision problems
• a condition of the eye called retinitis pigmentosa
• deformed penis (due to Peyronie’s disease, physical damage, etc.)

It is also recommended that you avoid using Stendra if you were advised to refrain from having sexual intercourse because of any other health issues. Stendra is not to be taken by women, and it is unknown if the medication passes into breast milk or has a harmful effect on a baby if taken during pregnancy.

In some extremely rare cases, Stendra was associated with sudden vision loss. This could happen due to the fact that Stendra causes a significant reduction of blood flow to the optical nerves in the eyes. However, it is still unclear whether avanafil is the main factor causing vision loss because most patients are predisposed to it. Some of them already suffered from eye problems, such as the abovementioned retinitis pigmentosa, while others faced a high risk of developing blood vessel disorders due to cardiovascular problems, high cholesterol levels, hypertension, smoking, being older than 50, etc.

Side Effects

When your doctor gives you a prescription for Stendra, he/she concludes that it is safe for you to start using the drug, and that its benefits for you will outweigh the possible negative consequences. However, you should understand that when you start taking Stendra, you risk experiencing its side effects, even if you don’t suffer from any of the aforementioned medical conditions. Every patient reacts to pharmaceuticals in different ways, so it is hardly possible for your healthcare provider to predict your body’s individual response to any drug, Stendra being no exception.

The most common adverse effects of this medication include dizziness, headache, and facial flushing. These side effects occur in many Stendra users, but they go away quickly and don’t cause any further harm. If you become dizzy or lightheaded after using Stendra, you can minimize your discomfort from the impact by getting up from a sitting or lying position slower than you normally do. Should these conditions persist or worsen with time, report it to your healthcare provider, because you might need to stop using Stendra.

If you suddenly feel that your vision or hearing have decreased or disappeared, or if you experience ringing in your ears, seek professional medical help immediately. If left unattended, these symptoms will get worse and might lead to permanent hearing or vision loss.

If you have any cardiovascular problems, you might find that engaging in sexual activities is challenging for your heart. If you feel dizzy, close to fainting and/or experience pain in your jaw/left arm/chest during sex, you should stop immediately and get emergency medical help.

Another rare side effect is priapism (or prolonged erection). Normally, an erection will go away when a man is no longer exposed to sexual stimulation, but it might last longer than four hours in some exceptional cases. Priapism can cause a lot of pain and result in permanent damage to the penis, so you must seek emergency medical help if you suspect that your erection isn’t going away by itself.

You might not know that you’re allergic to avanafil and develop an allergic reaction after the first Stendra use.

Serious allergic reactions to avanafil are rather uncommon, but if you do develop one, you may have the following symptoms:

• skin rash
• hives
• difficulty breathing
• swollen tongue/face/throat or any other part of the body
• severe itching in any part of the body
• dizziness that is close to fainting

If you think you are having an allergic reaction to Stendra, get medical help as soon as possible. This list of Stendra side effects is not complete, so you might find yourself experiencing other adverse effects. If you do, you can report them to your healthcare provider or directly to the drug manufacturer.