I think the general population that call “filibanserin” (check in the news today) as the viagra for women they don’t know what they are talking about.
Viagra is not a libido drug, while all female sexual enhancement drug-attempts are aimed at libido.
Now the key question for us: are these drugs advertised for women because men typically have higher libido and thus the effect did not show up on an average male? or is because the mechanism only works for women?
From reading about it, it is a drug that affect serotonin levels and thus to me I don’t see why it wouldn’t “work” for men who have libido issues.
I say “work” because none of them have shown miracle results yet…
But, should we keep our eyes open on these libido drugs? Should we think about contacting these companies and asking them why they would NOT work on men with libido problems?
This is taken from WEBMD
[i]Low dopamine levels. Sexual desire obviously involves the brain – and the brain’s chemical messaging system is intimately linked to sexual desire. One of those messengers is dopamine. Doctors have noted that Parkinson’s disease patients treated with dopamine-stimulating drugs had increased sexual desire. Goldstein says these drugs help some men with HSDD.
Each cause of low sexual desire has its own treatment. When the root cause is psychological, sex therapy can offer men specific techniques and strategies for regaining their enjoyment of sex. “It is not psychotherapy; it is psychology counseling focused on sexual issues,” Goldstein explains.
In cases where the problem is low testosterone, men can take testosterone supplements if they have measurably low levels. About 25% of men go for weekly testosterone shots, Goldstein says, but most opt for skin patches or gel formulations applied directly to the skin of the chest, shoulders, or abdomen.
When Goldstein suspects low dopamine levels are at the heart of a man’s low sexual desire, he might prescribe dopamine-increasing drugs, though this treatment is not currently approved by the FDA and has risks.
However, a new drug now in clinical trials – for women – does increase dopamine levels while decreasing a specific kind of serotonin in the brain. Early clinical studies suggest the drug could help women with low sexual desire. Goldstein thinks this new treatment has promise. And if it’s approved for women, he says, it will likely be tested in men.[/i]