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Premenopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) could find some relief through medication by 2016, if clinical trials are successful.
HSDD is a persistent loss of sex drive that causes a woman distress. It may lead to problems in her relationship as well.
It’s normal for a woman’s libido to have its ups and downs throughout her life. Hormonal changes, stress, and fatigue can all affect sex drive. What makes HSDD different is its constancy. Also, for a diagnosis of HSDD, this loss of sex drive cannot be explained by another medical condition or substance. (For example, low libido can be a side effect of certain antidepressants.)
Currently, no medical treatment for HSDD has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, researchers at a Dutch company called Emotional Brain hope that their drugs – Lybrido and Lybridos – will eventually be approved and available.
Lybrido and Lybridos: Similarities and Differences
Lybrido and Lybridos vary slightly. Both contain testosterone, a hormone associated with sex drive.
Lybrido contains an ingredient similar to Viagra, an erectile dysfunction medication for men. This ingredient can improve blood flow to the genitals and help a woman with physical sexual response.
On its website, Emotional Brain explains it this way: “Lybrido was the first product we developed for the treatment of HSDD. It proved effective for women with low sex drive and motivation as a result of insensitivity to sexual cues.”
Lybridos – with the S at the end – does not contain the Viagra-like ingredient. Instead, it contains buspirone, an anti-anxiety medication. According to Emotional Brain, this version of the drug “is designed specifically for the treatment of women who suffer from HSDD as a result of inhibitory mechanisms in the brain resulting from negative associations with sex.”
Both drugs would be taken “on demand.” This means a woman would take either Lybrido or Lybridos about three hours before she planned to have sex.
The drugs have been called the “female Viagra.” But this comparison isn’t quite accurate. Viagra helps men with erections by increasing blood flow to the penis. This blood is essential for an erection rigid enough for sex.
Lybrido and Lybridos are a little different, as they act more on the brain. Some believe a woman’s brain her most important sexual organ. Dopamine, a chemical produced in the brain, plays a role in sexual desire. But sometimes dopamine can be out of balance. Lybrido can help with this.
In the case of Lybridos, the buspirone is included to curb inhibitory responses triggered by the brain.
HSDD is a persistent loss of sex drive that causes a woman distress. It may lead to problems in her relationship as well.
It’s normal for a woman’s libido to have its ups and downs throughout her life. Hormonal changes, stress, and fatigue can all affect sex drive. What makes HSDD different is its constancy. Also, for a diagnosis of HSDD, this loss of sex drive cannot be explained by another medical condition or substance. (For example, low libido can be a side effect of certain antidepressants.)
Currently, no medical treatment for HSDD has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, researchers at a Dutch company called Emotional Brain hope that their drugs – Lybrido and Lybridos – will eventually be approved and available.
Lybrido and Lybridos: Similarities and Differences
Lybrido and Lybridos vary slightly. Both contain testosterone, a hormone associated with sex drive.
Lybrido contains an ingredient similar to Viagra, an erectile dysfunction medication for men. This ingredient can improve blood flow to the genitals and help a woman with physical sexual response.
On its website, Emotional Brain explains it this way: “Lybrido was the first product we developed for the treatment of HSDD. It proved effective for women with low sex drive and motivation as a result of insensitivity to sexual cues.”
Lybridos – with the S at the end – does not contain the Viagra-like ingredient. Instead, it contains buspirone, an anti-anxiety medication. According to Emotional Brain, this version of the drug “is designed specifically for the treatment of women who suffer from HSDD as a result of inhibitory mechanisms in the brain resulting from negative associations with sex.”
Both drugs would be taken “on demand.” This means a woman would take either Lybrido or Lybridos about three hours before she planned to have sex.
The drugs have been called the “female Viagra.” But this comparison isn’t quite accurate. Viagra helps men with erections by increasing blood flow to the penis. This blood is essential for an erection rigid enough for sex.
Lybrido and Lybridos are a little different, as they act more on the brain. Some believe a woman’s brain her most important sexual organ. Dopamine, a chemical produced in the brain, plays a role in sexual desire. But sometimes dopamine can be out of balance. Lybrido can help with this.
In the case of Lybridos, the buspirone is included to curb inhibitory responses triggered by the brain.