Is Levitra safe with Amlodipine?

July 28, 2025/Andrew Le

If you take amlodipine for blood pressure and are thinking about using Levitra for erectile dysfunction, you might be stepping into risky territory without realizing it.

Why? Because both drugs widen your blood vessels. When taken together, that effect can add up fast, causing your blood pressure to drop more than expected. You might feel dizzy, flushed, or even faint. In some cases, the drop can be serious enough to affect your heart.

🔑 Key takeaways

➤ Taking Levitra and amlodipine together can lower your blood pressure more than expected.

➤ This combo may cause dizziness, flushing, or fainting, especially if you stand up quickly.

➤ Grapefruit juice can raise Levitra levels, making side effects worse when used with amlodipine.

➤ Drinking alcohol while on both drugs increases the risk of low blood pressure.

➤ Both drugs use the same liver enzyme, so they can stay in your body longer and raise side effect risks.

➤ If you restart or change doses of either drug, the chance of feeling lightheaded goes up.

Levitra

Levitra, also known as vardenafil, is a prescription medication used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). It works by helping increase blood flow to the penis, allowing you to get or maintain an erection during sexual stimulation. 

But how exactly does it do that?

Vardenafil belongs to a group of drugs called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors. These medications block the action of an enzyme called PDE5. PDE5 breaks down a molecule known as cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), which is responsible for relaxing the smooth muscle cells in blood vessels. When PDE5 is blocked, cGMP levels go up. That leads to more relaxation of blood vessels, which allows more blood to flow into the penis. The result would be a firmer and longer-lasting erection.

It acts mostly in the corpus cavernosum, the erectile tissue of the penis. This is key to its effectiveness. Vardenafil’s effects typically start within 30 to 60 minutes and can last up to 5 hours. As one study explained, its blood pressure-lowering effect peaks between 1 to 4 hours after a dose. This time window is important for understanding when side effects like dizziness or flushing may occur.

Amlodipine

Amlodipine is a widely prescribed medication used to treat high blood pressure and certain heart conditions. But how does it actually work in your body?

Amlodipine is part of a drug class called calcium channel blockers, specifically the dihydropyridine type. It works by blocking the influx of calcium into the smooth muscle cells of the blood vessels. Normally, calcium causes these muscle cells to contract. When amlodipine blocks this action, the muscle cells relax instead. This relaxation makes the arteries wider, allowing blood to flow more easily. As a result, blood pressure goes down.

This mechanism is why amlodipine is useful not just for hypertension, but also for conditions like angina and coronary artery disease. When arteries are dilated, the heart doesn’t have to pump as hard, and oxygen delivery improves. That can help reduce chest pain and prevent heart strain.

Another unique thing about amlodipine is its long half-life, between 30 to 50 hours. This means the medication stays active in your body for a long time and usually only needs to be taken once a day.

Is it safe to take Levitra and Amlodipine?

Yes, but only with caution and under close medical supervision. The combination of Levitra (vardenafil) and amlodipine carries a moderate risk due to their direct pharmacological interaction, which can lower your blood pressure more than expected.

According to a review, both vardenafil and amlodipine work as vasodilators. They widen the blood vessels through different mechanisms. When taken together, these effects can add up and lead to excessive blood pressure reduction. This can cause symptoms like dizziness, fainting, flushing, rapid heart rate, or even cardiovascular collapse.

When vardenafil (20 mg) was taken alongside a calcium channel blocker like nifedipine, the average blood pressure dropped an additional 6/5 mmHg compared to placebo. Though this reduction may sound small, for some individuals, especially those with existing heart issues, it can be risky.

Therefore, while this combination is not strictly contraindicated, it is not recommended without careful monitoring. Doctors often adjust the dose, monitor blood pressure closely, and may suggest alternatives if the risk is too high. According to the drug interaction classification, this pairing falls into the “moderate” category, meaning it should be avoided unless clearly necessary and prescribed by a healthcare provider.

