Avanafil

Avanafil is a prescription medication used to treat erectile dysfunction (impotence).

• Avanafil is available under various brand names: Stendra

Common side effects of Avanafil include:

• headache.
• flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling).
• cold symptoms such as runny or stuffy nose, sore throat; or
• back pain.

Serious side effects of Avanafil include:

• hives. 
• difficulty breathing. 
• swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• dizzy or nauseated, or have pain, numbness, or tingling in the chest, arms, neck, or jaw during sexual activity;
• vision changes, sudden vision loss;
• ringing in your ears, or sudden hearing loss;
• pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in one or both legs;
• shortness of breath, swelling in your hands or feet;
• a light-headed feeling, like you, might pass out; or
• penis erection that is painful or lasts 4 hours or longer.

Rare side effects of Avanafil include:

• none

Seek medical care or call 911 at once if you have the following serious side effects:

• Severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, arm or leg weakness, trouble walking, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady, very stiff muscles, high fever, profuse sweating, or tremors;
• Serious eye symptoms such as sudden vision loss, blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights;
• Serious heart symptoms such as fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeats; fluttering in the chest; shortness of breath; sudden dizziness, lightheartedness, or passing out.

This is not a complete list of side effects and other serious side effects or health problems that may occur because of the use of this drug. Call your doctor for medical advice about serious side effects or adverse reactions. You may report side effects or health problems to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Adult dosage

Tablets

• 50 mg
• 100 mg
• 200 mg

Erectile dysfunction

Adult dosage

• Oral: Initial: 100 mg (or 50 mg if concurrently receiving an alpha blocker) taken ~15 minutes before sexual activity. 
• taken as one single dose and not more than once daily. 
• the dose may be increased to 200 mg approximately 15 minutes before sexual activity or decreased to 50 mg approximately 30 minutes before sexual activity using the lowest dose that provides benefit: a maximum of 200 mg daily.

Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows: 

• See “Dosages”

If your medical doctor is using this medicine to treat your pain, your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor, health care provider, or pharmacist first

• Avanafil has severe interactions with the following drugs:
  • chloramphenicol
  • isosorbide dinitrate
  • isosorbide mononitrate
  • itraconazole
  • nitroglycerin IV
  • nitroglycerin PO
  • nitroglycerin rectal
  • nitroglycerin sublingual
  • nitroglycerin topical
  • nitroglycerin transdermal
  • nitroglycerin translingual
  • riociguat
  • vericiguat
• Avanafil has serious interactions with at least 37 other drugs.
• Avanafil has moderate interactions with at least 136 other drugs.
• Avanafil has minor interactions with the following drugs:
  • amobarbital
  • ranolazine

This information does not contain all possible interactions or adverse effects. Visit the RxList Drug Interaction Checker for any drug interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist about all your products. Keep a list of all your medications with you and share this information with your doctor and pharmacist. Check with your health care professional or doctor for additional medical advice, or if you have health questions or concerns.

Contraindications

• Allergic to avanafil
• Chest pain
• Heart problems

Effects of drug abuse

• None

Short-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Avanafil?”

Long-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Avanafil?”

Cautions

• Avanafil can decrease blood flow to the optic nerve of the eye, causing sudden vision loss. This has occurred in a small number of people taking sildenafil (Viagra) or other drugs similar to avanafil. Most of these people also had heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or certain pre-existing eye problems, and those who smoked or were over 50 years old. It is not clear whether avanafil is the actual cause of vision loss.
• Taking avanafil with certain other medicines can cause a sudden and serious decrease in blood pressure. Do not take avanafil if you also take riociguat (Adempas) or a nitrate drug such as nitroglycerin.
• Stop using avanafil and get emergency medical help if you have sudden vision loss.
• Contact your doctor or seek emergency medical attention if your erection is painful or lasts longer than 4 hours. A prolonged erection (priapism) can damage the penis.
• Drinking alcohol can increase certain side effects of avanafil. Avoid drinking more than 3 alcoholic beverages while you are taking avanafil.
• Grapefruit may interact with avanafil and lead to unwanted side effects. Avoid the use of grapefruit products.
• This medication will not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases--including HIV and AIDS. Using a condom is the only way to protect yourself from these diseases.

Pregnancy and Lactation

• Avanafil is for use only in men. It is not known whether this medicine would be harmful if used by a woman during pregnancy 

Lactation

• Avanafil is for use only in men. It is not known whether this medicine would be harmful if used by a woman during breastfeeding.