The JAMA study, conducted by a team of Dutch researchers, examined a group of eight separate studies combined, which included the results of about 6,000 women who took Addyi for low libido. The researchers said for women using the drug, the number of additional “satisfying sexual events” averaged out to about 0.5 per month.
Essentially, the team of Dutch researchers claims that Addyi,(flibanserin), which has been on the market since October, provided only a minimal change in the libido of women within their study.
But many say the study is flawed. Dr. Lauren Streicher, medical director of the Center for Sexual Medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, stated in a CNN report that the results cited in the Dutch study are based only on averages. So, though it is true that Addyi doesn’t work for everyone, many patients, including Dr. Streicher’s, have found it to be very beneficial.
In fact, Dr. Streicher stated that she has written Addyi prescriptions for approximately 10 of her female patients, and she has heard back from three or four of those patients who claim it has worked very well at improving their condition.
“They say, ‘Oh my God, this has changed my life. Things are wonderful,'” Streicher stated in the CNN interview.
Jodi Cole, a 33-year-old stay-at-home mother from Porter, Oklahoma who took Addyi with good results wrote in to CNN after hearing of the study. In her email she shared what she felt was successful results:
She stated that before she started taking Addyi, she didn’t want to have sex with her husband, Matt. “I love my husband and I believe God created emotional and sexual intimacy as key components of marriage. So we had sex, usually a couple of times a week. And while I was willing, part of me dreaded it. Every time,” Cole wrote in her email to CNN.
Her results? Cole stated that though it did not affect the quantity of sex she desired, the drug did much to improve the quality of sex she was having.
“What (Addyi) does is give just enough support so I can think about that part of our relationship with anticipation of pleasure rather than anxiety,” she wrote. Cole went on to say that she understood that like any drug, Addyi could have side effects, but she felt that women should be able to choose whether to take a medication or not.
The Controversy Over Addyi’s Results: Studies Questioned
Naturally, those who have experienced the benefit of Addyi are very disturbed by studies that question its medical viability and amplify its possible risk of side effects. Some doctors, who have been prescribing Addyi to treat their female patients with low libidos have discredited the JAMA study saying that it comes to erroneous conclusions.
Some medical professionals cited problems with the study’s methodology, including that three of the eight studies the Dutch researchers analyzed were not published studies- which in the medical field lays questions about whether they are viable sources of information. Of those three studies not published, also involved a much lower dosage of Addyi than what is approved and recommended by the FDA for successful treatment; in fact it was a half-dose that was used within the study.
What You Should Know About Addyi and Sexual Dysfunction in Women
Addyi is a women-only libido drug targeted for available for premenopausal women, approved by the FDA that hit the market in fall of 2015. After more than 16 years of hearing about the life-improving benefits of Viagra, the number one prescribed pill for male sexual dysfunction, women finally were given an option of their own. It is the first prescription medication that targets female sexual dysfunction.
About 40 percent of women in the U.S. experience some form of female sexual dysfunction, ranging from mild to severe. One specific type, which impacts premenopausal women, is hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). It affects nearly 1 in 10 women, according to the National Institute of Health, making the disorder the most commonly reported form of female sexual dysfunction.
If you have low libido, it can affect your relationship and your life. Many women have felt that their condition might never improve. Women are also often made to feel it is all in their head.
Until recently, very little research had even been completed on female sexual dysfunction. What had been documented suggests that hypoactive sexual desire disorder is the most prevalent of all sexual dysfunction conditions in females, and it may possibly be triggered by a hormonal or a chemical imbalance in the body. Studies show that women often suffer from it in silence. For those who speak up, and complain to their doctor about a lack of desire, they have typically been dismissed.
How Does Addyi Work
Though Addyi is called the “female Viagra”, it actually works very differently. It will not produce instant (one-hour) results like Viagra: While Viagra treats a blood flow or “mechanical” issue required for sex within a male’s penis, the main issue with erectile dysfunction, Addyi, addresses three key chemicals in the brain which are connected to expected/natural sexual response.
How Quickly Will it Work?
Addyi (Flibanserin), works by increasing dopamine and stimulates certain receptors in the brain while blocking others. Increased sexual desire typically results from taking Addyi daily for up to a month before you may experience any of the drug’s positive effects.
How is Addyi Taken?
Addyi is an oral medication that is simple to take and convenient to use. Your dose should be taken regularly at bedtime, and you can expect to see initial benefits within the first four weeks. But, it may take up to eight weeks to feel the full effect of this medication.
What Are the Side Effects?
One reported side-effect of Addyi was a feeling of dizziness. One in five women involved in the trial reported extreme fatigue, and the drug can also cause light-headedness or nausea, dry mouth, and difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Dizziness is the primary reason why you must take this drug at bedtime only.
As with most prescribed medication, there are side-effects you should know about. Addyi’s label includes warnings not to take the medication if you:
- Drink alcohol: Fainting or loss of consciousness can happen when you take Addyi even if you do not drink alcohol or take other medicines or herbal supplements. This is also why you take it at bedtime. Your risk of low blood pressure and fainting (loss of consciousness) is increased if the medication is taken during waking hours, if you drink alcohol, or if you take certain medicines or herbal supplements.
- Take certain prescription or over-the-counter medicines, or herbal supplements: Do not take or start taking any new prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, or herbal supplements while taking Addyi until you have talked with your doctor. Your doctor will tell you if it is safe to take other medicines or herbal supplements while you are taking this prescription.
- Have liver problems: You should not take Addyi if you have been diagnosed with liver problems.
According to clinical trial data from Sprout Pharmaceuticals, makers of the drug, females who took the Addyi experienced a 53 percent increase in sexual desire in comparison to how they rated their libido before the trials. Most women experienced benefits as soon as four weeks of taking Addyi, over a 24-week trial period.
HSDD and Getting Prescribed Addyi
Flibanserin (Addyi) is indicated for women meeting the DSM-IV-TR criteria for HSDD. These include a persistent deficiency or absence of sexual desire and fantasies, as judged by your doctor, and this disturbance should cause distress or a strained relationship for the patient.
Once you have discussed your symptoms with your doctor and other medical causes have been ruled out, your doctor can prescribe Addyi. Your doctor should also rule out the possibility that the dysfunction stems from a co-occurring medical or psychiatric condition, relationship difficulty, or the use or abuse of medication or another substance
How to Fill Your Prescription
Addyi can be bought through your local pharmacy, or you can order it online through a reputable online store, so that your privacy is protected and it is delivered discretely. Other benefits of ordering online include convenience; meaning you don’t need to make a special trip to your pharmacy to pick it up.
If ordering online be certain that your prescription comes from an FDA-licensed distributor located in the United States. Since 1998, eDrugstore.com has helped more than 500,000 customers gain access to prescription medications for conditions including male impotence, while offering first-class customer service and support.
We specialize in providing our over 1,000,000 customers with relevant product and condition information created by our professional editorial staff which includes our team of medical writers, medical practitioners, and health educators. eDrugStore.com Staff on Facebook