The perfect Levitra dose for you is the lowest dose possible which can offer you everything you want from your ED treatment with the least amount of side effects possible.
Which Levitra dosage you’re prescribed will depend on a few things, like how well your body tolerates Levitra (whether you get any side effects), whether it’s your first time trying Levitra, whether you’re taking any medications which may interact with it, and whether you have any pre-existing conditions that raise your chances of side effects.
Go to
Reviewed on Sep 17, 2024. byMr Craig MarshIndependent PrescriberRegistered with GPhC (No. 2070724)Next review due on Sep 17, 2027.
Last updated on Sep 17, 2024.
Was this article useful?
1 people found this helpful
The active ingredient in Levitra is vardenafil. Levitra comes in doses of 5mg, 10mg or 20mg of vardenafil. If this is your first time on Levitra your prescriber will recommend a dose based on your medical history and whether you’re taking any other medications which may interact with Levitra. It’s always good to be aware of the side effects of any medication you’re taking or thinking about taking.
Normally, if you’re healthy, under the age of 75 and you’re not taking medications, such as nitrate drugs and alpha-blockers, which are known to interact with Levitra, your clinician will prescribe a starting dose of 10mg. If after a few tries you find you’re not reaching your ‘potential’ in the bedroom, don’t worry. Speak with your prescriber, they may consider increasing your dose to 20mg, if you didn’t experience side effects with the 10mg dose.
Vardenafil 20mg: the max dose
Levitra 20mg is the maximum dose available. When you start treatment, it’s unlikely you’ll be prescribed Levitra or Vardenafil 20 mg. Vardenafil is the unbranded version of Levitra, named after the active ingredient in Levitra.
Levitra 20mg is what your doctor may recommend if you’ve tried the 10mg dose a few times, didn’t get the results you’re looking for and didn’t experience side effects. As Levitra 20mg is the maximum dose there is no Levitra or Vardenafil 30mg and you should never take more than one tablet in any 24 hour period.
In clinical trials, of 573 men receiving Vardenafil tablets at 20mg, 81% achieved first-time successful penetration, and 70% were able to get and maintain an erection. After 4 weeks of treatment, men were able to achieve reliable erections and side effects were mild including headache, flushing and nasal congestion.
Most of us have a preconception that more is better, so a Levitra 20mg tablet will offer better erections than a 10mg tablet. This isn’t the case, if you’re able to get an erection on the 10mg dose, a 20mg dose isn’t going to beat that, it will only increase your risk of side effects. This is why your prescriber will start you on 10mg increasing you to 20mg only if 10mg doesn’t offer you results.
If you’re prescribed 20mg and find you’re experiencing too many side effects, speak with your clinician. This isn’t anything to worry about and is just a case of finding the right treatment for you. If 20mg isn’t working, your prescriber may suggest another type of ED pill or an alternative treatment.
How long does Levitra 20mg take to work?
Between 25 and 60 minutes. If you’ve taken Levitra with or after a heavy meal, it may take longer than the 60-minute window to take effect. Once taken, it should stay active in your system for up to five hours. In the same way that Levitra 20mg pills won’t give you longer-lasting, harder erections if you can already achieve an erection with a 10mg dose, a higher dose won’t mean that Levitra works faster.
If you’re prescribed a 5mg dose, perhaps because of a pre-existing medical condition or because you suffered side effects with the 10mg dose, and the 5mg dose gets to work within that 25 and 60 minutes window, ‘upgrading’ to a 10mg dose won’t ‘kick in’ faster, it will only increase your chance of getting side effects.
If a faster response time is important to you, Levitra OD will work a little faster. Levitra oro-dispersible tablets melt on your tongue and therefore absorb slightly different to regular Levitra. In clinical trials with vardenafil (Levitra) OD, 34.5% of men with ED were able to achieve an erection within 15 minutes and 26% within 30 minutes. Because Levitra OD is absorbed differently to regular Levitra it’s important to never mix the two, and remember, one tablet of Levitra OD is the max dose per 24 hours.
Vardenafil 10mg: the starting dose for Levitra
The standard starting dose for erectile dysfunction is 10mg. This is a good balance between effectiveness and safety, as most men will find it works well for them and is less likely to cause side effects.
While vardenafil 20mg is the most effective dose for treating erectile dysfunction, the difference in effectiveness between the two (10mg and 20mg) is minimal, so most clinicians will recommend 10mg. For example, by week 26, men using the 10mg dose had a 75.6% success rate of penetration, compared to 81.1% of men using the 20mg dose.
