Avana

Avana contains avanafil, a phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor. It is used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction, and compared to other PDE5 inhibitors, avanafil shows more selectivity towards PDE5 than PDE6.

You should be aware of a few things before using this medication. This article will cover what Avana is, how it functions, and how it can benefit you.

Let’s get started.

What is Avana?

Avana is a phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Its generic name is avanafil.

Avana comes in different doses and can be used as per the need of the user. It is used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). It also possesses a blood pressure-lowering ability.

Erectile dysfunction is a kind of sexual dysfunction in which the penis fails to become or stay erect during sexual activity. It is the most frequent male sexual issue. Erectile dysfunction can cause psychological harm because of its links to self-image and sexual relationship issues.

While there are quite a few causes of erectile dysfunction, Sunrise Remedies‘ Avana can help treat this condition by dilating blood vessels and allowing more blood to flow through the spongy tissue of the penis.

What’s the Dose of Avana?

Avana comes in a dosage of 50 mg, 100 mg, and 200 mg.

The pills come in a blister pack containing four pills. It is recommended to take a single dose of Avana about 15 minutes before you have sex.

How Long Does it Take Avana To Kick In?

Avana has a really fast onset of action compared to other ED medications. It takes about 15 minutes to get to work. However, it needs sexual stimulation to work fully. This means you should take Avana about 15 minutes before you have sex. Unless you’re sexually excited, it won’t work too well.

How Long Does Avana Last?

Avanafil has a plasma half-life of 3–5 hours and a maximum duration of action of 6 hours. However, you must not take more than one dose per day.

How Much Does Avana Cost?

Avana costs from 2.70 USD to 5.00 USD per tablet. This is much less than other ED medications.

The History of Avana

To understand the story behind Avana’s creation, we must go back to how PDE5 inhibitors were created.

The first PDE5 inhibitor drug, sildenafil, was accidentally found to cause erection in users with hypertension, the condition it was being studied for. As studies for other PDE5 went on, avanafil, Avana’s base drug was invented at Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma or Tanabe Seiyaku. It was then approved for use in erectile dysfunction by the FDA on April 27, 2012, and by the EMA on June 21, 2013. Following this, Sunrise Pharmaceuticals started producing Avana for ED treatment.

Who Should Take Avana?

Avana is a prescription-only medication, which means you must obtain a prescription from a licensed physician before you take it. Physicians may recommend Avana for men who are suffering from ED.

Is Avana Safe?

Avana is safe for use by most men. However, it cannot be used in those with some kind of heart conditions. Even if it is used in such users, it must be used cautiously as it may worsen the symptoms.

Common Side Effects of Avana

Like most other drugs, Avana, too, has some side effects. This is because it acts on the body as a whole compared to just one system. Most of these side effects are due to improper dosing or overdosing.

Angina
Back pain
Cough
Diarrhea
Flushing
Headache
Muscle aches
Pain in the extremities
Priapism
Stomach Upset
Stuffy or runny nose
Upper Respiratory Tract Infections

Potential Drug Interactions With Avana

Taking Avana with some particular medications can turn out to be dangerous due to potential interactions between them. Their interactions can range from mild to really dangerous ones.

Nitrates

Nitrates such as nitroglycerin are used to treat certain heart conditions, including angina and coronary disease. One of the things that nitrates does is lower blood pressure. Since Avana also lowers blood pressure levels, taking them together could drop the pressure down to dangerous levels.

Guanylate Cyclase (GC) Stimulators

These medications treat heart failure and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a condition of high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries. They enhance the activity of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), an enzyme in the cardiopulmonary system responsible for relaxing vascular smooth muscles. This action results in pulmonary vasodilation, reduced PAH, and improved cardiac output. Since these drugs lower blood pressure the same as Avana, taking them together could cause a rapid drop in blood pressure, resulting in fainting, dizziness, and loss of consciousness.

Anti-Hypertensive Medications

As the name suggests, these medications treat high blood pressure. These include medications such as alpha-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and angiotensin II receptor blockers. The blood pressure-lowering abilities of these medications, in combination with Avana’s blood pressure-lowering ability, could cause a severe drop in blood pressure and turn out to be disastrous, with a severe drop in blood pressure.

CYP3A4 Inhibitors

Avana is metabolized by the CYP3A4 enzymes. This means any increase or decrease regarding this enzyme could alter the metabolism rate of Avana. So the medications that inhibit this enzyme can cause a slowdown of Avana’s metabolism and elimination from the body. CYP3A4 inhibitors include drugs such as ritonavir, ketoconazole, itraconazole, erythromycin, and others.

Alcohol

Alcohol and Avana cannot be taken together as the latter can worsen the side effects of any kind of alcohol. It can worsen conditions such as headaches, nausea, vomiting, etc.

Antacids

Antacids counteract or neutralize the acid in the stomach to relieve indigestion and heartburn. Sometimes they can bind to drugs or reduce their absorption and effects. Taking antacids and Avana could cause a lower uptake of the latter in the body, making it more dangerous to use. These include drugs such as Alternagel, Amphojel, Alka-Seltzer, Tums, Magnesium hydroxide, Gaviscon, Gelusil, Maalox, Mylanta, and Rolaids.

CYP3A4 Inducers

These drugs have the opposite effect as CYP3A4 inhibitors. Rifampicin, carbamazepine, phenytoin, and phenobarbital are examples of CYP3A4 inhibitors. These drugs can speed up the metabolism of Avana by increasing the activity of the CYP3A4 enzyme.