Safety considerations

Here are some other things that you need to consider when taking them both:

Risk of severe hypotension from lifestyle factors

Taking Levitra and amlodipine together already lowers blood pressure, but some lifestyle choices can make this effect even stronger. For example, grapefruit juice can raise the level of vardenafil in your body. Grapefruit juice blocks the CYP3A4 enzyme in your gut, which usually helps break down vardenafil. This means more of the drug stays in your system longer, increasing its blood-pressure-lowering effect. If you’re also taking amlodipine, this could lead to unexpected and more severe hypotension. 

It’s important to ask yourself, do you drink grapefruit juice regularly? If so, your doctor needs to know before making any changes.

Alcohol use

Alcohol is another factor that can interfere with this drug combination. Both amlodipine and alcohol can widen your blood vessels and lower blood pressure. When you add Levitra to the mix, this can cause additive effects, making dizziness, fainting, or even sudden drops in blood pressure more likely. The interaction may be stronger during the first few days of starting either drug or after a dose change. It’s best to avoid alcohol until you know how your body responds.

Supplements and over-the-counter products

Multivitamins with minerals may reduce how well amlodipine works. This is especially relevant if you’re taking both drugs to manage different conditions. Certain minerals can interfere with the effectiveness of calcium channel blockers like amlodipine. If blood pressure rises due to this, and Levitra is added, the blood pressure may drop unpredictably, especially in combination with grapefruit or alcohol. Even though it seems unrelated, these indirect effects matter when you’re using both drugs at once.

Enzyme competition and drug accumulation

Both vardenafil and amlodipine are broken down in the liver by the CYP3A4 enzyme, and this can create a kind of traffic jam. When two drugs rely on the same enzyme, one can slow down the clearance of the other. This means one or both drugs could stay in the body longer, increasing the risk of side effects. According to a 2022 study, co-administering amlodipine with tadalafil (another PDE5 inhibitor) increased tadalafil blood levels by 57% for AUC and 34% for peak concentration. The same pattern likely applies to vardenafil. 

Although this is not a direct interaction, it’s an important pharmacokinetic overlap that increases the chance of low blood pressure or other side effects over time.

Timing of medication restart or dose change

Restarting treatment or increasing doses of either drug can be tricky. The risk of symptoms like dizziness or lightheadedness goes up during these times. This is especially important if both drugs are taken together, because the body has to adjust to the pressure-lowering effects from two different sources. Healthcare providers usually recommend rising slowly from sitting or lying positions to avoid sudden blood pressure drops. It’s a small step, but it can help prevent falls or fainting.

Final words

Levitra and amlodipine both lower blood pressure in different ways. That sounds helpful, but together, they can lower it too much. This is the heart of the issue. When used at the same time, they may cause dizziness, fainting, or even serious heart problems.

Because of this, using them together needs caution. Timing, lifestyle habits like drinking alcohol or grapefruit juice, and even vitamin use can all make the risks higher. These details matter. If you need both medicines, your doctor should guide every step. 

FAQs on levitra and amlodipine safety

What happens if my blood pressure drops too low on these meds?

You might feel dizzy, faint, flushed, or get a fast heartbeat. Sit or lie down if that happens and call your doctor.

Is it safe to drive after taking these meds together?

Not right away. You might feel sleepy or dizzy. Wait until you know how your body reacts before driving or using machines.

Does orange juice cause the same problem?

Nope. Orange juice is fine, it doesn’t mess with Levitra like grapefruit juice can.

Can vitamins affect my blood pressure meds?

Yes. Multivitamins with minerals can make amlodipine less effective. Tell your doctor if you take them together.

What should I do if I feel dizzy or faint after taking these?

Sit or lie down right away. Call your doctor if it keeps happening or feels strong.

Is it okay to stop taking one of the meds if I feel weird?

No. Never stop on your own. Always talk to your doctor first.

Sources

  • Kim, H., Lee, S. H., Jung, J., Hong, S., & Lim, H.-S. (2022). Pharmacokinetic drug interaction between amlodipine and tadalafil: An open-label, randomized, multiple-dose crossover study in healthy male volunteers. Drug Design, Development and Therapy, 16, 425–433. https://doi.org/10.2147/DDDT.S348897.
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