Do you need some Libido Pills? So you haven’t been “in the mood” lately — and, you know what? It is normal to be less interested in sex at times, especially when it’s a packed day at work. But a consistently low sex drive can be annoying and strain relationships, so you may find yourself on the hunt for a little boost. If only there were sexual desire pills.
The internet is awash with all manner of libido-boosting pills; however, it cannot be substantiated or regulated. Those shows, in other words, should have the equivalent of a huge “proceed (if at all) with caution” warning slapped on them.
But there are options other than pills to raise male libido that may be safer and effective. Read on for details about why you might have a low libido, pills that’ll increase sex drive, and other remedies that may work for getting your (sexual) engines going.
Sex Drive
Libido, aka your sex drive, is how much you want to get it on, or are interested in engaging in sexual activities (intercourse, masturbation, etc.). There’s no such thing as a “normal” sex drive, because it varies from person to person; having sex three times a week may be “normal” for one person, as three times a month it is for someone else.
Such variability, it turns out, means there’s no one-size-fits-all description — or for that matter definition — of low libido. That said, it’s generally regarded as a noticeable drop in sexual interest compared with your “normal” — whatever that may be.
But libido is also not static; it’s entirely normal for your sex drive to shift up and down over the course of your life. A decreased sex drive is common and usually temporary, though for some people it’s long-term.
And while the root problem — diminished interest in sex — is the same for those assigned male at birth (i.e. men) and those assigned female at birth (i.e. women), sexual desire can look different in each sex. For the purpose of this article, we’ll just be talking about sex drive (or lack thereof) in men. So what causes low libido in men?
A number of reasons of factors (or a mix of them) can lead to low libido, such as:
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Aging
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Alcohol and drug use
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Chronic health conditions
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Depression and anxiety
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Low testosterone
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Medications (for example, some antidepressants and blood pressure medications may lower sex drive)
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Poor sleep
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Relationship issues
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Stress
Other sexual problems, such as erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation (PE), can also affect sex drive and be affected by it as well. For instance, men with ED or PE might have low self-esteem or anxiety about intimacy, which may lead to decreased interest in sex.
It can lead to a vicious cycle where physical changes and emotional pressure can feed off one another to further lower a person’s sex drive over time. That being said, there are several factors you can address to help you get your groove back.
What are Pills to Increase Male Sex Drive, Exactly?
Other sexual problems, such as erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation (PE), can also affect sex drive and be affected by it as well.
For instance, men with ED or PE might have low self-esteem or anxiety about intimacy, which may lead to decreased interest in sex.
It can lead to a vicious cycle where physical changes and emotional pressure can feed off one another to further lower a person’s sex drive over time. That being said, there are several factors you can address to help you get your groove back.
Do Libido Pills Actually Work?
We wouldn’t bet on it.
As mentioned above, sex drive pills are not regulated by the FDA, which means, unlike prescription medications, they do not go through the same kind of testing, screening, review, and approval. There is no regulation coming between these male enhancement products and the market; thus, they aren’t tested for effectiveness and safety.
And the production of the pills isn’t even regulated by the F.D.A. And they’re not even required to support their marketing blather with the results of scientific studies or clinical trials.
In theory, libido pills might work, but there’s not enough published research to know for sure whether they offer any real benefit. And because they’re unregulated, they may contain dangerous substances that we’re not even aware of.
That being said, certain “natural” ingredients that are typically included in male enhancement pills have the potential to be effective with very small pilot studies demonstrating some promise in improving sexual function. For instance, a meta-analysis found L-arginine might be capable of treating mild-to-moderate ED.
This might, in theory (note!, can also help with low libido, however, there are two caveats: What helps ED may not help sex drive, and L-arginine’s direct effect on sex drive is not as clear. And then there’s ashwagandha, which a small study determined may increase sexual desire, arousal and overall sexual performance in men. The study also found higher testosterone levels in the ashwagandha group, which could also explain its positive effects on libido.
Although the above studies were conducted on humans, lots of the research on the herbs and other substances in most libido pills are done on animals. And there are few studies and limited numbers of participants to suggest “natural” treatments work, anyway. Larger studies in humans are still in order to see if sexual health supplements can in fact rev up your sex drive.
It’s also worth pointing out that treatment for a low sex drive depends on the cause. If you have relationship issues or an underlying health problem that’s affecting your sexual desire, taking libido pills likely won’t do anything for your desire-related troubles.
Are Libido Pills Safe?
Once more for the people in the back: The FDA doesn’t regulate dietary supplements. This doesn’t mean that all libido pills are necessarily dangerous, but it does mean none of them are guaranteed to be safe, either.
The FDA has warned against hundreds of male enhancement products that contain hidden ingredients, including prescription drugs in unknown quantities (yes, despite the over-the-counter and prescription-free marketing).
(Some Rhino Pills, for instance, have been indicated by the F.D.A. as containing sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra.) While sildenafil is safe for most patients, some people should not take it, or should only use it with a doctor’s approval (nitrates, for example).
Rx drugs, such as sildenafil, should not be used without the recommendation of the health care provider as it may have dangerous side effects. And, you also want to make sure of what it is you are putting into your body so you can make an educated choice.
It’s not the health risk of ingesting something that could potentially have prescription medication in it only that makes this a dangerous issue; it’s also moronic to take a pill that may or may not contain an undetectable amount of prescription medication.
Bottom Line on Pills to Increase Male Libido
There is nothing ‘unusual’ about having a low libido every so often, in most instances it’s a passing phase. But if your sex drive is always low or having an impact on your relationships or quality of life, it’s a good idea to get advice and care from a health care provider.
It may be tempting to forgo an awkward trip to the doctor in favor of less reliable methods, like untested sexual enhancement supplements, which can be detrimental to sexual health. Because there are so many factors that can affect sex drive — like age, stress, and physical health — finding the reason someone’s libido is low is key to addressing it, and that’s something best left to a professional to sort out.
There may be no magic pill for low libido, or less desire for sex, but once you’ve identified what’s causing your low sex drive, there are plenty of steps you can take to get your sex life where you want it to be.
