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Low Sex Drive / Libido
Causes
of Low Libido and What to Do About It
Stress &
Fatigue
Too
much stress and tiredness
lowers sex drive significantly. Ensure you
are
getting sufficient sleep and are in good physical health. Meditation
and yoga are excellent activities that can be used to reduce stress.
Get our detailed guide on how to prevent, reduce and control stress.
Before considering using prescription medications, find out natural
remedies that you can use to reduce stress and increase your body's
resistance to stress.
Boredom
Try
changing the sexual encounter. As humans, we often fall into a normal
routine.
You can experiment with different sexual positions during intercourse
or even enagage in your sexual activities in a different part of the
home.
Try changing the atmosphere of the bedroom by using scented candles,
aromatherapy and soft relaxing music.
Pain
Conditions
such as back pain, osteoarthritis
and rheumtoid arthritis can be quite
painful and it will reduce the drive for sexual encounters.
Experiment
with different sexual positions that reduce joint pain. Choose a
different time during the day when the pain is less severe. For
example, people with osteoarthritis generally feel less pain in the
morning. Those with rheumatoid arthritis have less pain during the
evening.
There is evidence that sexual activities for people
with rheumatoid arthritis help to relieve pain for up to 8 hours. It is
suspected to be due to the release of endorphins, a hormone that
creates a sense of well-being.
As well, pain experienced by
women during sexual intercourse (known as dyspareunia) will reduce the
desire for sex. If the cause is vaginal dryness, use an appropriate
lubricant (such as KY Jelly) prior to intercourse to make it more
comfortable. Reduced lubrication may be caused by insufficient sexual
excitement prior to intercourse, menopause, pregnancy or breast-feeding.
Depression
& Anxiety
These
two psychological conditions will need to be managed as they
significantly reduces libido.
Unfortunately, prescription medications
such as antidepressants, antianxiety drugs and sedatives can also
reduce libido as well.
Sometimes it is difficult for doctors to find
out if the lack of sex drive might be caused by depression or the use
of the medication to treat depression.
Relationship
Problems & Past History of Sexual
Trauma
Seek
counseling to improve relationship or psychological issues. For those
who have suffered from sexual trauma such as rape or sexual abuse, seek
experts experienced in this area to address and resolve these past
issues.
Use
of Excessive Alcohol
Chronic
alcoholism seems to be associated with sexual dysfunction in both men
and women. Often those suffering from alcohol abuse also have
underlying psychological issues as well.
As well, beer contains
hops, a compound with estrogen-like properties. In the long-term it can
reduce sex drive in both men and women.
Obesity
/ Overweight
The
heavier the men were, the lower their testosterone levels. This will
result in decreased libido and quality of their sex life. This finding
was reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and
Metabolism (April
2009).
Prescription
Drugs
Many
prescription medications are known to reduce libido.
If you are on
prescription medications, talk to your pharmacist or doctor to see if
they might cause this problem.
Examples of medications include:
- antidepressants (Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil,
Effexor, Celexa, Lexapro, Cipralex, Wellbutrin)
- anticonvulsants (Tegretol, Epival, Dilantin,
Zarontin)
- anticancer drugs (Nolvadex, Tamofen)
- high blood pressure medications
- birth control pills
Always
discuss with your family doctor before you decide to discontinue any
medication. Your doctor may switch you to another similar
product
to see if it will be less likely to reduce libido. This might be all
that is needed to increase sex drive.
Hormonal
Imbalance - Low Testosterone
Testosterone
is required to create the sex drive in both males and females. Too low
a level of testosterone in our body will cause a loss of sex
drive.
A doctor can measure the bioavailable testosterone levels. It is
preferred over measuring the total testosterone level in the body as it
reflects the portion that the body can easily use.
Testosterone gel are available by prescription from your doctor to
increase the levels in your body if it is low.
Hormonal
Imbalance - Menopause and Hormone Production
Low sex drive in women is often caused by
menopause.
This is the time when the production of female hormones and
testosterone go down, causing diminished libido and a decrease in
energy and the feeling of well-being.
Women may request a measurement of bioavailable testosterone levels
from their family doctor to see if the levels are low.
Women
with low testosterone levels can take prescription testosterone to
increase their interest in sex and sexual fantasy. Research suggests
that women going through menopause
would also benefit from testosterone
supplementation.
Hormone
Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Hormone
replacement therapy using estrogen reduces the testosterone levels in
the female, thus reducing sex drive. A prescription drug called
Estratest contains both estrogen and testosterone and it would be
helpful in reducing the negative impact of estrogen on libido.
Prostatitis
(Inflammation of the Prostate Glands)
A
male suffering from prostatis may experience pain, especially after
ejaculation (orgasm). This pain is sufficient to reduce wanting to
engage in sex. It would be necessary to treat the prosatitis with
prescription antibiotics. Other treatment options would also include
sitz baths and massage of the prostate to reduce pain.
Parkinson's
Disease
Parkinson's
disease is known to cause erectile dysfuction in men. It also causes
reduced sex drive in males and females as they often also suffer from
depression and a reduced sense of well-being.
Other
Diseases
It is suspected that many disease states can cause the testosterone
levels to drop. These include:
As well, low levels of certain minerals such as zinc can interfere with
the production of testosterone.
Erectile
Dysfunction (ED)
Men
suffering from erectile dysfunction (ED) may experience a reduce sex
drive as well. This may be in part due to the reduced self-confidence
from being unable acheive a firm enough erection for sexual intercourse.
For information and supplements on treating ED, click
here.
In the next
page,
you will find herbs, vitamins & minerals you can use to
increase sex drive.
On the last
page,
you can get a list of foods that increase libido.
Taking these libido
enhancing foods may be all that you need to bring joy back to your
drive for sex.
Related Topics
Sex drive - What is it?
Natural remedies to enhance libido
Return to Health Conditions List

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