Andy Peloquin
New Member
Low sex drive is a problem most people tend to equate with men rather than women. Most of the articles and studies done on low libido revolve around men and the problems that cause that low sex drive--such as low testosterone levels, reduced thyroid function, chronic disease, drug use, or certain medications.
But women suffer from the same problem! Men may be more vocal about their desire for sex, seek it more avidly, and fantasize about it more, but that just means it's more visible when a man suffers from a low sex drive. It's estimated that up to 30% of women between the ages of 18 and 59 suffer from a reduced libido or desire for sex. And the problem isn't all in their minds!
Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is believed to be the most common sexual dysfunction among women. Their sex drive can decline as a result of a number of things, including but not limited to:
- Issues with their partner or relationships
- Birth of a child
- Becoming a caregiver for a child or loved one
- Low testosterone levels (it affects women as much as men)
- Stress, peer pressure, and negative outside influences
- Illnesses like fibroids, thyroid conditions, depression, and endometriosis
- Age--hormone levels decrease as women get older
- Medications like SSRIs, blood pressure medications, antidepressants, and oral contraceptives
All of these things can cause a woman's sex drive to plummet.
Make no mistake: having a low sex drive can affect women just as deeply as it affects men. Many women are looking for a way to counteract the effects of their HSDD, and there are a few options they can consider.
Flibanserin
Flibanserin is the first FDA-approved non-hormonal drug that can treat HSDD in pre-menopausal women. The drug corrects imbalances in the neurotransmitters responsible for regulating libido and sex drive, increasing dopamine and norepinephrine and decreasing serotonin. This helps to increase sexual excitement and decrease inhibition. Clinical trials have discovered that the medication helps to increase both sexual desire and the frequency of "satisfying sexual events", though there are a few negative side effects (nausea, dizziness, somnolence, and fatigue included).
Bupropion
Bupropion is a medication used to treat depression and seasonal affective disorders, but did you know that it has proven potentially effective as a means for treating HSDD as well?
There are two studies that have examined the effects of Bupropion on sex drive, and found positive results:
Study 1: 232 women between the ages of 20 and 40 were given either a daily dose of 150 mg of Bupropion or a placebo. The treatment lasted over the course of 12 weeks. The women who took the Bupropion saw significant increases in their sex drive (from a 15.8 to 33.9 on the Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women). Best of all, there were no serious side effects of using the medication.
Study 2: 66 pre-menopausal women were given either a placebo of 150 mg of Bupropion per day. After 1 week, the daily dose of Bupropion was increased to 300 mg. The study lasted for 112 days, and by the end of the study, the women all reported significant increases in their sex drive. The changes were noticeable within 4 weeks of beginning treatment, and remained consistent through the 16 weeks.
As these two studies prove, there is a very real possibility that Bupropion could help to counteract the effects of HSDD and increase the female sex drive.
Sildenafil
Sildenafil is the chemical name for Viagra, the "little blue pill" or "boner pill" men take to enhance their erections. While Sildenafil is not believed to increase arousal, one study found that it did improve sex drive among women.
The double-blind randomized controlled trial involved 98 pre-menopausal women (with a mean age of 36.7 years), all of whom suffered from sexual dysfunction related to antidepressants--specifically SSRI medications.
The women who took just 50 to 100 mg of Sildenafil per day noticed improvements in their sex drive over the placebo group. All of the women answered the 7-point Clinical Global Impression test, and the women who took Sildenafil improved their score by 1.9 points--a noticeable difference from the 1.1 of the women in the placebo group.
However, in another study of nearly 900 post-menopausal women with SSRI-related HSDD, Sildenafil showed no significant improvements.
What does this mean? Sildenafil MAY be a viable option for improving sex drive, though the conflicting results warrant further research.
Testosterone
TRT is usually used for men with low testosterone levels, but it turns out it may be useful for women with low sex drive as well. In two separate randomized controlled trials, testosterone helped to increase the libido of postmenopausal women.
Study 1: 272 women between the ages of 40 and 70 were given either a placebo or a 300-mg transdermal patch of testosterone. After 6 months, the women given the testosterone reported "more sexually satisfying episodes", and a slight increase in their sexual desire.
Study 2: 814 post-menopausal women were given a placebo, a 150-mg testosterone patch, or a 300-mg testosterone patch. After 24 weeks, the women with the 300-mg patch reported more satisfying sexual episodes than both the 150-mg and placebo groups. While no cardiovascular risks were noticed, women with the high-dose testosterone patch reported an increase in hair growth.
As you can see, testosterone can be an effective solution for treating low sex drive in women even after menopause!
Other Options
Here are a few options that could help to improve sex drive in women:
- Pentoxifylline helps to increase blood flow, and it can enhance the libido of women.
- Ergoloid Mesylate is used to improve cognitive function, and is a mood-enhancer that can help to increase sexual desire.
- Aminophylline helps to relax and dilate the blood vessels, increasing blood flow.
- L-Arginine is used to enhance cardiovascular health and may be useful for improving libido.
