What’s New To Ignite That Desire Fire?

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

One of the most common questions I hear in my medical practice is “What can you do that will re-ignite my libido?” This is not a question that I can answer at the end of a visit for preventative care, or when someone has come in for a Pap smear, or a refill on her birth control. It is a complex and important topic that deserves its own visit, discussed in an un-rushed and informative way. One of the reasons I discuss libido so often in my office is because I bring it up with every patient I see. Discussing sexual activity (and sometimes, the lack thereof) should be included in any visit to the gynecologist, and there is clear data reported that women don’t typically discuss it because they are embarrassed, or because their health care providers don’t bring it up.

Of course libido is a complex issue, and individual factors like the health of a relationship, physical and mental health issues, stress at home and at work, and use of various medications must be taken into account. However, there are some solutions that exist which I usually list out and review for my patients that may provide them the libido boost that they are looking for.

First, there are things that fall into the ‘supplement’ category — things that have some small studies to support that they may result in an increase in interest in sexual activity while seemingly safe to take. (Of course, all medications/vitamins and dietary supplements can have side effects and risks, so I am not endorsing anything listed here — just reporting on products I have seen my patients use that seem to have had or not had the desired effect)

• 1- Ristela — this is a supplement that contains L-Arginine, L-Citruline and Rose Hips, advertised as helping to increase blood flow to the genital area, and provide a boost in libido. Results in my patients have been about 50:50 as far as women reporting that they felt that it helped. There are some small studies reported that if women used it daily for an entire month, they reported an increase in their sexual desire. It can be purchased online, no prescription needed.
• 2- Stronvivo — this is a supplement with similar ingredients to the above: in addition it has Magnesium and Zinc, along with some others, and it has the additional benefit of having been reported on in the July 2015 Journal of Sexual…