Can You Improve Your Libido Using Viagra?

The problem of low libido is considered more common for women than for men. Even those male persons who experience erectile dysfunction usually do not complain about lack of sexual desire. However, interest in sex can diminish in some men who are getting older. A very small number of male persons have never felt a sex drive in their entire lives.

What Is Libido?

Libido is a sexual desire which is one of the main functions of the body. Poor libido is a real problem for many people. Libido quality can be affected by a wide range of factors including stress, season, lifestyle, sedentary job and depression. This term began to be extensively used after Sigmund Freud’s publications devoted to psychoanalysis.

Libido is controlled both by the production of testosterone, formed under the influence of the pituitary gland, and the nervous system. Such functions of the body as ejaculation, erection and other sexual abilities are controlled by the brain. Hence, very often the cause of a decreased or increased libido lies precisely in the activity of the nervous system.

Excessively strict upbringing in childhood can instill aversion to sexual actions and, as a consequence, reduce the level of libido in people of both sexes. A huge role in the formation of libido is played by hormones. Due to hormonal disorders in men or women, there may be a complete reluctance to have sex.

In the 21st century there appeared a great number of clinics and firms claiming they specialize in treating poor libido in male persons. These clinics emerge and disappear. They often charge rather high fee for the medical services they provide. Among the treatment options are testosterone courses and taking aphrodisiac, for example ginseng-based products.

Several years ago, we could see billboards containing information about nasal sprays allegedly curing low libido. Fortunately, these adverts can hardly be encountered today as such claims are rather doubtful and should be perceived with caution.

How Frequent Are Lack of Libido Cases in Men?

There are fewer men experiencing lack of libido than those suffering from erectile dysfunction. These conditions should be clearly distinguished.

As medical practice suggests, the ratio between low libido male persons and those suffering from erectile dysfunction is 1:25. The majority of men experiencing poor libido are able to achieve erection, however they do not feel a sexual desire.

What Are the Most Typical Factors Causing Lack of Libido?

Similar to women, men experience lack of sexual desire due to either psychological or physical factors.

The physical (organic) causes are the following:

• Alcoholism – rather common causative factor.
• Drug abuse (for example cocaine).
• Obesity – common; losing weight will help.
• Anaemia – unusual, if the man has not been bleeding because of any reason.
• Hyperprolactinaemia – a rare condition under which the pituitary gland “manufactures” excessive amount of prolactin.
• Prescribed drugs – in particular, Proscar (Finasteride*), a medication used for treating prostate problems, and meds which affect the brain.
• Low level of testosterone – in spite of the public opinion, this is not common, except for cases where testicles have been affected by some illness or injury.
• Severe health disorders, for example, diabetes.
• Injury of head.
• The thyroid gland in an underactive condition.

The psychological causes include depression (very common), overwork and frequent / acute stress, latent homosexuality, anxiety from childhood, relationship problems with a partner.

Low Libido Treatment

Among the ways of a decreased libido treatment there are both medicament-based and psychological ones. In particular, if the hormonal balance is not broken, and the patient does not suffer from diseases of the genitourinary system, he should take care of interaction with the partner, changing the interior in the bedroom, finding new poses. An important factor in the normal sexual life and regulation of libido is a foreplay.

The romantic component of the relationship between partners is crucially important. If the patient experiences constant stress during the day, he needs to minimize conflict situations and eliminate nervousness. Communication with a partner and a joint visit to the psychotherapist can help to find the true causes of loss of sexual desire.

In case of diagnosing psychological disorders hormonal medications can be prescribed only by a doctor, they should not be taken without recommendation. If the hormonal disorder is due to the presence of another disease, the first thing to be done is eliminating the cause.

What Steps Should You Take in Case of Low Libido?

To begin with, make an appointment with your general healthcare expert, who will do a physical check-up and recommend you to submit to the blood test he considers necessary, for example, thyroid tests or blood count. If your case is complicated, your doctor can issue a referral to other specialists.

The causes of low libido described above typically respond adequately to therapy. Doctors state that the most difficult to handle are causes associated with marital problems and anxiety about sex.

Is it possible to treat lack of sexual desire with drugs? Currently the pharmaceutical market cannot offer any drugs specifically developed for increasing libido in men except for cases caused by low testosterone when prescribing this hormone will be appropriate. Such anti-ED drugs as Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra do not influence sexual drive, as they only have effect on erection.

Connection Between the Body and Mind

The brain is considered an essential sex organ. Thus, feeling good means getting sexually aroused easily and vice versa. If a man is suddenly unable to achieve erection there must be a psychological reason behind it: redundancy, divorce, or bereavement can lead to loss of confidence or anxiety.

In general, such psychological conditions as low self-esteem, boredom, incompatibility, fatigue and depression make sex less alluring. Women are especially vulnerable to a combination of physical and lifestyle changes, for example, childbirth. Therefore, it is sensible to choose a complex approach to treating sexuality problems. It implies doing exercises aimed at improving stamina & body image, enhancing ability to deal with financial and work stress effectively, as well as special pelvic exercises for female persons to raise their awareness of groups of muscles engaged in sexual pleasure and libido boosting.

Can Viagra Boost Libido?

If you ask a question whether Viagra is aphrodisiac which can increase libido, the answer is “No”. This remedy is a prescription medication developed for handling impotence or erectile dysfunction in male persons.

Generic Viagra neither enhances sexual drive nor increases sexual pleasure. Its action is improving sexual performance by stimulating blood flow to the penile area. Although this drug improves sexual performance it does not cause sexual desire. On the contrary, aphrodisiacs make a person feel sexual drive.

In general terms, substances belonging to the category of aphrodisiacs contribute to enhancing sexual drive. In addition, they encourage responsiveness between the sexual partners and help to increase an orgasm sensation. Many ancient cultures used such plants as datura, henbane, and belladonna for centuries to enhance sexual desire (do not use these herbs on your own because they are toxic!).

Nowadays, many people use such herbs and foods as yohimbe (or yohimbine supplement, such as Yohimbe-1200), ginseng, oysters, mandrake plants, Vitamin E, and chocolate as aphrodisiacs. There are other substances which are considered to have aphrodisiac properties. Among them are L-Dopa, Bupropion, arginine, and citrulline.

*Consulting with a licensed healthcare professional in your own country is always recommended before considering purchasing medications online.