Your cost will vary based on your plan, but out-of-pocket cost for flibanserin is about $100 for 30 pills (1 month’s supply).
Coping and support
“I often say you can picture men's sexual desire as a light switch, and women's sexual desire as the cockpit of a 747,” she says. “There are more factors at play in female sexual desire.” As a result, the treatment for HSDD requires a more nuanced approach. The drugs the FDA has approved for HSDD are: Flibanserin (Addyi): It’s a pill you take every evening. Bremelanotide (Vyleesi): It’s a shot you give yourself in the belly or thigh 45 minutes before you have sex. You take one in a 24-hour period, and doctors recommend only eight shots per month.
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Both drugs boost the activity of chemical messengers in your brain, called neurotransmitters, that are key to helping you feel aroused. You take flibanserin every day, whether you plan to have sex or not. You inject bremelanotide only when you need it. It’s important to note that neither drug makes sex better. They just make you more likely to feel in the mood.
Symptoms of Low Libido
Your doctor may recommend that you try sex education and counseling along with the medication. You may also need hormone therapy, if you deal with any physical issues that affect sex, such as vaginal dryness. Your doctor needs to diagnose you with HSDD in order to prescribe either drug. They can do that by asking screening questions, such as: • Have you been satisfied with your level of sexual desire before?• Has your sex drive gotten lower?• Does your lack of libido bother you?• Would you like it to increase?• Are there other things (medication, pregnancy, surgery, stress) that could be affecting your sex drive? If you answer “yes” to the first four questions, and there’s no other cause for your low sex drive, you probably have HSDD. Both drugs have different concerns and risks.
| Product | Dosage | Quantity + Bonus | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viagra Generic | 150mg | 20 Pills | 55.02€ 52.40€ | |
| Levitra Generic | 20mg | 20 Pills | 52.63€ 50.12€ | |
| Kamagra 100 mg | 100 mg | 60 + 4 Pills | 201.34€ 191.75€ | |
| Kamagra Gold | 100 mg | 360 + 6 Pills | 839.95€ 799.95€ | |
| Priligy Generic Dapoxetine | 60mg | 20 + 4 Pills | 77.31€ 73.63€ | |
| Viagra Generic | 150mg | 120 + 8 Pills | 177.58€ 169.12€ | |
| Cialis Generic | 2.5mg | 270 + 10 Pills | 199.64€ 190.13€ | |
| Cialis Professional | 40mg | 270 + 6 Pills | 898.37€ 855.59€ | |
| Cialis Generic | 10mg | 180 + 8 Pills | 236.88€ 225.60€ | |
| Kamagra Oral Jelly | 100mg | 220 + 18 Sachets | 662.24€ 630.70€ | |
| Viagra Generic | 100mg | 60 + 4 Pills | 96.36€ 91.77€ | |
| Kamagra | 100mg | 20 Pills | 86.09€ 81.99€ | |
| Cialis Professional | 20mg | 60 + 2 Pills | 183.83€ 175.08€ | |
| Levitra Generic | 20mg | 180 + 10 Pills | 293.10€ 279.14€ | |
| Viagra Generic | 150mg | 10 Pills | 36.73€ 34.98€ | |
| Viagra Original | 100mg | 34 + 2 Pills | 163.67€ 155.88€ |
The one you should take mostly depends on what works best for your lifestyle.
What women are saying
Foreplay may take all day — it’s not a crazy thing to think about. And of course a good relationship with your partner — if you don’t have a good relationship with your partner, there’s not going to be a sex drive,” Ruiz explained. “I also will also encourage women to practice with self stimulation so that they understand how their body works and they communicate that to their partner,” he added. “And that actually works for menopausal women as well.” For many women, sexual desire goes up and down over the years, often tied to changes in relationships, stress, and physical changes like pregnancy and menopause. But roughly 10% of women deal with a low sex drive that causes them distress.
Vyleesi (bremelanotide)
It’s a condition known as hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). There are a few over-the-counter supplements that aim to treat the problem, which have limited, mostly unproven, effects. But in recent years, the FDA has approved two prescription drugs to treat HSDD. These treatments are often referred to as “female Viagra” -- a nod to one of the medicines that men can take for sexual problems. But they’re not much like Viagra at all.
