Sexual dysfunctions in women like FSD are more common that it might seem. For a long time, women have been deprived of effective remedies designed to combat these problems. Opportunely, a few years ago, two specialty drugs hit the market. These were Addyi and Lovegra (the so-called female viagra). What are differences between them and which one is more effective? Let’s compare these medicines using several criteria.
1. Way of Administration
Lovegra should be taken 30-60 minutes before anticipated sexual intercourse. It functions symptomatically and temporarily, providing beneficial effect for up to 4-6 hours after administration. Dosage varies depending on the age and severity of the disorder, if needed, you can to split the pill in half to get 50 mg.
As for Addyi, according to the official leaflet, a woman should take 100mg once a day at bedtime. The medication is dosed in such a way, because intake during waking hours elevates risks of unpleasant side effects like low blood pressure and sedation.
2. Mechanism of Action
Lovegra is a PDE5 inhibitor and it actually works like male Viagra, namely by boosting blood flow to genitals, helping with sexual arousal. Inhibition of PDE5 allows to release more cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), a substance, which is necessary for adequate level of blood circulation. Lovegra increases the blood supply and lubrication of the vagina without affecting the levels of serotonin & dopamine. It also promotes clitoral engorgement.
Addyi has a different principle of action. Flibanserin preferentially triggers off 5-HT1A receptors in the prefrontal cortex, inhibits 5-HT2A receptors, boosts dopamine and norepinephrine rates and decreases serotonin levels. Dopamine and norepinephrine have importance in terms of regulating sexual excitement processes. Dopamine is important in enhancing sexual desire. Norepinephrine can promote sexual arousal. As for serotonin, this naturally occurring substance appears to be an important inhibitory modulator of sexual desire, because it hinders the ability of excitatory mechanisms to be activated by sexual cues.
3. Potential Side Effects, Precautions
Some of side effects patients can experience after taking Lovegra pill include facial flushing, dyspepsia, visual disturbances, and headache. These effects are usually mild and transient, but in rare cases severities are possible.
Addyi-related adverse events include lethargy, dizziness, tiredness, nausea, and sleeping problems. It can also cause severe adverse events like fainting.
Lovegra should not be taken by pregnant and lactating women to avoid risks for a fetus or baby. As for Addyi, there is no research in pregnant females to inform whether there is a medication-associated risk in humans. Animal studies have shown that flibanserin may be excreted with milk. So breastfeeding is not advised during the period of intake of this pharmaceutical product.
If you’re administering other drugs, you should know possible cross-reactions when using them at the same time. That is why it is paramount to visit your doctor and tell him or her about all medications (RX and OTC) which you take. In particular, Lovegra is incompatible with nitrates used for treatment of angina. Addyi is not advised to be consumed if you use CYP3A4 inducers. Taking oral contraceptives along with flibanserin increases indidence of adverse reactions.
There are no many prescriptions issued for Addyi (flibanserin) in the United States. This is due to inconvenient procedure of receiving the medication, high monthly price of the therapy (more than $400), and relatively high incidence of side effects.
As for Lovegra, this pill also does not work for all patients, but it has fewer side effects and is generally better tolerated by the female body. A multitude of studies have proven efficacy of sildenafil for ladies with sexual problems.
Lovegra and Addyi are not interchangeable medicines, as flibanserin has only one approved indication–hypoactive sexual desire disorder. It may also sold under name Fliban (this is an Indian generic).
