Additional
What is this medication used for?
Spedra® is used to treat erectile dysfunction, a condition where you are unable to get or keep an erection firm enough to have sexual intercourse. It works by relaxing the blood vessels in your penis, allowing blood to flow into your penis when you get sexually excited. This medicine will only help you to get an erection if you are sexually stimulated. Therefore it is taken on an as-needed basis.
Dosage and How to Use
- You should take Spedra® about 30 minutes (50 mg) or approximately 15 to 30 minutes (100 mg and 200 mg) before you have sexual intercourse. Remember that Spedra® will only help you to get an erection if you are sexually stimulated.
- Spedra® can be taken with or without food; if taken with food, it may take longer to work.
- You should not take Spedra® more than once a day.
What are the possible side effects of the medicines?
- Headache
- Flushing
- Nasal congestion
- Back pain
What are some rare but serious side-effects that I need to seek medical advice immediately?
- An erection that will not go away (“priapism”). If you get an erection that lasts more than 4 hours, this must be treated as soon as possible or lasting damage can happen to your penis (including not being able to get erections).
- Blurred vision.
- Sudden decrease or loss of vision in one or both eyes.
- Sudden decrease or loss of hearing (sometimes you may also feel dizzy or have ringing in your ears).
What precautions should I take?
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Spedra®:
- If you have heart trouble. It may be risky for you to have sexual intercourse.
- If you suffer from priapism, that is a persistent erection lasting 4 hours or more. This can happen in men with conditions like sickle cell disease, multiple myeloma or leukaemia.
- If you have a physical condition that affects the shape of your penis (such as angulation, Peyronie’s disease or cavernosal fibrosis).
- If you have any bleeding disorder or active peptic ulceration.
What other medications and foods should I avoid when taking Spedra®?
Avoid taking grapefruit, or grapefruit juice as they may interact with your medication and increase the risk of side-effects.
Drinking alcohol can temporarily weaken your ability to get an erection and may increase the blood pressure lowering effects of the medication, which can be dangerous. To get the maximum benefit from your medication, it is advisable not to drink excessive amounts of alcohol before taking this medication.
Inform your healthcare professional if you are taking or intend to take any other medication, supplements, traditional medications or herbal remedies.
This includes certain medications such as:
- Antibiotics
- Anti-fungal medications
- Medications used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
Handling and storage
- Store in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight. Keep this medication away from children.
- Pack this medication into a black trash bag and seal it tightly before throwing into the rubbish chute or bin.
The above information answers some common questions about this medicine. It does not contain all the available information. It also does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
References
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.7422.pdf