Scream Cream, produced by Empower Pharmacy, is a libido-enhancing cream that combines these ingredients with Sildenafil and Testosterone. It may prove an effective solution for improving the sex drive of women who are suffering from HSDD and low sex drive.
But women suffer from the same problem! Men may be more vocal about their desire for sex, seek it more avidly, and fantasize about it more, but that just means it's more visible when a man suffers from a low sex drive. It's estimated that up to 30% of women between the ages of 18 and 59 suffer from a reduced libido or desire for sex. And the problem isn't all in their minds!
Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is believed to be the most common sexual dysfunction among women. Their sex drive can decline as a result of a number of things, including but not limited to:
- Issues with their partner or relationships
- Birth of a child
- Becoming a caregiver for a child or loved one
- Low testosterone levels (it affects women as much as men)
- Stress, peer pressure, and negative outside influences
- Illnesses like fibroids, thyroid conditions, depression, and endometriosis
- Age--hormone levels decrease as women get older
- Medications like SSRIs, blood pressure medications, antidepressants, and oral contraceptives
All of these things can cause a woman's sex drive to plummet.
Make no mistake: having a low sex drive can affect women just as deeply as it affects men. Many women are looking for a way to counteract the effects of their HSDD, and there are a few options they can consider.
Flibanserin
Flibanserin is the first FDA-approved non-hormonal drug that can treat HSDD in pre-menopausal women. The drug corrects imbalances in the neurotransmitters responsible for regulating libido and sex drive, increasing dopamine and norepinephrine and decreasing serotonin. This helps to increase sexual excitement and decrease inhibition. Clinical trials have discovered that the medication helps to increase both sexual desire and the frequency of "satisfying sexual events", though there are a few negative side effects (nausea, dizziness, somnolence, and fatigue included).
Bupropion
Bupropion is a medication used to treat depression and seasonal affective disorders, but did you know that it has proven potentially effective as a means for treating HSDD as well?
There are two studies that have examined the effects of Bupropion on sex drive, and found positive results:
Study 1: 232 women between the ages of 20 and 40 were given either a daily dose of 150 mg of Bupropion or a placebo. The treatment lasted over the course of 12 weeks. The women who took the Bupropion saw significant increases in their sex drive (from a 15.8 to 33.9 on the Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women). Best of all, there were no serious side effects of using the medication.
Study 2: 66 pre-menopausal women were given either a placebo of 150 mg of Bupropion per day. After 1 week, the daily dose of Bupropion was increased to 300 mg. The study lasted for 112 days, and by the end of the study, the women all reported significant increases in their sex drive. The changes were noticeable within 4 weeks of beginning treatment, and remained consistent through the 16 weeks.
As these two studies prove, there is a very real possibility that Bupropion could help to counteract the effects of HSDD and increase the female sex drive.
Sildenafil
Sildenafil is the chemical name for Viagra, the "little blue pill" or "boner pill" men take to enhance their erections. While Sildenafil is not believed to increase arousal, one study found that it did improve sex drive among women.
The double-blind randomized controlled trial involved 98 pre-menopausal women (with a mean age of 36.7 years), all of whom suffered from sexual dysfunction related to antidepressants--specifically SSRI medications.
The women who took just 50 to 100 mg of Sildenafil per day noticed improvements in their sex drive over the placebo group. All of the women answered the 7-point Clinical Global Impression test, and the women who took Sildenafil improved their score by 1.9 points--a noticeable difference from the 1.1 of the women in the placebo group.
However, in another study of nearly 900 post-menopausal women with SSRI-related HSDD, Sildenafil showed no significant improvements.
What does this mean? Sildenafil MAY be a viable option for improving sex drive, though the conflicting results warrant further research.
Testosterone
TRT is usually used for men with low testosterone levels, but it turns out it may be useful for women with low sex drive as well. In two separate randomized controlled trials, testosterone helped to increase the libido of postmenopausal women.
Study 1: 272 women between the ages of 40 and 70 were given either a placebo or a 300-mg transdermal patch of testosterone. After 6 months, the women given the testosterone reported "more sexually satisfying episodes", and a slight increase in their sexual desire.
Study 2: 814 post-menopausal women were given a placebo, a 150-mg testosterone patch, or a 300-mg testosterone patch. After 24 weeks, the women with the 300-mg patch reported more satisfying sexual episodes than both the 150-mg and placebo groups. While no cardiovascular risks were noticed, women with the high-dose testosterone patch reported an increase in hair growth.
As you can see, testosterone can be an effective solution for treating low sex drive in women even after menopause!
Other Options
Here are a few options that could help to improve sex drive in women:
- Pentoxifylline helps to increase blood flow, and it can enhance the libido of women.
- Ergoloid Mesylate is used to improve cognitive function, and is a mood-enhancer that can help to increase sexual desire.
- Aminophylline helps to relax and dilate the blood vessels, increasing blood flow.
- L-Arginine is used to enhance cardiovascular health and may be useful for improving libido.
Scream Cream, produced by Empower Pharmacy, is a libido-enhancing cream that combines these ingredients with Sildenafil and Testosterone. It may prove an effective solution for improving the sex drive of women who are suffering from HSDD and low sex drive.
