Decreased Libido Natural Herbs
Define: one can simply define libido as sexual drive. If a man has low libido, that means he has a low sex drive. The definition of libido in a woman is the same as in a man. A woman can have low or high libido. Libido is enhanced by hormones such as testosterone and other androgens, and also by neurotransmitters such as dopamine. Certain herbs and natural supplements enhance libido by vasodilating or by influencing levels of dopamine or hormones. For more information on libido. For female libido improvement.

Decreased Libido Enhancer for female and male
Herbs for decreased libido
The herbs that are helpful include Ashwagandha, Catuaba, Cnidium, Muira Puama, Tongkat ali, Tribulus, and Yohimbe.

Q. I take 3 blood pressure medicines which appear to have sent my libido packing and which left my sex life withering, if not absolutely limp. I take Cardizem LA 360, Benicar 40 and Toprol XL 120, each once a day. My doctor felt I might ameliorate my dilemma by taking a drug like Cialis (better if it were see Alice :-)), however I would prefer a natural herbal supplement if one exists. Recently, someone told me about muira puama which they said worked better than the prescription drugs. My doctor knows nothing about muira puama and most other herbs. She said she never studied it in medical school and has no time to learn about it now. What have you heard and read about muira puama? Is it safe to take this herb with this host of blood pressure medications I take? Does the sex herb have a downside or side effects in short or long term use?
   A. Cardizem is a calcium channel blocker. Benicar ( olmesartan medoxomi l  is hydrolyzed to olmesartan during absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. Olmesartan is a selective AT1 subtype angiotensin II receptor antagonist. Toprol is a beta blocker. All three heart and blood pressure medicines can cause decreased libido. You can learn more about muira puama here. We are not in a position to say whether you should or should not take this sexual herb. You may also consider reading about hypertension natural option.

There are several major areas involved in decreased libido:

Psychological - The causes of psychological decreased libido are numerous, and it is difficult to list them all, but most often decreased libido is related to depression, performance anxiety, marital stress or relationship problems, life crisis, financial difficulties, religious repression, or some type of mental illness.

Hormonal - Androgens, such as testosterone use, can lead to increased libido. Testosterone levels decline about 1 percent each year in men, which may contribute to decreased libido in men and women. Women who have had surgical removal of the ovaries have decreased libido. Replacement of androgens can be helpful in those with age related decline in libido. Testosterone is available by prescription only. An over the counter hormones, such as DHEA, converts into testosterone and thus has a positive influence on libido. Pregnenolone is another over the counter hormone that may increase testosterone levels and thus enhance libido. For information on female libido.

Vascular - Alterations in the flow of blood to and from the penis are thought to be a common cause of male erectile dysfunction. For instance, medical conditions such as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), high cholesterol, hypertension, or diabetes reduce blood flow to the penis and genital organs thus leading to difficulty with erection or genital swelling.  Additional factors that can impede blood flow include penile injury, surgery in the pelvic or abdominal area, and sitting on a bicycle too long. Men who log several thousand miles a year on their mountain bikes suffer scrotal damage that could reduce their fertility.  

Chemical--Some chemicals involved in the human sexual response and libido include dopamine, acetylcholine, and nitric oxide.

Drugs lower libido
Drugs that lower libido or interfere with optimal sexual function include some anti-hypertensives, SSRIs, sedatives, and beta-blockers. Alcohol's negative affect on libido increases with age. Smoking can reduce genital blood flow.

Libido and testosterone cream
Testosterone cream does not appear to boost libido of women cancer survivors suffering from low libido. Dr. Debra L. Barton of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota, wanted to find out if the testosterone hormone cream could be helpful to female cancer survivors who normally experience a drop libido, especially after treatment for breast or gynecologic cancers. The researchers randomized 150 women to receive the testosterone cream or a placebo cream for four weeks, after which they were switched to the opposite treatment for an additional four weeks. While women given testosterone showed an increase in blood levels of the hormone, their change in libido was the same whether they were on the real testosterone cream or the placebo. All studies in which testosterone cream was found to help increase libido were conducted in postmenopausal women taking estrogen. But because women in the current study were cancer survivors, estrogen supplementation was not an option, even though their levels of estrogen were low. It's likely that a woman must have adequate levels of estrogen in order for testosterone to be an effective treatment for low libido. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, May 2, 2007.

Emails
Q. is exercise a libido booster?
   A. Perhaps not directly, but indirectly exercise can help you sleep deeper which be a libido booster. Exercise also makes you feel better about your body, and this could also have an influence on your libido. However, excessive exercise, such as running a marathon, can lead to decreased libido.

Q. My doctor told me that I need testosterone as a libido booster ever since I've had my ovaries removed. Do you think herbs can lead to increased libido without resorting to hormones? I really don't want to take testosterone.
   A. Most doctors don't realize that there certain natural herbal libido boosters that are as good as hormones.

Q. I have high libido, is there a way or a natural supplement that can lead to decreased libido?
   A. Some people with high libido find taking 5-HTP can lower libido. A high libido is frustrating in a married couple where one person has a high libido while the other has a low interest in sex.

Q. Do birth control pills influence libido
   A. Probably not too much.

Q. Is there a libido herb from Peru? I heard Peru had a libido herb used by natives.
   A. Maca is a libido herb from Peru. In the Amazon, they also use catuaba and muira puama.

Q. How can I lower libido? Is there a negative libido pill that can lower my libido?
   A. Tryptophan or 5HTP can lower libido since they convert into serotonin. Prozac and other SSRIs can also lower libido.

I need help with libido. My doctor put me on a blood pressure pill and now I need libido help since it's gone.
   You may wish to make changes in diet, sleep, and exercise, along with stress reduction in order to lower your need for blood pressure medicine and this will help your libido.

Q. My son never regained his decreased libido for now 3 years following use of Luvox. Have you ever run across a case of this? Is Passion Rx useful in treating decreased libido or is there a better treatment. Medical doctors have been stumped about the cause.
   A. It is possible that Passion Rx could help the decreased libido, or other sexual herbs could be helpful, but it is impossible to predict in any one person which treatment option will work best. For more information on libido supplements.

Q. I have been interested in taking some natural herbal supplements to increase libido, increase stamina and a few other things. There are tons for products out there, but I like Passion Rx because it has a doctor's recommendation behind it. My question is the following, I currently have NO problem getting a erection; however, seems like anything past 20 min I can feel my erection decreasing. I am not looking to gain inches, I simply want strong rock hard erections to last as long as they need to. I also want to be able to continue after I ejaculate, or at least have quick recovery time.
    A. Passion Rx helps in various aspects of the sexual response. Some people prefer Passion Rx, others prefer Passion Rx with Yohimbe, and still others prefer to take individual sex herbs such as Tongkat-Ali, mucuna pruriens, tribulus, horny goat weed, maca, catuaba, etc.

Is it recommended that women that have had complete hysterectomies and are on hrt take passion rx? I am on an all natural compounded hormone with estrogen / progesterone / testosterone. My libido is zero. My doctor recommended L-Arginine and as I was researching that, I found your website.
   We are not in a position to make specific suggestions, but perhaps some of the suggestions on this page could be useful to enhance libido in a woman.

I am a 46 yr old male suffering from low testosterone production. My doctor has prescribed Androgel for my condition but I am leery of the side effects as Cancer does run in my family. I was wondering if you have any products that could address my condition. My marriage is at stake, thanks.