How Does Female Viagra Work?

Flibanserin drug recently officially approved as female Viagra has a long history. It was originally studied in 1995 as an antidepressant because of its ability to regulate neurotransmitters – chemical signaling molecules in brain. Researchers found that the drug controls three key thought neurotransmitters which affect mood: serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline.

Clinical trials have shown that to treat depression it is necessary to affect mood. Researchers expected only impact on mood, but early Flibanserin studies moved to a more prominent role in the field of sexual health. Scientists have studied sexual experience by assessing members’ satisfaction in various aspects of sexual health and how often participants felt sexual desire and how intensive this desire was.

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In 2008, they finished estimating desire level based on an assessment of sexual desire level on a daily basis. Researches came to the conclusion that resulting increase in libido was not statistically significant, and regulators are wary of potentially dangerous side effects such as:

  • dizziness;
  • drowsiness;
  • sickness;
  • fainting.

Clinical researchers in latest studies explained that sexual desire in brain is measured not particularly clear. Therefore, clinical trials lasted for about 8 years, determining methods for desires estimation, reproductive biology and psychology. Last tests results conducted in 2014 focused on three endpoints: sexual function index (where women answered questions about sexual experiences and assessed sexual desire level on scale from 1 to 5 during last 28 days), satisfaction with sexual experience and dissatisfaction from low libido. In general, women reported more positive sexual experience episodes per month and about 10% of patients reported constructive improvements, according to these categories survey, compared with placebo group.

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How Does Viagra Affect Women?

The drug was named Female Viagra, which acts in different ways – Viagra is aimed at increasing productivity through brain chemical substances balance that correlate with desire. However, researchers wanted to specify how it works at chemical level and explained it as follows: serotonin, which is believed to affect sexual interest has two types of receptors in brain. 5-HT1A acts as serotonin production block, 5-HT2A – accelerates production. Flibanserin drug works by increasing 5-HT1A (block) and inhibiting 5-HT2A (acceleration). Between these two functions it is possible to manage serotonin production significant regulation. Furthermore Flibanserin reduces some neurons release and regulates other neurotransmitters release, particularly, dopamine and noradrenaline (both increase sexual interest). Exact mechanism of these transient changes in neurotransmitter levels is still in many aspects unknown.

These mechanisms probably can cause side effects that affect potential female Viagra users – effect on serotonin receptors, called 5-HT1A cause dizziness and sickness and another – 5-HT2A – most likely connected to drowsiness.

Clinical tests also showed that combination of alcohol and Flibanserin exacerbates these effects. Drug tests on the market will take special control of alcohol dependence and drug interactions. Currently manufacturers warn users that these effects have not yet been clinically studied.