Low sex drive enhancement, alternatives to hormones and prescription medications - How to improve low male and female sex drive using herbs that are available over the counter

Is it possible to increase low sex drive in a woman or man to the same intensity as we had back in our teenage years? The answer may surprise you, but it is a resounding Yes. In fact, it is possible to increase low sex drive to levels that match teenage years. And it can happen within days. There are quite a number of natural herbal sex drive enhancers that work effectively, and a fuller list is provided a few paragraphs below. Some of these low sex drive enhancers that are becoming more popular include Tongkat ali herb from south east Asia, horny goat weed from China, Tribulus terrestris extract, and Yohimbe herb from Africa. Additional herbs for low sex drive include ashwagandha from India, maca and mucuna pruriens from India, Muira puama from South America, tongkat ali or LJ100 from Thailand and Malaysia, and rhodiola herb from Russia.
   For an effective herbal enhancer that combines these potent herbs from around the globe, consider Passion Rx which is an ideal supplement to improve sex drive.

What about testosterone hormone for low sex drive?
Testosterone is an important hormone in men and women and treatment with testosterone does improve sex drive. However, there are unpleasant side effect to testosterone use, including hair loss and potential increase in certain cancers, for instance prostate cancer. Testosterone may be used occasionally to boost sex drive, but we don't suggest taking this hormone for long term use, either by men or women.

Causes of low female and male sex drive:

Psychological / Mental
The causes of psychological sexual dysfunction are numerous, and it is difficult to list them all, but most often low sex drive is related to stress, lack of adequate sleep, depression, anxiety, marital or relationship problems, life crisis, financial difficulties, problems at work, religious repression, or some forms of mental illness. Getting a deep sleep at night can do wonders for a healthy sex drive.

Hormone issues
Androgens, such as testosterone, are a major component of sex drive, and they certainly can be considered sex drive enhancers. Testosterone levels decline about 1 percent each year in men, which may contribute to lower male sex drive with aging. Testosterone also declines with age in women leading to a decrease in female sex drive with menopause. Women who have had surgical removal of the ovaries notice a drop in sexual interest. Replacement of androgens can be helpful in those with age related sexual dysfunction. Testosterone is available by prescription only. An over the counter hormones, such as DHEA, converts into testosterone and thus has a positive influence on sex drive. Pregnenolone is another over the counter hormone that may increase testosterone levels and thus enhance sex drive. We prefer the safer approach to low sex drive enhancement with natural herbs rather than hormones since hormones can have many side effects. Testosterone levels and high or low sex drive are not always directly linked.

Testosterone and the aging male: to treat or not to treat?
Maturitas. 2010;: Bain J. Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
It is well-established that total testosterone (TT) in men decreases with age and that bioavailable testosterone (bio-T) falls to an even greater extent. The clinical relevance of declining androgens in the aging male and use of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in this situation is controversial. Most studies have been short term and there are no large randomized placebo-controlled trials. Testosterone has many physiological actions in: muscles, bones, hematopoietic system, brain, reproductive and sexual organs, adipose tissue. Within these areas it stimulates: muscle growth and maintenance, bone development while inhibiting bone resorption, the production of red blood cells to increase hemoglobin, libido, enhanced mood and cognition, erectile function and lipolysis. Anabolic deficits in aging men can induce: frailty, sarcopenia, poor muscle quality, muscle weakness, hypertrophy of adipose tissue and impaired neurotransmission. The aging male with reduced testosterone availability may present with a wide variety of symptoms which in addition to frailty and weakness include: fatigue, decreased energy, decreased motivation, cognitive impairment, decreased self-confidence, depression, irritability, osteoporotic pain and the lethargy of anemia. In addition, testosterone deficiency is also associated with type-2 diabetes, the metabolic syndrome, coronary artery disease, stroke and transient ischemic attacks, and cardiovascular disease in general. Furthermore, there are early studies to suggest that TRT in men with low testosterone levels may improve metabolic status by: lowering blood sugar and HbA1C in men with type-2 diabetes, reducing abdominal girth, ameliorating features of the metabolic syndrome, all of which may be protective of the cardiovascular system. The major safety issue is prostate cancer but there is no evidence that supports the idea that testosterone causes the development of a de novo cancer. So on balance in a man with symptoms of hygonadism and low or lowish levels of testosterone with no evidence of prostate cancer such as a normal PSA a therapeutic (4-6 months) trial of TRT is justified. Treatment and monitoring of this duration will determine whether the patient is responsive.
  
Obesity
Men who are excessively overweight will notice their sex drive improve after they have gastric bypass surgery, according to Dr. Ahmad Hammoud of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Obesity in men is associated with low testosterone levels, high levels of estrogen, impaired fertility, and worse sexual quality of life. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, April 2009.