Who Should Avoid Using Avana

Patients with severe heart disease, such as heart valve failure
Patients with a history of NAION or “crowded” optic disc
Patients with a history of syncope
Patients with a history of mania or severe depression
Patients with moderate or severe hepatic impairment
Patients diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa
Patients taking any of the contraindicated medications listed in the previous section
Patients with hypersensitivity to Avana
Patients with orthostatic hypotension
Patients with low blood pressure
Patients with kidney failure or severe kidney disease
Patients with a history of priapism
Patients with severe kidney disease
Patients with certain blood disorders (hemophilia, leukemia, sickle-cell anemia)

How Does Avana Work

Avanafil inhibits the cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) enzyme that degrades cGMP in the corpus cavernosum, the tissue surrounding the penis. Sexual stimulation causes nitric oxide to be released locally, which stimulates the enzyme guanylate cyclase to create cGMP. Local smooth muscle relaxation and enhanced blood flow to the penis come from elevated cGMP levels (i.e., an erection).

Because PDE5 inhibitors like avanafil rely on the endogenous generation of nitric oxide to work, they have no impact on the user when sexual stimulation/arousal is not present. When compared to less selective PDE5 inhibitors like sildenafil and vardenafil, its inhibitory effects on PDE5 are more powerful than on PDE6 and other PDE enzymes, meaning it is less likely to induce visual problems and cardiovascular side effects.

Hence, Avana is extremely effective in treating erectile dysfunction.

Medical Research Involving Avana

There is not much medical research regarding avanafil. This is because they are based on formulas that get mass-produced by various companies. However, the individual drugs themselves have quite little research on them. Avanafil has been well-established as a drug for erectile dysfunction [1]. Like other PDE5 inhibitors, it may also be useful as a blood pressure-lowering agent in the case of hypertension [2].

Best Avana Alternatives

There are other alternatives to Avana. While their base drugs and forms may differ or similar to Avana’s, all are very effective in treating ED. Hence, choose the one that fits you the best.

Pharmaceutical Alternatives

Sildenafil (Viagra, Cenforce, Kamagra, Fildena, P-Force, Vygex, & more)
Tadalafil (Cialis, Adcirca, Vidalista, Tadacip, Forzest, & more)
Avanafil (Avaforce, Stendra)
Mirodenafil (Mvix)
Udenafil (Zydena)
Vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn, Vilitra, Zhewitra, Savitra, & more)

Natural Avana Alternatives

Some herbs can also treat erectile dysfunction. If you’re hesitant or confused about where to begin in your treatment of ED, these may be a good place to start. If they do not work for you.

Here are some of the natural herbs and nutrients that may help with ED:

Catuaba (Trichilia catigua or Erythroxylum Catuaba) — Catuaba is used to increase sexual arousal and performance and to improve agitation and poor memory [3].

Zinc — Lack of dietary zinc may impact male sexual competency. Supplementing with zinc can help increase testosterone and improve symptoms of sexual dysfunctions [4].

Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium spp.) — Horny goat weed is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb that may help to treat erectile dysfunction and osteoporosis. This plant contains a compound called icariin, which acts as a PDE5 inhibitor [5].

L-Arginine —Taking oral L-arginine might improve sexual function in men with erectile dysfunction as it can increase cGMP, make nitric oxide and help cause erections [6].

Korean Red Ginseng (Panax quinquefolium) — Korean red ginseng can increase alertness and can potentially improve erectile dysfunction. The extracts can improve nitric oxide production, promote dilation of the arteries in the penis and cause erection [7].

Where to Buy Avana?

In most places, Avana is only available with a prescription. So, if you have a prescription for it, you may go to your local drugstore or order it online. The latter is a superior option because it is more discrete and easier.

Avana could be the most effective treatment for erectile dysfunction.

References

Belkoff, L. H., McCullough, A., Goldstein, I., Jones, L., Bowden, C. H., DiDonato, K., … & Day, W. W. (2013). An open‐label, long‐term evaluation of the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of avanafil in male patients with mild to severe erectile dysfunction. International journal of clinical practice, 67(4), 333-341.
Oliver, J. J., Melville, V. P., & Webb, D. J. (2006). Effect of regular phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibition in hypertension. Hypertension, 48(4), 622-627.
Lim, P. H. (2017). Asian herbals and aphrodisiacs are used for managing ED. Translational andrology and urology, 6(2), 167.
Dissanayake, D. M. A. B., Wijesinghe, P. S., Ratnasooriya, W. D., & Wimalasena, S. (2009). Effects of zinc supplementation on the sexual behavior of male rats. Journal of human reproductive sciences, 2(2), 57.
Shindel, A. W., Xin, Z. C., Lin, G., Fandel, T. M., Huang, Y. C., Banie, L., … & Lue, T. F. (2010). Erectogenic and neurotrophic effects of icariin, a purified extract of horny goat weed (Epimedium spp.) in vitro and in vivo. The journal of sexual medicine, 7(4), 1518-1528.
Moody, J. A., Vernet, D., Laidlaw, S., Rajfer, J., & Gonzalez-Cadavid, N. F. (1997). Effects of long-term oral administration of L-arginine on the rat erectile response. The journal of urology, 158(3), 942-947.
De Andrade, E., De Mesquita, A. A., de Almeida Claro, J., De Andrade, P. M., Ortiz, V., Paranhos, M., … & Erdogrun, T. (2007). Study of the efficacy of Korean Red Ginseng in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Asian journal of andrology, 9(2), 241-244.