The Little Pink Pill is not looking so hot at the moment.
According to new evidence released earlier this year, the female sex drug for women Flibanserin (marketed as Addyi), comes with substantial risk and little reward. That risk includes nausea, fatigue, dizziness and fainting. The payoff for taking on such risk? A measly half percent increase in satisfactory sexual events each month.
So what can you do if you’re not happy in the bedroom? The little pink pill is an option, but it’s looking less attractive by the month. You could wait until another drug, with fewer risks and better results comes to market. Or you can focus on natural ways to increase your sex drive, including with natural women’s libido products.
A Little Pink Pill of Disappointment
The little pink pill is Flibanserin. You may also know it as Addyi – it was approved by the FDA last summer after many calls (some would say, pressure), for a female sex drug.
Men have Viagra, and estimates suggest that roughly a third of American women are not happy in the bedroom. The demand is there. So what’s the issue?
New evidence published February 2016 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine suggests Flibanserin comes with major health risks. It appears to quadruple risk of dizziness and drowsiness, more than double nausea risk and increase risk of fatigue by over half.
New evidence published February 2016 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine suggests Flibanserin comes with major health risks. It appears to quadruple risk of dizziness and drowsiness, more than double nausea risk and increase risk of fatigue by over half.
For this, a woman using Flibanserin can expect about half of one enjoyable sexual events each month. For example, women who took the drug scored just 0.3 points higher on a 5-point scale of sexual desire – a minimal increase in sexual satisfaction each month, claim the authors.
Compounding the issue is the vague nature of the female sex drive. A woman’s libido is a complex, often subjective creature. How do you measure that? You can’t – and that’s one of the challenges of developing a little pink pill.
This new evidence is a review of 8 clinical trials performed on the drug. Five were published, three were not. Combined, they consisted of almost 6,000 women, all of whom had hypoactive sexual desire disorder – a condition of persistent and recurring lack of interest in sex – and had taken the little pink pill for a little passion in the bedroom.
The side effects and tepid results with Flibanserin are concerning, say observers. They don’t come as a surprise to those in the industry, either – several prominent doctors warned the FDA was rushing approval of the drug, despite misgivings about the side effects now coming to light.
Watching it Closely
Flibanserin went under 3 FDA reviews and two agency advisory committees before its approval last fall, according to observers, like Dr. Steven Woloshin, professor of medicine at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice in New Hampshire. Woloshin notes the FDA approved Flibanserin even though no new data about it came in between the second and third reviews.
All the clinical reviewers, who best knew the drug, declined to approve it, but they were overruled by senior administrators, who pushed Flibanserin to market, he says.
With this being said, the FDA’s approval comes with significant restrictions because of these side effects, with the most dangerous being the fact that it can lead to severely lower blood pressure and loss of consciousness. As well, it comes with the warning that Flibanserin should not be taken with alcohol, and several other drugs.
And it should not be used by women with liver problems.
For its part, the company that makes Flibanserin, Valeant Pharmaceuticals, defends the drug, and says the FDA’s approval confirmed its efficacy. It also says that logistical issues led to the drug’s slow sales in its first few months (just 227 prescriptions were filled in its first few weeks, according to Bloomberg).
Those logistical problems were the FDA’s conditions of approval, which mean doctors and pharmacists need special certification to prescribe the drug, leading to a logjam, the company says.
Flibanserin’s continued approval hinges on several follow-up studies, says Woloshin, including how it interacts with alcohol – the latter being the most severe concern, because this combination is linked to dangerously low blood pressure, which can lead to fainting. Those follow up studies will most likely be done in the next two to three years.
So How Do You Increase Sex Drive Without Drugs?
We’re into natural solutions here at Natural Health Source. While medications have their place, and we certainly like the effort going into finding a solution for women who suffer with low sex drive and lack of enjoyment, we’re not keen on the side effects linked to Flibanserin. And that payoff is nothing to write home about.
So what can you do if you’re sex drive ain’t all there?
You can start with the basics of healthy living. Yes, that’s boring, and not a quick fix, but it works – you’d be surprised what a few changes to your diet will do, along with regular exercise and having a body mass index between 20 and 23. Sneak a few fruits and vegetables on your plate, and a few oysters too, assuming you have no allergies to them.
Go here to learn more about how to boost your sex drive naturally.
In addition to this, you may also want to consider natural libido supplements for women. Two products, HerSolution Gel and HerSolution Pills, may be of interest if you want more interest in sex, along with greater passion and enjoyment.
HerSolution Gel: This is a natural-based lubricant for women. You may have seen it on the hit TV show, The Doctors, in which Dr. Travis Stork reviewed HerSolution Gel and gave a free tube of this sexy application to each woman in the audience.
How it Works – HerSolution Gel lubricates the female genitalia, so you’re quickly aroused, and makes sex more comfortable, with highly pleasant sensations you’re bound to love.
Buy it For – Instant passion and enjoyment. HerSolution Gel is a natural-based solution, with fewer harsh chemicals than you’d find in a drugstore lubricant. And trust us – the feeling alone of how it feels on application is enough to make you get out your credit card. Go here to buy HerSolution Gel.
HerSolution Pills: This is a natural libido supplement for women. A little pink pill? Not quite – it’s more of a purple color, actually, and a favorite of women who want ongoing passion.
How it Works – HerSolution Pills is made with herbals, minerals and sexual nutrients that gently address the shifting hormones that can affect a woman’s interest in sex. After a month to 90 days, most women find they have a dramatic increase in sexual thoughts during the day that culminate in erotic passion and easier orgasms when it’s time for intimacy.
Buy it For – Spontaneous passion, sexual thoughts and easier climaxes. HerSolution Pills is about eroticism fulfilled, regardless of age, and can be seen as an investment in sexual wellness. You can buy HerSolution Pills here at NaturalHealthSource.com.