Blood vessels
Alterations in the flow of blood to and from the penis are thought to be a common cause of male erectile dysfunction. For instance, medical conditions such as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), high cholesterol, hypertension, or diabetes reduce blood flow to the penis and genital organs thus leading to difficulty with erection or genital swelling.  Additional factors that can impede blood flow include penile injury, surgery in the pelvic or abdominal area, and sitting on a bicycle too long. Men who log several thousand miles a year on their mountain bikes suffer scrotal damage that could reduce their fertility.  

Nerve health and disease
Nerve damage from disorders such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke affect the brain’s ability to respond to sexual stimulation. In women, abdominal or pelvic operations can occasionally lead to nerve damage. Sexual dysfunction is common in men undergoing surgical treatment for prostate enlargement or cancer.

Biochemical
Some chemicals involved in the human sexual response and sex drive include dopamine, acetylcholine, and nitric oxide. Serotonin excess can cause low sex drive in a man or woman.

Medical conditions
Certain medical conditions lead to a partial or complete loss of sex drive, poor performance, or decreased enjoyment. These include hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, neurological disorders, and insomnia.

Pharmaceutical medications and sex drive
Medications include some anti-hypertensives, SSRIs, sedatives, and beta-blockers. Alcohol's negative affect on sex drive increases with age. Smoking can reduce genital blood flow. Finasteride, a drug used to treat enlarged prostate and to stimulate hair growth (Proscar and Propecia), may cause low sex drive, and in some individuals cause impotence and ejaculatory dysfunction.

Natural supplements that cause low sex drive
The most common natural herbs and supplements that decrease it include 5-HTP and kava. Tryptophan may also cause low sex drive.

Is there a food that helps?
No food that we know of available in grocery stores can put you in the mood in an immediate way within a few hours. It is possible that cold water fish, such as salmon, halibut, sardines, and shellfish, along with fish eggs or roe, may improve low sex drive by improving overall sexual health since they contain important fish oils. These fish oils help dilate blood vessels and also help brain cells work better, and perhaps influence hormone balance. Eating a healthy diet with lots of vegetables and herbs, spices, can sometimes help. Sexuality increasing foods can make a significant difference in some people.

Natural treatment emails
Is arginine good for low male sex drive problems?
   We have not found arginine to be effective as a male enhancement supplement.

My doctor told me that I need testosterone to boost my low sex drive ever since I've had my ovaries removed. Do you think herbs can restore sex drive without resorting to hormones? I really don't want to take testosterone.
   Most doctors don't realize that there certain natural herbs are able to reverse low female sex drive as much as the hormones, and often much safer.

Every since my doctor put me on propranolol for high blood pressure, I have low sex drive. Is low sex drive a side effect?
   Yes, for sure. Propranolol is a beta blocker, and almost all beta blocker interfere with optimal sexual functioning, including reduction of sex drive and sensation, along with difficulty with erection.

Are herbal enhancers for low sex drive safe?
   Some of them are safe. Certain sexual enhancers such as yohimbe and tongkat ali should be taken in low doses since they have side effects.

I have low sex drive ever since my wife died. It's been 6 months now. Is sex drive loss permanent?
   Chances are you will regain and increase your sex drive with time once the grieving period is over and you meet someone who you want to be intimate with again. In the meantime, increasing sex drive with certain herbs is possible in the meantime.

Is low sex drive and impotence the same thing?
   Impotence is defined as the inability to have a strong erection enough to last through sexual intercourse while a person can have a strong sex drive but still have impotence. On the other hand, if someone takes a Viagra, they can have a strong erection but still have a low sex drive and little or no sensation of the penis.

I have low sex drive from menopause, is there an herbal sex drive supplement that can help me?
   Low doses of tongkat ali, muira puama, horny goat weed, maca, and Passion Rx could be helpful as a natural improvement after menopause.

What's a good vitamin for low sex drive treatment within the first day?
   We are not aware of any vitamin that helps in a short period of time such as a few hours.

My wife has low sex drive. Is there any drug or herb or anything over the counter that we could buy say like at Walmart, something that works.
   We are not familiar with what kind of sexual products Walmart stores carry.

I found your website while searching for information on low sex drive. I have been on and am currently on Citalopram 20 mg for depression. Back in July I had an Angiogram because my family doctor thought I had heart problems after do an EKG. I underwent stress tests at a cardiologists office and was interned that very same evening for the angiogram. That in itself was enough to give me low sex drive due to the invasive surgery, but ever since that procedure I have had absolutely nil or low sex drive. That is really depressing me. I have been on the Citalopram for several months but I am wondering if there is anything that I have mentioned here that could be causing it.
   Citalopram is an antidepressant medication used to treat depression. Citalopram belongs to a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Celexa is the brand name for citalopram.