Who should use Libida™?
In fact, they work very differently inside the body. “In men, Viagra fixes a ‘plumbing problem,’ if you will,” says Judith Volkar, MD, of the UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh. Viagra and other similar drugs treat erectile dysfunction, when a man can’t get or keep an erection that’s firm enough to have sex. These men often still have sexual desire, but they just fildena extra power 150 mg can’t get their bodies to respond physically when they want to have sex. The drugs help by relaxing the muscles in the penis and boosting blood flow so an erection can happen. “There are certainly women who have no interest in injections,” Volkar says.
High barrier
On December 15, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the medication Addyi was previously approved in 2015 for the treatment of HSDD in premenopausal women. Premenopause or “before” menopause refers to the reproductive time in a cisgender woman’s life when they have regular menstrual cycles. Postmenopause refers to the time period after the person finishes menopause and no longer has a menstrual cycle. The majority of people start menopause between the While people can experience HSDD at any age, it is not uncommon to experience a low libido during menopause and postmenopause.
What is female sexual interest/arousal disorder?
Past research shows that between 40-55% of women advancing through menopause experience low sexual desire, and about 9% of postmenopausal women have HSDD. With the expanded approval to postmenopausal women under 65, Medical News Today spoke with three women’s health experts to find out more about how Addyi works, its side effects, what does this approval mean for menopausal women, and any non-medication alternatives they suggest for low libido. Addyi is a prescription medication manufactured by Sprout Pharmaceuticals. “Addyi is a non hormonal medication that works on neurotransmitters in the brain to help regulate mood and increase sex drive,” Susan Marie Pacana, MD, minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon and OB/GYN at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center in New Jersey, told MNT. “Addyi is a medication for women that, according to the manufacturer, increases sexual desire,” Prudence Hall, MD, an OB/GYN in private practice in Santa Monica, CA, and author of Radiant Again & Forever: Overcome Menopause & Restore Your Radiance, added.
MACA EXTRACT
“After taking it for a month, dopamine and serotonin levels are apparently enhanced, which supposedly increases sexual desire.” With the expanded approval for postmenopausal women under the age of 65, G. Thomas Ruiz, MD, a board certified OB/GYN at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, told MNT that Addyi could now help a greater number of women. “The group of women where I get the biggest complaints of decreased libido is in the 50 to 60 year old age bracket, so potentially this could be a very important medication for them,” Ruiz added. Pacana, who is also a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, commented that the lack of medications for low libido has been a long-standing issue, but the new FDA approval for this treatment up to age 65 is a major step forward. “Women of all ages present to our office with complaints of low sex drive that affect their relationships, self-esteem, and body image,” she explained. “Others have no interest in taking a pill every day.” It’s best to talk to your doctor about which one would work for you.
| Side Effect | Common Symptoms | Frequency | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headaches | Mild congestion, headaches | Rarely reported | Mild |
| Digestive Issues | Nausea, stomach upset | Occasionally | Mild to Moderate |
| Allergic Reactions | Rash, swelling | Rare | Variable |
| Insomnia | Difficulty sleeping | Sometimes | Mild |
| Hormonal Imbalance | Irregular cycles | Rare | Moderate |
Researchers have mainly studied how the medicines work in women who haven’t gone through menopause yet.
Advancing Effective Research Policy
“It often is accompanied by feelings of shame, frustration and guilt when women are unable to meet their partner’s sexual expectations.” “Previously, I could prescribe it off-label for postmenopausal women, but they were unfairly denied insurance coverage. Now, with this official approval, we can finally expect insurers to cover this necessary treatment for a wider population of women.” Like all medications, Addyi has known potential side effects, including: However, Addyi also carries a “black box” warning from the FDA as when taken with alcohol or certain medications, Addyi can cause low blood pressure (severe hypotension) or a risk of fainting (syncope). Ruiz said it would be very helpful for the drug company to issue a simple handout of all the “do’s and don’ts” associated with Addyi. “They’ve got to make it as least confusing for patients to use as possible, so a simple do’s and don’ts information sheet would be useful,” he detailed. “And that would be useful for providers.” For women who may not want to take medication, what other things can they do to help with a low libido?
