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Stendra pills are an erectile dysfunction (ED) medication that helps you to achieve and maintain an erection. They can work quicker than other treatments and for some they can be better tolerated.
Many people aren’t aware of the different options available when it comes to ED. You’ve probably heard of Viagra and you might have heard of Cialis, but Stendra is less well known, although still effective.
Its active ingredient is avanafil, and the brand name is Stendra. The pharmaceutical company Menarini released its branded version of avanafil in 2014 and the medication has continued to increase in popularity steadily since. Unlike Viagra, which was first researched as a heart medication, avanafil’s use as an erectile dysfunction treatment was the intention from the beginning.
Stendra or avanafil tablets are clinically proven as an effective treatment for erectile dysfunction on its own merits, but the medication is also often used by those who have found Viagra doesn’t work for them. That’s because everyone reacts differently to each medication, so Stendra can be a good alternative option as well as a good starting point.
Stendra dosages also allow for some leeway. There are three Stendra dosages. Most men will start on 100mg, but prescribers can increase the dosage to 200mg if the desired outcome hasn’t been reached. If you find side effects are an issue on 100mg, then the prescriber can decrease it to 50mg to see if that alleviates the unwanted symptoms. Whichever dosage you use it’s important to remember that Stendra erections are only achieved when you’re sexually aroused; it doesn’t act as an aphrodisiac.
Like most erectile dysfunction medications, avanafil tablets work by increasing blood flow to the penis. It’s this blood flow that allows an erection to happen. Stendra erections can be achieved quickly, in 15-30 minutes, so its action is rapid, allowing for some degree of spontaneity.
Stendra belongs to a group of medications known as PDE5 inhibitors. Other drugs that are also under this umbrella include Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. While the mechanism for how these medications work are the same, there are differences between them.
The main advantage of Stendra over a treatment like Viagra is that it starts to work as quickly — at 15 minutes for some men and rarely after longer than 30 minutes. Viagra can take as long as an hour, although it does have its own advantages over Stendra, such as a higher efficacy rate.
Stendra’s speed allows for some degree of spontaneity as you can get and maintain an erection quickly. It should be noted that eating a heavy meal before taking most erectile dysfunction medication can slow down its effects.
As previously mentioned, each erectile dysfunction treatment has its pros and cons when compared to the others. The obvious pro in favour of Stendra vs Viagra is that it helps you achieve and maintain an erection much quicker.
On the cons side of the comparison, Stendra seems to cause more side effects at the highest dosage (most typically a headache) when compared with Viagra, although it’s generally very well tolerated by the majority of men that use it.
In studies comparing avanafil vs sildenafil, the two drugs’ respective active ingredients, sildenafil (Viagra) was shown to be slightly more effective. As ever with any medication, this can vary greatly from individual to individual. It’s possible that you might find Stendra is better tolerated than Viagra and perhaps more effective.
Stendra is available in the UK but under the brand name Spedra. They are exactly the same medications — they just have different brand names. This happens a lot with medications for erectile dysfunction and is essentially only a marketing difference.
Stendra in the USA was released in 2014, with Spedra in the UK cleared for use in 2013 and subsequently also released in 2014.
It’s always important to read Stendra’s instructions before using it. This way you can get the most out of the treatment with the minimum risk of side effects.
The best way to take Stendra is 15-30 minutes before sex, so a little forethought is needed.
Following the instructions that come with the medication will ensure that you get the most out of it while also reducing the risks of side effects. If you have any doubts about how to take Stendra, speak with your prescribing clinician, who can give you advice about any aspect of the treatment.
The main advantage of Stendra over most of the other ED treatments is it gets to work quickly. In fact, some men can benefit from its effects in as quickly as 15 minutes, which can allow for greater spontaneity.
It’s unusual for Stendra to take any longer than 30 minutes to work, but if you’ve had a heavy meal before taking it, it might slow its effects considerably. If you’re noticing the medication isn’t as prompt or effective as you’d like, speak to your prescriber, as a stronger dosage might be recommended.
So it gets to work very quickly, but for how long is Stendra effective? As usual, that depends on a number of circumstances, but typically you can expect Stendra to last around four hours. This will usually be plenty of time to engage in sexual intercourse without having to constantly worry that the medication will wear off.
You might also want to know how long avanafil lasts in the body. Avanafil half life (which measures a drug’s longevity) is short at five hours, but you shouldn’t exceed one pill per 24 hours.
If you’re not getting the full effects from Stendra regarding its longevity, speak with your prescribing clinician who might be able to increase the dosage or suggest another treatment, whichever is more suitable for you.
Clinical trials for Stendra efficacy have shown positive results. Stendra’s effectiveness is measured in both its longer term effects, over the course of a few hours, and its ability to get to work quickly, in 15-30 minutes.
While trials prove it can be highly effective, there is no guarantee that it will work for you. This might be for several reasons, including whether or not you’re sexually stimulated. No erectile dysfunction treatment can work without sexual stimulation, so this is something to bear in mind before using.
