There’s More to Female Libido than Hormones (and vice versa)

Nobody is talking about this but…

a woman could have perfect hormone levels and still have zero libido. Many women begin having hormone loss in their 40’s in pre-menopause and outright deficiencies in menopause, and the prevailing thought is that if you can just get your hormone levels up, the desire will follow.

But the reality is, we can restore hormone levels - estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, even DHEA, to optimal young adult levels - and still sometimes nothing happens.

She could even have a wonderful life, minimal stress, no kids at home, a hunky hubby, money in the bank, a dream car and cute shoes - still never in the mood.

It is very frustrating because women want that intimacy, they want that desire, and just can’t seem to find it.

Human sexuality is more than a simple on-off switch. It has been said that the most important sex organ is the brain. The physical aspects of sex and the mental aspects are separate systems in many ways.

This distinction is evident in males: for example, the drug Viagra can help erectile dysfunction - a mechanical problem - but does nothing to increase libido - a cognitive and psychological problem.

Women are probably more complicated (lol) but still we can restore hormone levels, amend vaginal dryness and atrophy, which is the mechanical equivalent as in men. But the cognitive function is not so simple. Even with very high levels of testosterone the desire is still not there sometimes.

There are options however. The drug Addyi was launched last year specifically for female desire (not the same principle as Viagra - totally different idea). It is just a commercial version of a peptide I have used for years called PT-141 or bremelanotide. This can help restart the lost neural pathway in the brain that drives libido.

An ideal program would include regular strength exercises, walking, quality sleep, a metabolically sound diet, scheduled relaxation and self-care activity. Sometimes those pleasure pathways get lost in the midst of our lives - with all the struggles and challenges life gives us. But these can be restored with diligent effort, cognitive work and, if needed, a little boost from science.