Low sex drive?

Question

Am 58yr married female, had hysterectomy at 44, HRT for 5yrs, but it didn't help my sex drive. Very frustrating as both myself and my husband led a very active sex life before all this. Husband thinks he has seen in the media that there is something similar to Viagra that can help women with this problem. Does anyone know? Or do I need to see my GP?

Answer 1

Unfortunately, women need to do a lot of their own research when it comes to libido & vaginal health. There isn't a lot on the market for us but I have 2 books, I can recommend & I hope you can find some answers for yourself.
I would also talk with your women friends, who might have some different answers for you & of course your doc.

Answer 2

eileen,

This is a bit complicated, because sex in women is a physically more complex thing than it tends to be in men. As with so many other things, sex in men is rather simple.

In you women, though, it involves a fairly delicate balance between estrogen--no surprise there--and testosterone.

(A word about viagra. There is no "women's viagra," because viagra is not prescribed for a low libido. The libido is fine in men for whom viagra is effective, it's the hydraulic system that makes the whole thing work that is faulty, and most of the time the problem is clogged arteries. Viagra really is a vasodilator, and has a problem: it's really just a band-aid. Cardiologists know that a man in his fifties who needs viagra has a 25% chance of a heart attack or stroke in two years because viagra doesn't address the underlying pathology causing the ED. Women's low libido is not at all similar to the reasons men need viagra.)

However, sometimes testosterone works.

For women not yet menopausal, the application of testosterone has proven to be quite successful in raising their libido. That's because they have the estrogen to work with the testosterone.

For women not on HRT, testosterone doesn't always seem to work very well. However, there have been some encouraging findings, enough that I think it would be worth consulting your doctor on it.

This is from 2004:

http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/news/20040617/testosterone-patch-may-boost-womens-libido

And this one is a little newer:

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/Testosterone-for-women

The conclusion that this will work for all women is not universal, however. Apparently it works best for those women whose symptoms arise from a testosterone deficiency. But it does seem to work for many.

So I'd suggest talkng to your doctor about it to see if you are a candidate for it. It certainly doesn't hurt to try, and you both might like the results.

Answer 3

There are no equivalents to Viagra for females. Pfizer is doing some research on the effects of Viagra on women with low sex drive, but the drug has no licence to be used in this way.

It might be worth getting your GP to check your sex hormone levels, including testosterone. Women gave a small amount of this and it contributes to their sex drive. IF this is proved to be a problem it can be dealt with.

Do not attempt to to waste money on empty on line promises! If you google it you will find nearly 3 million sites all willing to sell you something that does not work.

Answer 4

i am a 57yr female and i have no sex drive at all and havent had for the past 5 years i had an hysterectomy at the age of 40 and i was fine untill i became stressed and felt down in the dumps my partner thought i had gone off him. i went to the doctors and explained that i had no interest in sex at all and he said it was all stress. i have heard that there is something simular to viagra but whether it works or not i do not know.

Answer 5

you do need to visit your gp but yes there is something similar out there to viagra that women can take, don't know if it is available in the uk yet though. Defintley give your gp a visit and ask him about it. Good luck.

Answer 6

Take no notice of the first answer. I'm sure if you see your doc you will be sorted out. At 58 you should be rampant. Don't let your marraige go stale for the sake of seeing gp. Some women take viagra, they recon it helps them. Good luck.

Answer 7

When you say it didn't help your sex drive, what do you mean. Did you need help before then? If I were you I wouldn't worry too much. The sex drive seems to dwindle anyway after 60.

Answer 8

i would say talk to your doctor, you see so many things on the market these days and some very dear to buy,but do they work,i mean really work?
i would always ask my doctor before taking anything

regards x kitti x

Answer 9

Natures way of telling you not to have sex anymore. Get over it. Pumping your body with chemicals isn't going to change anything. As we get older our bodies change. Cope with it.