Remember to only ever take Levitra or Vardenafil as your clinician advises. If you have any questions while you're taking it, just log into your account and send us a message.
Vardenafil 5mg: the low dose
If you experience side effects when taking Levitra or have a pre-existing medical condition that changes how your body metabolises Levitra, you may be prescribed Levitra or generic Vardenafil 5mg.
This could be your initial starting dose prescribed by your clinician based on your medical history or any other medications you’re taking, or you may start out on a 10mg dose and come down to a 5mg dose after experiencing side effects.
If you’re starting on Levitra (vardenafil) 5mg or your dose is lowered, don’t worry. This will be an effort by your prescriber to minimise any side effects you may experience, not how effective your ED treatment is.
A 5mg dose is still an effective treatment for ED allowing the majority of men treated, 64.9%, to both get an erection and maintain an erection for the duration of sex.
Switching dosages on Levitra
If your health changes or if you’re prescribed a new medication, it’s a good idea to let your prescriber know as soon as possible. This is because certain conditions and medications can interact with Levitra. Letting them know allows them to judge whether your dose should be lowered to minimise the chance of you experiencing any side effects.
Equally, if you start treatment with Levitra at a 10mg dose but find you aren’t able to get an erection or it isn’t working as well as you’d like, let your prescriber know. After a few goes with Levitra both you and your clinician will have a good idea of how your body is responding. For example, if you’re experiencing side effects on the standard starting dose of 10mg. If you’re not, and you aren’t able to get an erection, your clinician may consider increasing your dose to 20mg.
Can I double up on Levitra tablets?
Only if your doctor recommends that you do this. If you’re taking 5mg tablets or 10mg tablets and these aren’t effective enough then talk to your doctor who may advise taking two to see if the higher dose is going to work for you. Do not take more than 20mg Levitra every 24 hours, it isn’t safe and won’t increase how effective Levitra is for you.
The maximum dose of Levitra (Vardenafil) is 20mg and there is no Levitra 40mg dosage available. This is because doses higher than 20mg have a higher risk of side effects, may cause priapism (an erection that lasts for more than 4 hours and requires immediate medical attention) and can dangerously affect blood pressure.
If Levitra doesn’t work for you, your clinician may suggest other ED medications such as Viagra or Cialis. If you generally find that ED pills aren’t helping, talk to your doctor, they may recommend alternative treatments, such as a penis pump or injections.
Valiquette, L., Montorsi, F., & Auerbach, S. 2008.
Vardenafil demonstrates first-dose success and reliability of penetration and maintenance of erection in men with erectile dysfunction - RELY-II. Canadian Urological Association journal = Journal de l'Association des urologues du Canada. 2(3): 187–195.
Time of onset of vardenafil orodispersible tablet in a real-life setting - looking beyond randomized clinical trials. Expert review of clinical pharmacology. 10(3): 339–344.
Hellstrom, W., Gittelman, M., Karlin, G., Segerson, T., Thibonnier, M., Taylor, T., Padma-Nathan, H. 2002.
Vardenafil for Treatment of Breakthroughs in Andrology Men With Erectile Dysfunction: Efficacy and Safety in a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Journal of Andrology. 23(6): 1-9.
Hellstrom, W., Gittelman, M., Karlin, G., Segerson, T., Thibonnier, M., Taylor, T., Padma-Nathan, H. 2003.
Sustained efficacy and tolerability of vardenafil, a highly potent selective phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, in men with erectile dysfunction: results of a randomized, double-blind, 26-week placebo-controlled pivotal trial. Urology. 61(4): 8-14, ISSN 0090-4295,
Vardenafil 20-mg demonstrated superior efficacy to 10-mg in Japanese men with diabetes mellitus suffering from erectile dysfunction. International Journal of Urology, 13(8), 1066-1072.
When we present you with stats, data, opinion or a consensus, we’ll tell you where this came from. And we’ll only present data as clinically reliable if it’s come from a reputable source, such as a state or government-funded health body, a peer-reviewed medical journal, or a recognised analytics or data body. Read more in our editorial policy.
Published by: The Treated Content Team.Medically reviewed by: Mr Craig Marsh, Independent Prescriber
How we source info.
When we present you with stats, data, opinion or a consensus, we’ll tell you where this came from. And we’ll only present data as clinically reliable if it’s come from a reputable source, such as a state or government-funded health body, a peer-reviewed medical journal, or a recognised analytics or data body. Read more in our editorial policy.
