FDA may Okay female-Viagra: What else can you use?

A German drug maker is pushing to obtain approval of the Food and Drug Administration for marketing its female-viagra in the United States, media reports say.

The FDA advisers are scheduled to meet this Friday to decide whether flibanserin, made by Boehringer Ingelheim, should be approved to treat a newly defined female sexual disease called hypoactive sexual desire disorder in pre-menopsaul women.

Flibanserin was initially intended to treat depression.  It does not work well as an antidepressant. Incidentally, researchers found some of women who used the drug had better sexual experience.

The drug does not work like Viagra, which increases blood flow to the male genital to help men have a better erection. The drug is said to help actually boost sexual desire or libido in the women who lack sexual urge.

Critics say the drug causes side effects including nausea and dizziness among other things while the benefits for the study group are not substantial compared to the placebo group.

ABC News reports that early this year, a FDA report suggests that the female-Viagra should not stand a chance to get approved because the risks are greater than the benefits.

If flibanserin is approved, it may be put on the market in a matter of a few months, media reports say.

Those who do not like the drug may have some other alternatives to try.  

Waynberg J and Brewer S. at Institute of Sexology reported in the Sept-Oct  2000 issue of Advances in therapy that a herbal remedy can boost women's libido.

The formula called Herbal vX made of Muira puama and Ginkgo biloba "Statistically significant improvements occurred in frequency of sexual desires, sexual intercourse, and sexual fantasies, as well as in satisfaction with sex life, intensity of sexual desires, excitement of fantasies, ability to reach orgasm, and intensity of orgasm. Reported compliance and tolerability were good," the researchers wrote.

Eating soy product may also help some women's sexual drive and arousal, according to a case report published in Journal of Sexual Medicine. 

Amsterdam A and colleagues All Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center-Surgery reported that a woman who ate 4 pounds of a soy product for nearly one month actually suffered persistent sexual arousal syndrome. 

Another remedy called ArginMax may also help. 

The dietary supplement containing L-arginine, ginseng, ginkgo, damiana, multivitamins, and minerals was proved to be effective in helping boost women's libido.

A trial of 108 women published in the Oct-Dec 2006 issue of Journal of Sex Marital Therapy showed that among pre-menopausal women who took the supplement for 4 weeks, 72% significantly improve their sexual desire, 68 percent enhance their satisfaction with their overall sex life compared to the placebo group.

This dietary supplement also helped postmenopausal and menopausal women.

DL