A Guide to “Viagra for Women”

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Dinh Thanh Ha - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vinmec Nha Trang International Hospital
For many women, sex drive increases and decreases over the years and is often closely related to relationships, stress, and physical changes such as pregnancy or menopause. About 10% of women face the problem of lack of sex drive, making women depressed, this is a syndrome called sexual desire disorder.

1. Viagra for women

There are a number of over-the-counter supplements to treat this problem, but the benefits are limited, mainly because these supplements are not yet recognized. However, in recent years, the FDA - the US Food and Drug Administration has just approved two prescription drugs to treat sexual desire disorder, these drugs are called "Female Viagra". .
Viagra is one of the drugs that men often use when having sex problems, but the drug we are talking about here, called Viagra for women, is not very similar to Viagra. In fact, these drugs affect a woman's body in a very different way. Judith Volkar, MD, of UPMC Magee Women's Hospital in Pittsburgh, said: “For men, Viagra helps with the 'plumbing' problem, i.e. Viagra and similar medications that treat disorders an erection, when a man has trouble getting an erection or can't get an erection long enough to have sex. They still have the need to do it, but "the top tells the bottom not to listen".

These drugs help relax the “boy” muscles and increase blood flow so that he can get an erection. For women, however, sexual ability is a different, much more complicated issue. Dr Judith Volkar said: “I often liken that you can imagine a man's lust as a simple light switch, but for a woman it's like the cockpit of a 747 (with a whole bunch of them). number of switches and buttons) have more factors in influencing women's desire than men'. Therefore, the treatment of sexual desire disorder in women needs a more nuanced approach.

2. Two drugs

Two drugs that have just been approved by the FDA include:
Flibanserin (Addyi): A pill taken every night. Bremelanotide (Vyleesi): The drug is given as an injection into the waist or thigh 45 minutes before sex. The drug works within 24 hours, and doctors recommend taking it only 8 times a month.

3. How the drug works

Both drugs increase the activity of chemical mediators, called neurotransmitters, that are key to making you feel excited. Whether it's taking flibanserin every night, or injecting bremelanotide every time you need it, the thing to keep in mind is that there's no better drug to make sex better, it just makes you feel better.
Along with the use of the drug, your doctor will recommend that you participate in sexual health education and go to the doctor. Hormonal therapy can also be used if you have physical problems that affect sex, like vaginal dryness.

4. Side effects and risks

Researchers have mainly studied how the drugs work in women who have not gone through menopause. So the FDA approved both drugs only for premenopausal women. The drug is contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women.
Some other people should also not use the above medicine, including:
Patients with liver disease Patients with cardiovascular disease Patients undergoing medical treatment for HIV, hepatitis C, high blood pressure not well controlled. Dr Volkar adds: “These drugs can interact with many common female medications, such as fluconazole (Diflucan), which is used to treat yeast infections, and some antibiotics, so it's important to be careful. Women should know all the drugs they are taking and consult a doctor before taking them.
Women who use drugs to suppress libido should not drink alcohol 2 hours or more before taking the drug until the next morning, because the drug can cause dangerously low blood pressure.

In addition, the drug can cause some side effects including:
Nausea Headache Flushed face (face is both hot and red) Dizziness and fainting Fatigue Dry mouth Brasheranotide, sold under the brand name Vyleesi , which can darken skin and gums.

5. So do these drugs really work?

There is never an exact measure of sex or its need, so often treatment outcomes are assessed based on changes in the patient's perception. If you've been taking the medicine for 8 weeks but you don't see any change, your doctor will stop you taking it.

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Article reference source: Webmd.com