Levitra Lawsuit and Side
Effect Information

First approved by the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for use on August 19, 2003, the popular drug Levitra, manufactured by Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation and distributed by Glaxo Smith Kline, is now being linked to several adverse side effects including hearing loss, a serious but rare condition affecting the eye's optic nerve, and more recently, temporary episodes of amnesia.

Levitra Overview

Levitra (generic name vardenafil hydrochloride) falls within a class of drugs known as PDE5 inhibitors (phosphodiesterase type 5). It is taken orally for treating impotence, or erectile dysfunction (ED), a rather common problem that affects more than 30 million men in the U.S. alone. Levitra was the second drug of its kind approved for treating ED, a condition in which men cannot achieve or sustain an erection.

Vardenafil hydrochloride works by relaxing muscles and blood vessels and therefore causing an increased flow of blood to the penis, thus allowing for an erection. The drug is not intended to be used as an actual cure for ED, nor does it increase one's sexual desire or offer protection from any type of sexually transmitted diseases. It is also not intended for women or children and should only be used as prescribed by a physician who is aware of one's complete health history.

Levitra is available in several dosages, with the recommended being ten milligrams taken one hour before sexual activity. For men who don't respond to this dose and who don't have any risk factors that would inhibit use of the drug, a dose of twenty milligrams may be prescribed. There are also two lower doses available (2.5 and 5 milligrams), prescribed for men who have risk factors that may increase the possibility of experiencing adverse Levitra side effects.

Although not yet removed from the market by the FDA, numerous Levitra lawsuits have raised questions about the drug's safety.

Levitra Side Effects

To avoid the possibility of experiencing Levitra side effects, doctors should be informed of conditions such as heart problems, stroke, high blood pressure, liver or kidney problems, severe vision loss or eye disease, blood cell disorders, and stomach ulcers before taking the drug.

Also, certain drugs (such as alpha blockers or nitrates) may react adversely with Levitra, calling for either a dosage change or a complete avoidance of the drug. This makes it imperative for the user to notify his healthcare professionals of all his current medications.

The most common Levitra side effects include:

- Dizziness
- Excessive flushing
- Headaches
- Indigestion
- Nausea or upset stomach
- Stuffy nose

Some of the less common Levitra side effects reported by users include hearing loss and or ringing in the ears, changes in vision (more specifically, having difficulty distinguishing between blues and greens as well as seeing an occasional bluish tinge), and a painful condition called priapism, in which an erection lasts for several hours.

Besides Levitra, two other drugs used for treating erectile dysfunction, Cialis and Viagra, have also come under scrutiny due to a possible link to NAION, or non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy, a condition in which the flow of blood is blocked to the optic nerve causing sudden loss of, or decrease in vision. This side effect has caused some users to consider filing a Levitra lawsuit.

NAION may occur in one or both eyes and may be caused by conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure. It may occur more often in men who smoke, who have heart disease, high cholesterol, or who are over the age of 50 years old.

Levitra Lawsuits and Legal Information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration notified professionals in the healthcare industry in July of 2005 of a labeling change for Levitra. It came in response to reports of vision loss caused by NAION, and it advised patients to immediately discontinue using the drug if they experience any changes in their vision.

A year later, the FDA added yet another warning to Levitra's label in regards to more than 24 cases of sudden hearing loss, both complete and partial (a third of which were permanent). Another drug used for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension, Revatio, also a PDE5 inhibitor, received the additional warning as well.

By the year 2008, Levitra will have undergone its third label change with additional precautions added in reference to a possible link to temporary episodes of amnesia known as transient global amnesia (TGA). However, the FDA continues to stress that no direct link has been found between TGA and Levitra and that the episodes men experienced may have been triggered by something else.

If you've exerienced any negative side effects from taking Levitra, consider contacting an experienced attorney to discuss filing a Levitra lawsuit to recover damges.




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