Everyone is talking about it, but few really know what’s behind the recently FDA-approved drug for female sexual dysfunction. Here’s what you need to know.
If you’ve been following the news lately, you would have heard about the newly-approved drug called Addyi. That’s its trade name. Its International Non-proprietary Name is Flibanserin.
The media, however, *including us, I must add!* has dubbed it the Female Viagra, even though it bears no resemblance to the mechanism of the original Viagra.
In August 2015, the Food and Drug Authority approved this first ever drug that treats women with sexual dysfunction, i.e., those who identify as women who are unable to develop any form of sexual desire towards their partner or achieve any orgasms due to this lack of a sex drive.
If I was in their shoes right now, I’d be lighting my bras on fire and buying Addyi by the truckload if I could afford it.
Joking aside, it may seem like the perfect time to celebrate – especially when you consider the success of the male Viagra in the 90’s – but, you may want to hold back on stocking up Addyi.
Instead of telling you what to do, however, let us show you the facts and help you decide on your own whether the Female Viagra is really all it’s cracked up to be. [Read: 20 sexual problems in a relationship you can easily avoid]
The origin of the Female Viagra
According to a survey that was conducted around the 90’s, 40% of women reported that they were experiencing some form of sexual dysfunction. This led some pharmaceutical companies to play with the idea of making their own female Viagra.
Many experts and pharmaceutical companies decided that the survey was not valid enough to merit putting more money into that type of research, due to the fact that there weren’t enough variables considered during the survey. Thus, the female Viagra concept was chucked.
When someone finally took pity on these anorgasmic individuals and invented a drug, the FDA deemed it too risky to approve it.
Side effects of the drug included dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, fatigue, insomnia, dry mouth, all of which can be exacerbated by alcohol use. The most controversial side-effects, however, are extreme hypotension and loss of consciousness, also made worse by alcohol intake.
So, if you’re planning to take Addyi just to have a good time after a night out at the bar, don’t. Or else you’ll die? No reports yet, but a rapid and significant decrease in blood pressure is known to kill a person. [Read: 10 dishes that can get your libido to skyrocket in no time]
If that’s the case, how did it get approved?
Sprout Pharmaceuticals, the company that received the rights to Addyi, launched Even the Score, a campaign directed at the alleged injustice the FDA was foisting on Addyi’s approval.
Even the Score maintains that several treatments had been approved for male sexual dysfunction, while none existed for females who had similar problems.
They wanted to highlight the discrimination issues because they were confident that the drug should be approved, even with the FDA’s concerns. Although it is unconfirmed, many believe that the FDA’s decision was due to the pressure the public was putting on the case. In August this year, the drug was approved, but with the strongest level of REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) as well as a boxed warning.
This meant that every time you bought the drug, the pharmacist is required by law to give you a lecture on how not to be stupid enough to drink alcohol while taking the drug. [Read: 10 ways to make long term sex feel like a one night stand]
What we know about the Flibanserin so far
#1 Addyi is not meant to improve female sexual performance. Sorry, girls. The boys win this round.
#2 HSDD or Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder *wow, that’s a mouthful* is the official diagnosis needed in order to get your hands on a prescription. In order to be diagnosed with HSDD, you need to meet the FDA’s specifications for HSDD, which is:
– Characterized by low sexual desire that causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty and is not due to a co-existing medical or psychiatric condition, problems within the relationship, or the effects of a medication or other drug substance.
– HSDD is acquired when it develops in a patient who previously had no problems with sexual desire. HSDD is generalized when it occurs regardless of the type of sexual activity, the situation or the sexual partner.
– Basically, you suddenly lose all hope in ever achieving an orgasm no matter how many vibrators you use or how many porn stars you screw. [Read: 10 naughty ways to get over a sexual dry spell easily]
#3 Male Viagra is taken when necessary. Female Viagra is taken every day in order for it to be effective. Forever. Or until you’re tired of having sex. But isn’t that why you asked for it in the first place?
#4 Addyi was originally developed as an anti-depressant, which means it affects your mental capacity. It’s not like the male Viagra which was designed to increase blood flow to the penis only.
#5 You are not allowed to drink alcohol while taking Addyi. This means that as long as you’re taking the pill, you will never taste a drop of wine again.
What happens when you use it?
Amanda Parrish is one of the patients who were part of the final phase of the trials. The doctors who checked her problem told her the same thing over and over again: It’s all in your head.
She qualified for the trials in 2010 and was prescribed to take the drug every day for nine months. Two weeks after she started, she noticed some changes in how she felt.
She did not become hypersexual, as is the expectations of those who do not know what Addyi is meant for, but she did start to want to have sex again.
After the trial, her body reverted back to its usual state. Now that the drug has been approved, Parrish is probably lining up to buy the same pills that she used to take. [Read: 10 things that can improve your dwindling sex drive]
Is it okay to use it?
The truth is that it all depends on your doctor. No matter how many doctors you consult, if they don’t think you need Addyi, they will not prescribe it. Other than that, the FDA approval shows that using Addyi is promising, but only in a safe and controllable environment.
If you have a problem with authority and have no intention of following the doctor and the pharmacist’s advice to the letter, stop reading and get out of here. Addyi is not for you.
Doctors are also required to assess whether or not you’ll be able to control your alcohol drinking. So, if they know you well enough, you better hope you’re not a fan of the bottle. Other than the risks that it poses, like any other medication, Addyi seemed to do fine during the trials. The real test is when the public starts buying it for treatment. [Read: 13 untold sex secrets you really need to know]
Do you really need it?
The only reason why women should ask for a prescription is because they are in dire need of some sexual desire.
Not being able to want someone physically can be very hard, especially when you’re in love with that person. That’s why women are willing to turn to Addyi for help, in order to rekindle the fire or elicit a spark, if it ever existed.
If you think you have HSDD, you better check before you take an unnecessary drug that causes risky side-effects like the ones mentioned above. And that’s because there is a possibility that you just haven’t found your ideal sexual situation, which may be why you aren’t feeling frisky enough. [Read: Top 50 kinky sex ideas that could help rekindle your sexual appetite]
We’re not suggesting that you explore all outlets of sexual experimentation, but it’s best to start with how you perceive desire and how you think your body will react to it. Imagination is key here and a little bit of rubbing under the sheets may help too. And if that fails, you need to consult with a doctor and get a second opinion as well.
Make sure that you ask these doctors about HSDD, so you’ll have a firmer grasp on whether or not you really are experiencing it. [Read: 12 safe and natural ways to increase your libido quickly]
So now that you know all about the much talked about female Viagra, do you think you need it? And the bigger question, would you ever use it?
