U.S. vardenafil prescribing information describes film-coated erectile-dysfunction tablets in 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, and 20 mg strengths. A strength is the amount of active medication in one labeled tablet, not a prediction of response and not a personal dosing instruction. The approved indication is erectile dysfunction (ED), and the film-coated product is prescribed for use as needed under a clinician’s direction.
A second product category complicates searches: vardenafil 10 mg orally disintegrating tablets (ODT). Their active ingredient and stated strength resemble the 10 mg film-coated tablets, but labeling specifically says they are not interchangeable because systemic exposure differs. The earlier U.S. branded products Levitra and Staxyn have been discontinued; historical brand entries must not be mistaken for confirmation of present-day stocked products.
This is a product catalog and label-reading guide. The dosage guide addresses medical reasons for different prescribed regimens, and each 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg or 20 mg page focuses on one tablet strength. To understand dissolving tablets, consult the ODT formulation guide.
The same ingredient appears in several labeled strengths because prescriptions must account for differences in tolerability, clinical circumstances, and interactions. The FDA label is the authority for the product’s listed strengths; an online listing alone is not proof of a currently marketed or dispensed presentation.
The chart identifies what the numbers on a film-coated product mean. It deliberately does not arrange them from “weak” to “best”: milligram strength is not a measure of medical suitability, and higher exposure can mean more adverse reactions.
| Film-coated strength | Label/product context | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | Listed strength; confirm the specific approved generic and its current dispensing status | 2.5 mg product guide |
| 5 mg | Listed option; prescriber may consider clinical adjustment factors | 5 mg product guide |
| 10 mg | Common reference strength in the as-needed film-coated label | 10 mg product guide |
| 20 mg | Upper end of the labeled film-coated ED strength range | 20 mg product guide |
| 10 mg ODT | Different dosage form; explicitly not interchangeable with 10 mg film-coated | ODT guide |
A carton marked 10 mg identifies what each tablet contains. A prescription also specifies route, timing, permitted frequency, and other directions. Clinicians may need to change a planned regimen because of an interacting drug, older age, liver disease, or adverse effects; the patient should not attempt that adjustment from a strength comparison table.
Film-coated vardenafil labeling describes as-needed use, generally approximately 60 minutes before sexual activity and no more often than once per day. That is labeling context, not a schedule for every reader. Review administration guidance and the prescribed directions rather than transferring numbers between products.
Orally disintegrating tablets are designed to dissolve on the tongue, whereas film-coated tablets are swallowed. The difference is not cosmetic: U.S. ODT labeling describes higher systemic vardenafil exposure than an equal-labeled-strength film-coated tablet. The ODT also has different directions about liquid and blister removal.
Neither a patient nor an online merchant should treat them as substitutable versions on the basis of “10 mg.” A pharmacist should identify the prescribed dosage form before dispensing, and any proposed change requires prescriber involvement. A dissolved dosage form also does not establish a faster or more effective clinical response.
The FDA Orange Book addresses approved drug applications and, where appropriate, therapeutic-equivalence evaluations. DailyMed supplies structured product labeling. An NDC identifies a specific listed product/package configuration but does not, on its own, constitute an FDA approval decision or prove a pharmacy has stock.
Confirm the exact application/product, tablet form and strength before interpreting a generic listing. The generic-product page explores approval and substitutability; the availability guide explains how to check the dispensed item rather than infer stock from old databases.
The 2.5 mg strength is present in relevant U.S. film-coated labeling, including historical product presentations. However, a label containing a strength cannot show which manufacturers currently produce it or whether a local wholesaler supplies it. Some online catalogs may combine older and newer records.
For this particular strength, a useful pharmacy inquiry includes the product name, formulation, NDC when available, an actual current ordering check, and what can be filled under the original prescription. A clinician rather than a patient decides whether an alternative presentation is appropriate.
Levitra historically identified vardenafil film-coated tablets; Staxyn identified an orally disintegrating vardenafil product. Their original U.S. branded versions were discontinued. Product history remains useful when interpreting old prescriptions, archived labels, or online search suggestions, but the old brand name is not a stock confirmation.
The present-day product question concerns specific approved generics, dosage form, and pharmacy supply. See Levitra brand history and Staxyn brand history rather than assuming that an old branded carton corresponds to a dispensable U.S. product.
Vardenafil must not be used with organic nitrates or riociguat. Certain CYP3A4 inhibitors can raise exposure; alpha-blockers and blood-pressure medications may contribute to symptomatic hypotension. Vardenafil has an additional QT-related warning that warrants medication and cardiac-history review before prescribing.
A strength chart cannot resolve these medical issues. For interactions consult the drug-interaction guide and the nitrate contraindication page. Sudden visual or hearing changes require prompt medical evaluation; an erection persisting over four hours requires emergency care.
On receipt, compare the printed drug name, dosage form, strength, directions, and quantity with the prescription and pharmacist’s explanation. Tablet appearance varies across manufacturers; do not rely solely on the color or shape shown in a search result. Request clarification before taking any tablet with a mismatched label.
Generic substitutions follow applicable prescription and state pharmacy rules, not the buyer’s assumption that two packages are “the same.” For real-world dispensing details, use the local-pharmacy guide or online-pharmacy verification guide.
U.S. generic packages may carry a different tablet imprint, shape, or labeler name even when the active ingredient and strength match an approved reference product. A product identification check should use the actual dispensing label and manufacturer details rather than copied photographs from online merchants.
A pharmacist can reconcile a tablet imprint with the dispensed NDC and prescription record. That identification step becomes important when a refill changes manufacturer or when a search result mixes film-coated and orally disintegrating formulations.
Comparing strengths as though they were different competing products can mislead patients: each number describes a dose strength within a prescription framework, not a separate clinical indication or guaranteed performance level. Clinical outcome is evaluated in context of health conditions, instructions, response and tolerability.
A prescriber may assess whether vardenafil itself is suitable before even discussing tablet strength. Changing the milligram number does not address the separate risks of nitrates, riociguat, rhythm abnormalities or interacting treatments.
The labeled film-coated strengths include 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg and 20 mg. Specific products and current pharmacy stock must be checked separately.
No. The U.S. ODT label explicitly says the products are not interchangeable because systemic exposure differs.
No. Response and safety vary, and a higher milligram strength does not establish suitability or superior effectiveness for an individual.
It appears in U.S. film-coated labeling, but current marketing and availability of any exact product require separate checks.
The original U.S. branded presentations were discontinued. Generic products have separate approval and dispensing records.
An ODT is not automatically interchangeable with a film-coated tablet of the same number of milligrams. Product and prescribing directions require verification.
No. A listing or package identifier does not establish present-day inventory or a current dispensing offer.
No. A prescriber determines the appropriate product and regimen after evaluating health, interacting medications, and tolerance.