Why a “Female Viagra” Pill is NOT the Answer for Low Sex Drive

September 3, 2015

 

The New York Times reported that the FDA gave its approval for Addyi, the first prescription drug to enhance sex drive for premenopausal women. “The FDA said the drug was approved for women whose loss of sexual desire causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty and is not the result of illness, relationship problems or side effects of other medicines.” Addyi, also known as Flibanserin, was originally developed as an antidepressant and works by changing the balance of certain brain neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin.

Side Effects of Addyi
It is important to note that the FDA had already rejected Addyi twice, in 2010 and 2013, citing marginal effectiveness and its side effects, which include low blood pressure, fatigue, dry mouth, insomnia, fainting, nausea, dizziness, anxiety and sleepiness. “Addyi’s label has a boxed warning — the strongest kind — saying the drug should not be used by those who drink alcohol, since that can increase the risk of severely low blood pressure and fainting. It is also not to be used with certain other drugs and by people with liver impairment.”

Hormonal Imbalance Causes Low Libido
Drugs are not the answer for increased sex drive, especially an antidepressant. In fact, prescription drug side effects can actually worsen the situation. Instead, look for the root cause. Low libido (lack of sexual desire) can be caused by numerous factors such as hormonal imbalance, fatigue, stress, depression, relationship problems, lack of exercise, poor diet, and lack of sleep. It there doesn’t seem to be a clear reason for your lack of desire, consider your hormones. When your hormones are out of balance, it affects your desire for sexual intimacy.

Testosterone – Natural female libido enhancer
Testosterone has the strongest effect on libido of all of the hormones. That’s why it’s called the hormone of desire. It’s the primary drive of libido in both men and women. Testosterone is primarily known as the male sex hormone, but women also make it in their ovaries and adrenal glands in smaller amounts. In women who are of reproductive age, levels of testosterone peak at ovulation, thus stimulating a woman’s desire for sex. As women age, their testosterone levels begin to decline. When women undergo a total hysterectomy, they immediately lose 50 percent of their circulating testosterone.

Estrogen
Too much or too little estrogen can have an effect on moods which can contribute to low libido. Estrogen raises levels of the mood-boosting neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and beta–endorphins. When estrogen is not balanced by progesterone, it can be overstimulating, leading to irritability, anxiety and insomnia.

Progesterone
During this luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (the 12 days following ovulation), sex drive and pleasure in sex tend to rise, partly due to rising levels of progesterone during that time. As women age, less progesterone is produced, which can cause hormone imbalance and infertility. In younger women, this can happen due to stress, poor diet and over-exercising.

Hypothyroidism
Thyroid and cortisol hormones that are out of balance can directly affect libido, or can indirectly affect it by impacting sex hormone production and activity. Hypothyroidism can cause fatigue which also affects libido.

Adrenal Fatigue
The stress of adrenal fatigue can cause low libido. If a woman has been living with stress for a long time, then her adrenal glands are unable to make enough cortisol to keep up with the body’s demand, causing fatigue and also affecting the other hormones.

Struggling with low sex drive? Click here to take our symptom checker to find out if hormones could the problem.

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