Drug Name

Caverta

Drug Uses

Caverta is a tablet used to treat erectile dysfunction (impotence) in men. It can help men who have erectile dysfunction get and sustain an erection when they are sexually excited. One does not get an erection just by taking this medicine. Caverta helps a man with erectile dysfunction get an erection only when he is sexually excited.

How to use

Caverta should not be taken more than once a day. If you are older than 65 years, or have serious liver or kidney problems, your doctor may start you at the lowest dose (25 mg) of Caverta. If you are taking protease inhibitors, such as for the treatment of HIV, your doctor may recommend a 25 mg dose and may limit you to a maximum single dose of 25mg of Caverta in a 48-hour period.

Drug Class and Mechanism

Under normal circumstances, when a man is sexually stimulated, the penis fills up with blood. When erectile dysfunction occurs, enough blood does not flow to cause an erection. Caverta, with Sildenafil citrate, relaxes the penile blood vessels when a man is sexually stimulated. This allows blood flow into the penis, resulting in an erection. The erection subsides after sex, just as it is supposed to in normal conditions.

Please understand that Caverta is not a hormone or aphrodisiac, it works only when a man is sexually stimulated.

Caverta does not cure erectile dysfunction. It is a treatment for erectile dysfunction. Caverta does not protect you or your partner from getting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV-the virus that causes AIDS. Caverta is not a hormone or an aphrodisiac.

Missed Dose

Use the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Storage

Store Caverta at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Warnings/Precautions

Only your doctor can decide if Caverta is right for you. Caverta can cause mild, temporary lowering of your blood pressure. You will need to have a thorough medical exam to diagnose your erectile dysfunction and to find out if you can safely take Caverta alone or with your other medicines.

Your doctor should determine if your heart is healthy enough to handle the extra strain of having sex. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have had:

• Any heart problems (e.g., angina, chest pain, heart failure, irregular heart beats, or heart attack), have ever had a stroke,
• Low or high blood pressure,
• A rare inherited eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa,
• Any kidney problems or any liver problems,
• Any blood problems, including sickle cell anemia or leukaemia,
• Allergies to sildenafil or any of the other ingredients of Caverta tablets,
• A deformed penis, Peyronie's disease, or ever had an erection that lasted more than 4 hours,
• Stomach ulcers or any types of bleeding problems
• Or, if you are taking any other medicines.

Possible Side Effects

Like all medicines, Caverta (sildenafil citrate) can cause some side effects. These effects are usually mild to moderate and usually don't last longer than a few hours. Some of these side effects are more likely to occur with higher doses.

The most common side effects of sildenafil citrate are headache, flushing of the face and upset stomach. Less common side effects that may occur are temporary changes in colour vision (such as trouble telling the difference between blue and green objects or having a blue colour tinge to them), eyes being more sensitive to light or blurred vision. In rare instances, men have reported an erection that lasts many hours. You should call a doctor immediately if you ever have an erection that lasts more than 4 hours. If not treated right away, permanent damage to your penis could occur.

Heart attack, stroke, irregular heartbeats and death have been reported rarely in men taking sildenafil citrate. Most, but not all, of these men had heart problems before taking this medicine. It is not possible to determine whether these events were directly related to sildenafil citrate. Sildenafil citrate may cause other side effects besides those listed on this sheet. If you want more information or develop any side effect or symptom you are concerned about, call your doctor.

More Information

Active ingredients: carprofen.