Short answer: The vardenafil label starts most men at 10 mg by mouth, as needed, about 60 minutes before sexual activity, with or without food. The dose can go up to 20 mg or down to 5 mg, and the maximum is once per day. A 5 mg start is considered at age 65 and older and used with moderate liver impairment or alpha-blockers. Some CYP3A4 inhibitors cap it at 2.5 or 5 mg.
This is what the FDA label says. Follow your prescriber. Your prescriber may use a different dose or pace than the label's standard schedule.
What Vardenafil is approved for: Vardenafil hydrochloride tablets are approved to treat erectile dysfunction (section 1). Vardenafil is the medicine in Levitra; there is no current Levitra-brand label on DailyMed, so this page uses Teva's generic film-coated tablet label in the same strengths. The orally disintegrating tablet (Staxyn) is a different product.
Source
Vardenafil hydrochloride tablets, for oral use, prescribing information and Patient Information. Teva Pharmaceuticals. DailyMed, version published January 25, 2024. DailyMed setid e593ab58-70a4-4095-8091-16a4b6d49e4d
Vardenafil is a film-coated tablet taken by mouth, in 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg and 20 mg strengths (section 3). It can be taken with or without food (section 2.2).
One tablet is taken about 60 minutes before sexual activity, and sexual stimulation is needed for a response (sections 2.1 and 17).
The Patient Information says not to take more than one tablet a day, with doses at least 24 hours apart. Tablets are stored at 20 to 25 C (section 16).
The table below is the label's schedule, from the Dosage and Administration section. Numbers are copied exactly; the section is in brackets.
| Situation | Dose on the label |
|---|---|
| Most patients | Start 10 mg about 60 minutes before sexual activity; may increase to 20 mg or decrease to 5 mg; at most once per day |
| Age 65 or older | Starting dose of 5 mg should be considered |
| Moderate liver impairment (Child-Pugh B) | Start 5 mg; maximum 10 mg |
| Severe liver impairment (Child-Pugh C) or kidney dialysis | Do not use |
| Stable on an alpha-blocker | Start 5 mg (2.5 mg with certain CYP3A4 inhibitors) |
| Ritonavir or cobicistat | No more than 2.5 mg in a 72-hour period |
| Indinavir, saquinavir, atazanavir, ketoconazole 400 mg daily, itraconazole 400 mg daily, clarithromycin | No more than 2.5 mg in a 24-hour period |
| Ketoconazole 200 mg daily, itraconazole 200 mg daily, erythromycin | No more than 5 mg in a 24-hour period |
| Nitrates, nitric oxide donors or riociguat | Contraindicated |
With an alpha-blocker, vardenafil is started only if the man is stable on the alpha-blocker, and a time gap between the two doses should be considered.
Using vardenafil with other ED treatments is not recommended because the combination has not been studied.
Peak levels after a 20 mg dose usually come between 30 minutes and 2 hours (median 60 minutes) when fasting. High-fat meals lowered the peak by 18% to 50%. The half-life is about 4 to 5 hours.
Men are advised to contact their healthcare provider for a dose change if they are not satisfied with the result or have an unwanted effect.
Vardenafil is taken as needed before sexual activity, so the label has no missed-dose rule. It says the maximum is one dose per day, and the Patient Information says doses should be at least 24 hours apart.
This is the generic film-coated tablet. The vardenafil orally disintegrating tablet (sold as Staxyn) is a separate product with its own label and is not covered here.
In Dose Track you set up Vardenafil as a protocol with the dose and schedule your prescriber gave you. A protocol can hold dose steps, each with its own dose and length in days or weeks, so a step-up plan like the one on the label can be entered once and the app moves to the next step on its own. Reminders follow the schedule, and every dose is logged with the date and time, so you can see which step you are on and when your last dose was. The app follows what you enter; it does not choose or change a dose.
This page is what the FDA label says, in plain words. It is not medical advice. Follow your prescriber, and ask them or your pharmacist about anything here.