IN CLINICAL TRIALS1, WOMEN ON ADDYI EXPERIENCED:
For perimenopausal and menopausal women, Hall said optimizing their declining and absent hormones is extremely effective. “Over the 40 years of my work in this area, I commonly see women’s sexuality bloom into a renaissance of youthful passion,” she explained. “Estradiol is extremely effective for this, with the estradiol patch and compounded cream being my top two choices. When testosterone is low and replaced to youthful levels, orgasms become more easily accessed and are stronger. It is not uncommon for women to tell me that their desire is completely gone and that they can’t even have an orgasm.” “Also when thyroid and adrenal stress hormones are precisely optimized, energy is increased and depression recedes.
Sex education and counseling
Women report that their sexuality returns to youthful levels causing a resurgence of intimacy and contentment with themselves and their relationships,” Hall continued. Ruiz said that sometimes a low libido comes down to a lack of a female patient’s understanding of how their body functions sexually, and how to communicate it to her partner. “In terms of the first stage of sexual activity, for men arousal is instantaneous. For women, [i]t’s a little bit more diffused and not as direct, so that arousal time may take 20 to 30 minutes.” “Scheduling time for intimacy where that is the primary goal, things like that are helpful. Common activities where they’re together with their partner. So the FDA approved both drugs for premenopausal women only.
| Factor | Description | Recommendations |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredient Safety | Ensure ingredients are tested and approved | Look for reputable brands |
| Personal Health Conditions | Check for allergies or contraindications | Consult healthcare provider |
| Effect Duration | How long the effects last | Match with desired timing |
| Onset of Action | How quickly it works | Some work within an hour, others take weeks |
| Price and Accessibility | Affordability and availability | Choose budget-friendly options |
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use either drug.
Emotional experience
Volkar says the distress that a woman feels about her sex drive is often the driving factor in whether or not she needs to take medicine for it. “Because if you aren’t bothered by it, it’s not a problem,” she says. Also, your doctor will want “to make sure it's not related to your present situation or relationship. Because you can't fix HSDD if the problem is you really don't like your partner,” she says. Some insurance companies will cover HSDD medications. There are others who shouldn’t take the medications, including those who: Take medication for HIV, hepatitis C, or high blood pressure that’s not under control “They can also interact with several drugs women commonly take, like fluconazole
- Some libido pills claim to improve blood flow to enhance arousal in women.
- Hormonal therapy might be prescribed for women with menopause-related low libido.
- Avoid unregulated supplements due to potential contaminants or false claims.
- Regular exercise and adequate sleep can naturally improve women's sexual desire.
(Diflucan), which is a yeast infection medication, and also some antibiotics,” Volkar says.
- Always check for FDA approval when choosing women’s libido pills.
- Psychological factors like stress and relationship issues can impact libido more than pills.
- Combining herbal remedies with counseling may yield better results than medication alone.
- Consistent use and healthy lifestyle improvements can enhance the effectiveness of libido pills.
“So it's good to be aware of what medications you're on and discuss those with your doctor.” Women who use HSDD medications shouldn’t
- Herbal supplements like ginseng and maca may boost women’s libido naturally.
- Prescription pills like flibanserin (Addyi) are FDA-approved for hypoactive sexual desire disorder.
- Lifestyle changes such as exercise and stress reduction can improve sexual desire.
- Consultation with a healthcare provider is essential before starting any libido-enhancing pills.
drink alcohol from 2 hours before they take the drug until the following morning, because it can lower blood pressure to dangerous levels.
- Male and female libido pills differ; women’s products typically focus on hormonal and nerve health.
- Overuse of libido pills can lead to psychological dependence or expectations.
- Women experiencing persistent low libido should seek medical evaluation.
- Lifestyle factors, partner intimacy, and mental health are key components of desire.