If you're experiencing a decreased sex drive, the culprit could be one of the medications you're taking. In this article, we'll discuss five common medications that have been known to lower libido and what you can do about it.
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Cyproterone
Well, in the case of cyproterone, this is indeed a medication for the purpose of lowering a man's androgens.
In fact, the medicine is also called anti-androgens. The mechanism of action of this medicine involves blocking the actions of the male sex hormones, collectively called the androgens.
This medicine is a very potent treatment and is usually administered to help men with an excessive sex drive control their sexual urges.
The therapy is very effective as experts have noted that some 75% to 80% of patients would respond positively to treatment. So you may be wondering what kinds of men would need cyproterone, right?
Well, men who struggle with hypersexuality are just one type of patient for cyproterone. This condition could make day-to-day life quite difficult. Cyproterone should be administered with a doctor's prescription.
In fact, you need to sign an agreement before you even start your treatment.
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Xanax
Xanax is a brand of medication typically used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. It is a wonderful drug in itself for its ability to level a patient’s anxiety. However, one side effect of Xanax is also erectile dysfunction.
Well, this doesn’t happen all the time but it does indeed happen. Xanax is a brand name of benzodiazepine, this prescription drug works with your neurotransmitters.
Of course, the drug needs to affect your neurotransmitters to regulate moods and excitement, but at the same time, it could lead to a decrease in libido or excitement for sexual pleasure.
Experts are still unsure how exactly benzodiazepine affects libido and erectile functions, but it is clear that there is a connection.
If you are taking Xanax and you are experiencing a lowered level of sexual performance, talk to your doctor immediately. This happens more often than you think. Your doctor may reduce your dosage.
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Antidepressants
Aside from anxiety regulator medications, antidepressants are also quite famous for causing a decrease in sexual excitement. Antidepressants have been linked a lot to erectile dysfunction as well.
As reported by Harvard University, antidepressants encompass a diverse group of medications used to treat mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. However, one among the common side effect of antidepressants is a decrease in sexual excitement. These medications have also been frequently associated with erectile dysfunction in some cases.
And the connection between this type of drug and a loss of erection is better understood. Antidepressants work with your brain when it comes to producing serotonin. Antidepressants aim to increase serotonin in your body.
As a result of that, you feel calmer and more peaceful, so then, you don't get easily excited or upset by things. But in the same way, you also respond very little to the excitement of sex.
As such, even when you are trying to get sex, your body may not respond well because the brain doesn't get the signal to send blood from your heart to your penis.
If you are taking antidepressants and are experiencing sexual side effects, talk to your doctor to get a different dosage or medication.
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Steroid medications
Steroid medications are often used to treat inflammatory disorders.
Some steroid medications also seek to improve a man's testosterone levels, but at the same time, they have this weird side effect that can instead lower your sexual functions.
According to the study reported by NPS Medicine Wise, the consistent use of steroids for treating chronic inflammatory conditions has been associated with reduced testosterone levels in men. This decrease in testosterone can lead to compromised sexual desire and contribute to the development of erectile dysfunction. It's important to note that a loss of sex drive is just one of the side effects that may occur from taking steroids.
For one, if you are taking steroid medications, your body gradually stops relying on its own production of testosterone. You know, if there is already plenty of testosterone in your body, your testicles stop producing them.
After a while, this may even lead to a shrinkage in the size of your testicles. If this goes on long enough, you may even experience a loss of libido or sex drive. When your libido is low, your penis doesn't get up very easily.
A loss of sex drive is just one side effect of taking steroids and this is actually quite common. However, there are ways to regulate this side effect, so if you experience this, don't hesitate to inform your doctor.
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Cancer treatments
Cancer is a whole experience. It is not a light matter and people who have just been informed of cancer may experience a great slump in life.
At the same time, treatments for cancer are often very difficult and very expensive. When someone is under cancer treatment, sex is probably the last thing on their mind.
Plus, all the stress, sadness, anxiety and fears are all leading to a loss of excitement, as well as the desire for sex. Meanwhile, cancer treatments themselves, some forms of them, work with hormones and can disturb them a lot.
When your hormones are not in balance, it is only understandable that your libido will come to decrease. A lack of sex hormones leads to a lack of libido and can then impact your ability to have an erection or get wet.+
According to the research published by NPS Medicine Wise, chemotherapy medications primarily target cancer cells, but they can also impact other cells in the body, including those cells responsible for normal sexual function. As a result, these medications have the potential to cause sexual problems in both men and women.
Plus, cancer treatments often bring about fatigue and a general sense of tiredness, so your body will not respond well to sexual stimulation.
To summarize everything, the above mentioned five medications can easily decrease the libido of people unknowingly. Knowing about the medications beforehand can make things easier for people, and they can ask their doctors to change their medications accordingly.
Increased Female Libido Makes Sex Life Interesting
Women very often experience low sexual desire or libido. You may simply feel that you are not interested in having sexual intercourse. In each person, there are different reasons for the difference in female libido. Low libido in women can affect not only them but also her spouse sexual life.
Factors that affect libido:
The low female libido can affect intimate relationships and sexual intercourse with your partner drastically. There is a need to find the reason for the decreased sexual interest or desire as this can be difficult for the woman and her partner.
Many factors are responsible for low libido in women like a bad diet, stressful events, menopause, and poor physical exercise. Decreased libido in women is closely linked to the mind and it affects a person’s well being and sexual life very much. If there is trouble at your work spot these thoughts will be in your mind and your libido will lessen.
Chemical released in the brain:
The decreased female libido can be a very serious issue that leads to sexual activity lack and can cause several different problems in sex life. Involving in healthy sexual activity releases oxytocin (a chemical) that is released in the brain and this can essentially decrease levels of stress.
Many women tend to be more stressed than men so this chemical is very essential to the body. The other vital things that this chemical helps in controlling include sleep patterns and healthy sexual intercourse. Although the decreased sexual desire or libido can obstruct certain things it is a common fact that at a certain point most women will experience these feelings of disinterest in sex.
Low and high libido:
There are also times when the female libido is tremendously elevated as well as having a reduced sexual libido in women. In this situation, there is a high sexual drive and the goal is to balance both and try to have a steady libido or sexual desire.
During menopause or after delivery there are times when a woman may need help with the reduced sexual desire or libido. Being sure to separate your home life from your career and to eat healthily can help to increase sexual libido dramatically. If you cannot seem to find the desire or interest in sex life then some pills can help until the level of hormones in the body comes back to normal.
Keeping follow up of when you are feeling low or high libido can help you prepare better for sexual activity as the sexual desire in women can change every day in some cases. Ensuring that you and your partner are on the same temperament and encouraging your spouse that this is a common situation will set the relationship at ease.
In most of the female libido is a very normal thing to question but as long as you stay healthy and the changes do not last for long time periods you are good to go and enjoy your sexual life.