The Vaccine That Prevents Cancer
Just Say “No” to the Little Pink Pill
Earlier this month the The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Addyi (flibanserin) to treat acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in premenopausal women.
Viagra, or the male equivalent to this medication has been on the market since 1998, and was certainly a great achievement in aiding male erectile dysfunction patients. There have been no similar drugs to help women who have issues with sexual desire on the market as of yet.
Addyi is the first drug that has been developed to treat HSDD in the female population.
While this seems like a much overdue accomplishment for women who suffer from this disorder, the pill is not without its faults.
In order to understand why this pill is not the panacea for HSDD, let us first discuss its mechanism of action. Flibanserin was first developed as a drug for depression and works on the chemical serotonin where it acts as an inhibitor at receptor sites that allow serotonin to be taken up into the cells. Serotonin is a “feel good” chemical, and by allowing more of it to be around receptors, it increases good mood feelings.
When this medication was first trialed, it did not work well as an antidepressant. It is also unclear why it would work for treatment of HSDD, but it was approved anyway…
As with any serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) it takes at least two weeks to take effect, and must be taken every day in order for it to work. This is very different from Viagra, which is taken only when needed.
This drug was trialed only in premenopausal women and is only recommended for this poupulation. Which would be fine, if the majority of patients who suffer from HSDD weren’t post-menopausal…
And now for the side effects: this drug may cause severe drops in blood pressure causing people to “pass out,” a side effect unfortunately exacerbated by alcohol intake.
The drug will only be allowed to be prescribed by physicians who are certified to prescribe it and will only be sold at pharmacies certified to sell it. So pretty hard to get.
So basically the only person who would benefit from this drug is a premenopausal woman who abstains from drinking and doesn’t mind taking a pill every day of her life, and is OK with the possibility of passing out without warning. Oh, and who is able to find someone who is able to prescribe and sell the drug.
While it is wonderful news that HSDD in women is finally being addressed 17 years after Viagra was first introduced, it seems that this drug is not quite the answer we’ve all been waiting for.
Related posts
