For women experiencing aloss of libido, it’s generally a very different story. Despite being an extremely common side effect of hormonalcontraceptivesas well as themenopause, there has been no approved female equivalent of Viagra, or anything vaguely similar, in the UK.
Very recently, two treatment options have been approved in the US, but they are far from miracle cures.
Most men experiencing a waning sex drive or erectile dysfunction have an effective, low cost, and easy to access solution in the form of Viagra. All they have to do is nip down to their local pharmacy where they can buy it over the counter, or head to the GP for a prescription.
Here, we take a look at what those treatments are, what the side effects are and whether or not they work…
What is Addyi?
In 2015, the first drug to treat low sexual desire in premenopausal women was approved by the FDA. Flibanserin (Addyi) was shown to boost sexual desire by altering brain chemistry, with results expected after three weeks of taking a daily tablet.
While it’s commonly referred to as the ‘female viagra’, it works in a totally different way. Viagra boosts blood supply to the penis to allow the user to achieve an erection when they naturally feel sexual desire, whereas Addyi works within the brain to improve sexual desire.
Does Addyi have side effects?
Unfortunately, it’s not without its side effects. In fact, the FDA has recently announced they are considering disciplinary action following an increased number of adverse side effects reported. Some of these include dizziness, fainting, low blood pressure, nausea, tiredness, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep and dry mouth.
What’s the deal with Addyi and alcohol?
Consuming any amount of alcohol while taking Addyi has been shown to increase the likeliness of low blood pressure and fainting significantly. The advice is to wait two hours after consuming one or two alcoholic drinks before taking the daily dose of Addyi. Anyone who has had three or more alcoholic drinks should skip their dose.
Does Addyi work?
While it’s a step in the right direction, unfortunately, Addyi hasn’t proved to be the miracle cure it was hyped up to be. Of the women who noticed a change in their sex drive, they reported an average of one more sexually satisfying event per month. Many women didn’t notice an improvement.
Can anyone take Addyi?
Addyi is only licensed in the US, and is not approved for use in the UK. If you live in the US, you will need a prescription for Addyi. Plus, it can only be used by premenopausal women.
What is Vyleesi?
Vyleesi or bremelanotide is an injectable drug approved by the FDA in 2019 for treatment of low sexual desire in premenopausal women. Unlike Addyi, which has to be taken every day, Vyleesi is taken only when needed and can be self-administered at home 45 minutes prior to sexual activity.
Does Vyleesi have any side effects?
The most common side effect of Vyleesi is nausea, which is experienced by 40% of those taking the drug. Other side effects include flushing, injection site reactions, headache, vomiting, cough, fatigue, and hot flushes.
Does Vyleesi work?
Again, the benefits of Vyleesi are underwhelming. In clinical trials, 25% of study participants who had been taking Vyleesi for 24 weeks to treat their low sexual desire experienced increases by 1. 2% in the “sexual desire score” compared to 17% of participants who had taken a placebo. 35% of those who had taken Vyleesi reported decreases by least 1. 0% on their “distress scores” compared to about 31% of those who had taken placebo. In other words, it’s slightly better than the placebo.
Other solutions
Female sexual desire is extremely complex and with so few treatment options available, it can feel like there’s no hope. However, lifestyle factors have shown to offer a significant effect on sexual desire, some of which include quitting smoking and exercising.
Sometimes, low sexual desire can be the side effect of medication as well as caused by mental health issues like depression, so it’s always worth checking in with your doctor as both of these causes can be addressed.
