The FDA approved Viagra over two decades ago..Since then, they’ve okayed 23 more drugs to treat sexual dysfunction and impotence in men.
You know how many there are for women?
One.
The new drug is called flibanserin. But this “little pink pill” doesn’t work like Viagra. Instead it increases levels of dopamine and serotonin in a woman’s brain. Those compounds are known to increase sexual appetite.
But unlike Viagra, you have to take it every day… for the rest of your life.
And here’s the kicker. It doesn’t really work.
The drug manufacturer tested flibanserin on women in three clinical trials. The women reported they had only “one-half of one additional positive sexual experience” per month compared to a placebo.
When you think about the side effects it causes — insomnia, anxiety, nausea and fainting — it makes you wonder why anyone would take it.
But I get why women would want to try anything that would help them regain this important aspect of your life.
I help my patients get their groove back without dangerous drugs. The secret is testosterone. Or as I like to call it, vitamin T.
For many years I have seen firsthand how critical this “male” hormone is for women.
When your levels drop, you feel it: depression, loss of motivation and fatigue. You have little to no interest in the things that usually make you happy, including sex.
Testosterone in women stimulates sexual desire. It makes arousal and orgasm easier and more satisfying. And studies confirm what I’ve seen for myself.
In one study, women receiving the hormone showed significant improvement in mood, sexual function and overall well-being in just 12 weeks.1
Another large study was called APHRODITE. In it, researchers tested skin patches on menopausal women. The patches contained either testosterone or a placebo. The results showed that testosterone could increase sexual activity in up to 70% of women.2
I’ve found the same to be true in my own practice.
Hundreds of women have come to my clinic feeling tired, bored and completely uninterested in sex. Some as young as 28.
After a simple blood test, I find their testosterone levels to be almost zero. But replenishing their levels quickly turns things around.
In my practice I use a low dose of bioidentical testosterone. It’s just like the natural hormone your body makes. It comes in several forms such as creams, injectables, pills and patches.
But find a doctor familiar with bioidentical testosterone. You don’t want to take the synthetic form called methyltestosterone. Your liver can’t process this kind and it’s been linked to liver failure, cancer, blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.
Bioidenticals don’t have those risks.
Once you begin taking bioidenticals, you should get your hormones checked regularly. I recommend every three months until your levels are in balance. You may have to adjust your dosage a few times — but the results will be worth it.
If you’re interested in boosting your testosterone naturally, please call the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine at 561-784-7852.
Boost Testosterone Naturally at Home
You can jump-start your libido and give your sex life a real lift with all-natural supplements. Here are a few I recommend to my patients:
- Horny goat weed. This herb not only boosts testosterone production, it also helps ramp up nitric oxide (NO) levels. Nitric oxide relaxes and expands blood vessels to increase blood flow and circulation, two things that a woman’s libido relies on. This process allows a surge of blood to flow to all the right places at the right timeI suggest taking 50 mg per day.
- Tribulus terrestris. This little-known herb has been used by Chinese and Ayurvedic healers for centuries as a gentle way to increase testosterone. In one study published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, women reported significant improvement in desire, arousal and satisfaction.Start with a dose of 200 mg once a day and increase to 500 mg a day if necessary.
- Fenugreek. This herb has been used for hundreds of years in traditional Indian cooking and Ayurvedic medicine. It’s very effective at raising testosterone levels in both men and women.4 You can buy fenugreek from Indian specialty grocers.Or you can take supplements, which come as seeds, powders or capsules. I recommend 500 mg a day.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
1. Shifren JL, et al. “Testosterone treatment in women with impaired sexual function.” N Engl J Med. 2000 Sep 7.
2. Susan R. Davis et al. “Testosterone for Low Libido in Postmenopausal Women Not Taking Estrogen.” N Engl J Med. November 6, 2008.
3. Akhtari E., et al. “Tribulus terrestris for treatment of sexual dysfunction in women: randomized double-blind placebo – controlled study.” DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2014.
4. Steels E., et al. “Physiological Aspects of Male Libido Enhanced by Standardized Trigonella foenum-graecum extract and mineral formulation.” Phytother Res. 2011 Sep.