Viagra Question
I’m in my early 50s and have never had a problem getting an erection until recently. Lately it seems that I’m losing my interest in sex. Can Viagra help in a situation like mine?
Answer
Neither Viagra nor any of the other oral ED medications are likely to increase your level of sexual desire. Testosterone, the primary male sex hormone, plays a key role in sexual desire, and low levels of the hormone can sometimes lead to a loss of desire for sex.
However, it should be noted that some men have very low blood levels of testosterone and still boast relatively robust libidos. Apart from a possible placebo effect, which in time would likely wear off, Viagra alone is not going to increase sexual desire. Ask your doctor to order a blood test to determine if your testosterone levels are abnormally low.
If they are, he might be persuaded to prescribe testosterone replacement therapy, which might help to fire up your libido.
In an article posted at WebMD.com, writer Emma Alvarez Gibson says most men buy into the myth that “real men are always in the mood,” which simply isn’t true.
Other physical causes of a loss of sexual desire include substance abuse, too little or too much exercise, or certain medications that tend to dampen sexual desire.
Psychological causes of declining sexual desire include depression, relationship problems, and stress. In some cases, a man may be suffering from a loss of sexual desire that is caused by both physical and psychological factors.