Stendra can be taken with or without food. For most men, there will be no negative effects either way. That’s not to say that food won’t have an effect on how the medication works, so its relationship with food is still something to consider.
Taking Stendra on a full stomach will likely slow down the effects of the medication. It can take even longer if the meal you’ve just had was heavy, large in volume or contained high amounts of fat.
Ultimately, it’s up to you and the needs of the situation. If you’re in no hurry, then having a meal before taking Stendra will make little difference, but for spontaneous use, a large meal is best avoided.
There are a few reasons why you shouldn’t combine Stendra and alcohol. Firstly, alcohol and Stendra both lower blood pressure, so when combined, this can lead to dizziness, headaches and palpitations. This is particularly an issue if you consume large amounts of alcohol.
The other point to consider is that alcohol is a primary cause of erectile dysfunction. Alcohol interferes with the messages sent between the brain and the penis, which can prevent blood flow getting to where it’s needed in order to get or maintain an erection.
For most, having a small amount of alcohol will unlikely cause any issues, but it’s generally considered best avoided when using Stendra.
If alcohol is causing your erectile dysfunction problems, speak with your doctor. They may be able to help you deal with the root of the condition and potentially reduce your need for ED medication.
Stendra shouldn’t be taken more than once within a 24 hour period, as the drug can build up in the system and become a health risk.
If you’re noticing that your Stendra frequency of use is exceeding this, speak with your prescribing clinician. There are other medications available that can be used more frequently or have longer-lasting effects.
If you find that Stendra isn’t working for you, there are several options that might be suggested to you by your prescribing clinician.
Firstly, if you’re taking 50mg or 100mg, there’s a possibility that your dosage can be increased. The starting dosage is usually 100mg, which can even be increased to 200mg if needed. The lower dose of 50mg is usually only prescribed if there is a particular risk of side effects.
If an increase in the strength of Stendra is unsuitable or not possible, there are several other medications you might be offered. Other PDE5 inhibitors include Viagra (sildenafil), Levitra (vardenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil). Each treatment works slightly differently even though they belong to the same group of medications.
Lastly, there are other types of erectile dysfunction treatments to try. These include Caverject, Muse, Viradil Duo and Vitaros (all of which contain the active ingredient alprostadil) and Invicorp (avipatadil/phentolamine mesilate).
Some of these treatments are creams, others are injections and others are suppositories. Your prescribing clinician can advise you on the pros and cons of each treatment before you choose an alternative to Stendra.
Remember to only 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.
A Stendra generic isn’t available at the moment. Medication patents last for up to 15 years — this allows manufacturers to try and earn back some of the “extra” money they spent on things like pre-market research and clinical trials, as they were the first to create and release the drug.
Once the patent expires, other manufacturers can apply to produce the drug under its generic name. The generic tends to be at a slightly lower price point.
The manufacturer of Stendra, Menarini, will likely lose their patent in 2025. That’s when we can expect avanafil generic named products to become available on the market, hopefully at a significantly cheaper price.
In the meantime, you can only get Stendra in its brand-name form.
It’s not possible to get Stendra over the counter. This is due to the fact that its use requires some monitoring by a doctor, particularly at the start of use where the dosage may need to be adjusted.
While Stendra is thought to be very safe for the majority of men, aftercare is an important part of ED treatment — and that’s not really possible with an over the counter medication. At present, there is no avanafil over the counter product.
Stendra isn’t safe for women to use. In fact, not only might its use present a serious health risk but there’s no benefit to taking it in the first place.
A type of female sexual dysfunction known as hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) can be treated with medications sometimes called “female Viagra,” but they’re not similar to erectile dysfunction medication in how they work — or what they treat. HSDD is a libido issue whereas ED is a physical one (though it can have physical and psychological causes). If you’re experiencing HSDD, speak with your doctor about the various options available.
Stendra can be a great ED treatment option. If you’re eager to find out more about this fast-acting tablet and the subscriptions offered at Treated, our experts can walk you through your choices. Then it’ll be down to you to select how many tablets arrive at your door and how often they appear.
A comparison of the available phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors in the treatment of erectile dysfunction: a focus on avanafil. Patient preference and adherence, [online] 9, pp.1159–1164. Available at:
Avanafil for male erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Asian Journal of Andrology, 16(3), p.472.
Efficacy and safety of avanafil 200 mg versus sildenafil 100 mg in the treatment of erectile dysfunction after robot-assisted unilateral nerve-sparing prostatectomy: A prospective multicentre study. Urologia Journal, 87(1), pp.23–28.
A comparison of the available phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors in the treatment of erectile dysfunction: a focus on avanafil. Patient preference and adherence, [online] 9, pp.1159–1164. Available at:
Efficacy of Avanafil 15 Minutes after Dosing in Men with Erectile Dysfunction: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Study. Journal of Urology, 194(2), pp.485–492.
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