A certain proportion of the male populace is beset by erectile dysfunction which can be a frustrating and distressing condition. Being mostly attributed to psychological and physiological factors, Science and Medicine is continually in search of measures to address the problem. Throughout the decades, various remedies have been resorted to by the afflicted populace ranging from organic and herbal remedies to therapy and pharmaceutical drugs. It was the drug Viagra that has so far been the most popular and controversial treatment measure to hit the market. As with any pharmaceutical drugs, Viagra poses threatening side effects to users such as low blood pressure, heart attacks, priaprism ( a painful condition of prolonged erection, usually 4 hours) and sudden death. With these alarming potential side effects, the search for a Viagra alternative has been considered by those affected by erectile dysfunction. One such Viagra alternative taken into account is Levitra. Both Levitra and Viagra are PDE5 inhibitors specifically formulated to deal with erectile dysfunction. Levitra as a Viagra alternative however has a different chemical structure. As a Viagra alternative, Levitra is chemically known as Vardenafil whereas Viagra has the chemical component of Sildenafil and was introduced to the market by Pfizer. The Viagra alternative Levitra on the other hand is being marketed by Bayer AG. There are those who consider Levitra as a better Viagra alternative owing to its delivery of longer penile erection duration. Whereas Viagra can make an erection last for 4 hours, the Viagra alternative Levitra can add an extra hour to that. The doses between the two likewise vary. Viagra has 25mg, 50mg and 100mg doses while Levitra has 2.5mg, 5mg, 10mg and 20mg doses available. Ten milligrams of the Viagra alternative Levitra is equivalent to 10mg of Viagra. Some men often opt to take the Viagra alternative Levitra as it can be taken 25-60 minutes prior to sexual activity whereas Viagra has to be taken 30 minutes initially before intercourse. In fact, that's 30 minutes to 4 hours of waiting until the effects of Viagra can be instigated. Cost wise, the Viagra alternative Levitra is a bit more expensive as $20 per pill while all the doses of Viagra are sold at $10 per pill. The added cost can be attributed to the Viagra alternative's extended effectivity. Purchasing online can be cheaper but consumers should be wary as non-branded generic versions of Levitra and Viagra being sold may be fake and could only put one's health to a greater detriment. As both Levitra and Viagra are pharmaceutical products, potentially dangerous side effects are always to be anticipated within the package. Viagra may cause common side effects such as nausea, rash and itch, dizziness, headache and photophobia to the ultimate dangers of death and in rare cases,  blindness. Levitra as a Viagra alternative on the other hand has precarious idiosyncratic effects that include back and abdominal pain, abnormal vision, photosensitivity, pain in the eyes, organ swelling, palpitations and rapid heart beating, joint and muscle pain, priaprism, penile tissue damage and permanent impotency in extreme cases. In all instances, both Viagra and Levitra are not to be taken with any nitrate medications as the drug interactions can be harmful. Considering the facts, Levitra as a Viagra alternative may not be the most sensible choice. It may well be more prudent to resort to a Viagra alternative with no side effects.