ask your pharmacist

Are there any prescription therapies for low sex drive?

Testosterone may improve sex drive in women or in men found to have low testosterone levels in their bloodstream. Testosterone can be administered as methyltestosterone tablets (brand names Android, >Testred), skin patches (>Androderm, Testoderm), or injections (>Depo-Testosterone). In addition, when low sex drive is the result of clinical depression, people may benefit from prescription antidepressants, from counseling, or from both antidepressant drugs and counseling.

The prescription drug >yohimbine (Yocon), originally derived from the bark of an African tree, has been touted for decades as an effective aphrodisiac for both men and women. But several clinical studies have found that yohimbine is no more effective than a placebo (sugar pill) in restoring sexual desire. Yohimbine is used in some cases for men suffering from impotence. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has not approved these uses.

In women, low sex drive that occurs after menopause may respond to hormone replacement therapy using estrogen (>Premarin, >Menest) or progesterone (>Provera, Cycrin) or both. Women with low testosterone may benefit from tablets containing both estrogen and testosterone (>Estratest, >Estratest H.S.) or by taking methyltestosterone tablets.

Non-drug therapies such as psychological, behavioral, and interpersonal counseling may also be used to treat low sex drive.

Sources:
Basson, R. "Androgen Replacement for Women," Canadian Family Physician 45 (1999).
Crenshaw, T.L., J.P. Goldberg. Sexual Pharmacology. W. W. Norton & Company, 1996.
Davis, S.R., P. McCloud, B.J. Strauss, H. Burger. "Testosterone Enhances Estradiol's Effects on Postmenopausal Bone Density and Sexuality." Maturitas 21 (1995).
Micromedex® Healthcare Series. Thomson Micromedex, 2006.
Drug Facts and Comparisons. Facts & Comparisons, 2006.
Medline Plus. Medline, 2006.

This answer prepared 11/14/2000.
This information updated 2/7/2007.