Stendra (avanafil), the newest FDA-approved erectile dysfunction treatment, is available in three different doses ranging from 50mg to 200mg.
The recommended starting dose of Stendra is 100mg. If you meet with your doctor to talk about using Stendra, this will likely be the dose that you’re prescribed. For most men, a 100mg dose is adequate and effective at preventing ED and improving sexual performance.
Like other medications used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED), it can take some time to work out the right Stendra dosage for you. Below, we’ve listed the three commonly prescribed dosages of Stendra, as well as what you can expect from each dosage.
Stendra 100mg: A Typical Dose of Stendra
The recommended starting dose of Stendra is 100mg for most patients. Most men who are prescribed Stendra to treat erectile dysfunction are prescribed the medication at this dose.
A 100mg dose of Stendra is highly effective at preventing ED in most men. Men who take this dose typically find it easier to get an erection when aroused and maintain their erection during sexual activity.
In a study of men affected by ED, patients randomly received a dosage of either 50mg, 100mg or 200mg of avanafil (the active ingredient in Stendra) for use over a 12-week period. The men given the 100mg dose showed a 57 percent mean improvement in erectile function.
In another study, men with erectile dysfunction who used avanafil at a 100mg dose reported a significant increase in IIEF-EFD score (a score used to assess erectile function) after using the medication for a 12-week period.
The 100mg Stendra tablet typically starts working about 15 minutes after you take it, meaning it can be used closer to the time you have sex than older ED medications such as Viagra. Like all dosages of Stendra, it’s not affected by your intake of food or moderate alcohol consumption.
At a dose of 100mg, Stendra has a mild risk of causing side effects such as headaches, nasal congestion and back pain. Our guide to Stendra’s side effects lists these in more detail, as well as how likely they are to occur at each commonly prescribed dose of the medication.
Stendra 200mg: The Highest Dose of Stendra
The highest dose of Stendra is 200mg. Your doctor might prescribe Stendra to you at this dose if you haven’t experienced satisfactory results from the 100mg dose, or if you’re switching from an older ED medication such as Viagra or Cialis (prescribed at the maximum dose) to Stendra.
Like the 100mg dose of Stendra, the 200mg dose typically starts working about 15 minutes after you take the medication.
Studies typically show that the 200mg dose of Stendra is as effective as the 100mg dose of the medication for treating ED. For example, in the same study linked above, the researchers found no significant difference between 100mg and 200mg doses of Stendra for men with ED.
Despite this, if you have severe erectile dysfunction or haven’t gotten the results you expected from the standard 100mg dose of Stendra, your doctor might prescribe Stendra at this dose to give the medication the highest chance of successfully treating ED.
At a dose of 200mg, Stendra has a slightly higher risk of causing certain side effects than at the standard 100mg dose. For example, approximately 10 percent of men experience headaches at this dose, compared to 6.9 percent of men prescribed Stendra at a dose of 100mg.
Interestingly, some side effects, such as back pain and nasal congestion, appear to be slightly less common in men who use Stendra at this dose than in men who are prescribed Stendra at doses of 50 or 100mg.
Our guide to Stendra’s side effects contains more information on your risk of experiencing side effects from a 200mg dose of Stendra, as well as what you can do to manage them.
ED treatments, delivered
Stendra 50mg: The Lowest Dose of Stendra
Stendra is also available in a 50mg dose. This is currently the lowest dose of Stendra used to treat ED. Your doctor might prescribe Stendra to you at this dose if you have mild ED, if you’re relatively young or if you experience side effects from Stendra at a standard 100mg dose.
In the same study linked above, researchers found that the 50mg dose of Stendra was actually more effective than higher doses at assisting men with ED to successfully penetrate their sexual partners. This dose also resulted in a 41 percent improvement in the men’s IIEF-EF domain scores.
This means that if you have relatively mild ED, a 50mg dose of Stendra could be enough to help you get hard, stay hard and improve your sexual performance.
It’s worth noting that this dose of Stendra takes slightly longer to start working than higher doses of the medication. On average, it takes about 30 minutes for Stendra to start working at a 50mg dose, compared to just 15 minutes for the 100 and 200mg doses.
One advantage of using Stendra at this lower dose is that your risk of experiencing side effects is significantly lower than it it as a 100 or 200mg dose. For example:
Only 5.1 percent of men who use Stendra at a 50mg dose experience headaches, compared to 6.9 percent of men at a 100mg dose and 10.5 percent at a 200mg dose.
Only 3.2 percent of men who use Stendra at a 50mg dose experience flushing, compared to 4.3 percent of men at a 100mg dose and 4 percent of men at a 200mg dose.
Other side effects, such as nasal congestion, are also less common at a 100mg dose, though back pain appears to be slightly more common (it’s reported by 3.2 percent of men at this dose and only 1.1 percent of men who use Stendra at a dose of 200mg).
Our guide to Stendra’s side effects contains more information on your risk of experiencing side effects from a 50mg dose of Stendra, as well as how this dose compared to higher doses.
Frequently Asked Questions About Stendra (Avanafil) Doses
Can You Use Stendra More Than Once Per Day?
Stendra should not be taken more than once per day. Taking Stendra more than once per day increases your risk of experiencing side effects. For longer-acting relief from ED, medications such as Cialis (tadalafil), which lasts for up to 36 hours, might be more suitable.
How Long Does Stendra Last?
How long does stendra last? A standard dose of Stendra lasts for approximately six hours, although the effects might start to decline earlier than six hours after you take the medication. Like other ED medications, Stendra produces the most significant improvements in ED during the first few hours after use.
Should Older Men Use a Higher Dose of Stendra?
A variety of factors can contribute to erectile dysfunction, ranging from your blood pressure and cardiovascular health to psychological factors. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor might prescribe a higher dose of Stendra (100 or 200mg) if you’re in your 50s, 60s or 70s.
Should Heavier Men Use a Higher Dose of Stendra?
The recommended starting dose of Stendra is 100mg, regardless of your weight. Based on your results, your doctor might recommend adjusting your dosage of Stendra to 50mg or 200mg after you’ve had time to assess the efficacy of the treatment.
If Stendra Doesn’t Work, Can You Increase Your Dosage?
If you find that Stendra isn’t fully effective at the dose you’re prescribed, contact your doctor to talk about changing your dosage. Do not increase your dosage of Stendra without first meeting with your doctor.
Can You Overdose on Stendra?
Like other ED medications, Stendra has a mild effect on your blood pressure. If you take more than one dose of the medication within a 24 hour period, this effect could become more severe, potentially causing you to feel dizzy and faint.
If you’ve accidentally taken more than the recommended dose of Stendra, seek medical help as soon as possible.
Learn More About Stendra (Avanafil)
As a second-generation ED medication, Stendra offers numerous advantages over older drugs such as Viagra. Used at the prescribed dose, it can treat erectile dysfunction and improve your sexual performance, all with a lower rate of side effects than older medications.
Our Stendra 101 guide goes into more detail on how Stendra works, how it compares to older ED medications and how you can use it to treat ED and improve your sexual performance.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards here.