What It's Like Taking the 'Little Pink Pill' for Women with Low Sex Drive: 'My Body Cooperates So Much Better' (Exclusive)

There’s a pill on the market that few people know about: Addyi, an FDA-approved prescription drug used to treat low sex drive in women. Often mistakenly called “female Viagra,” it starts working in women’s brains, not their bodies. Women take non-hormonal pills every day, not before sexual activity. And while it doesn’t necessarily relieve the physical symptoms associated with menopause and perimenopause — like vaginal dryness and pain during sex — women say it helps increase their sex drive.

“Back in the Bible we valued sexual pleasure for men, but the narrative for women still questions how much sex is enough to deserve tools to improve their sex lives,” says Cindy Eckert, owner and CEO of Sprout Pharmaceuticals, the company that developed Addyi “When Viagra was approved for the most common male sexual dysfunction, it got rare status and was approved by the FDA within six months. Addya took six years. It tells you how little we value pleasure in women.” The drug, which has been shown to be effective for hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD or low libido), is currently used by women of all ages and circumstances. Although it’s not specifically intended for menopausal women, doctors can prescribe Addyi to any patient they feel is appropriate, Eckert says.

Debra Dillo, 58, first learned about Addyi from Eckert, whom she knew through social media. Through a telehealth screening, the prescribing physician determined that the Garner, North Carolina, business owner was a good candidate for the drug. Addyi started about 4 months ago and within two weeks, she says, she experienced a positive change in her sexual relationship with her husband of 27 years. This is her story.

Debra Dillo.

Courtesy of Todd Dillo

We had a wonderful family life growing up. I had my own business and my husband Todd, now 53, was a stay at home dad to our 4 sons. He coached their travel sports and volunteered at their schools. We were both very busy. It was crazy, but fun. We had a great marriage. We had a tough time there because marriage is hard and takes a lot of work, but we were both committed to having this beautiful family and this beautiful life, and we both worked hard at it.

When I was about 48, I started to lose some of my hormones. Estrogen started to decrease and I was getting severe headaches, I couldn’t sleep. So I went to an antiaging doctor and started hormone replacement therapy, which has helped some. But it didn’t fix everything.

I’m not one to accept aging gracefully. I fight it with every bit of me. I have always strived to be the healthiest human being I can be mentally and physically.

When I found out about this Addyi pill and started taking it, I thought, oh my god! I call it my happy pill. Within two weeks I started waking up after sleeping through the night feeling really happy. I used to be so tired because I worked so much — I didn’t want to do anything on the weekend. Since I started taking this, I’m ready to go: What are we doing? Where are we going? And I’m in a really great mood.

As the body ages, it becomes less cooperative when it comes to sex. Things don’t work as magnificently as before. It is more difficult to reach the climax. There’s just a little more work to do. You are not always in the mood. And I loved my husband, I loved my life and I loved my sex life. But aging has taken its toll on me mentally.

Todd and Debra Dillo.

Courtesy of Debra Dillo

Plus, after years of super busy family life, our boys were growing up. And when your kids are gone, you suddenly look at each other like, wow, now we have time. And so Todd and I enter that phase. And this Addyi tablet came at the right time.

I’m in such a good mood these days that I look at my husband — I mean, he’s very attracted to me — so of course the wheels start turning again, and then my body cooperates much better.

I feel more like a 30-year-old than a 58-year-old! My brain tells me I’m 30 years old, and my body feels that way too. He cooperates. He does everything he did when I was 30.

I wake up in a good mood. I walk during the day and I’m in a good mood. And, I generally don’t say no when he starts.

Intimacy is much more frequent today – a few years ago maybe once every two weeks, and now it can be up to three times a week.

And I go for it with much more gusto.

Debra Dillo.

Courtesy of Debra Dillo

Here’s Todd’s perspective:

When Deb first said she was going to try this, honestly the first thing I said was, why? I don’t think you need it. And then I say, of course, go ahead if you want to try.

Based on the initial description of it, you think it’s going to be like real Viagra and she’ll be running around all fired up the whole time. That didn’t happen. But I definitely noticed a better mood, which is probably from better sleep. A better mood created more opportunities for “a couple of things”.

It’s a great addition to our relationship. Sex is being discussed more and more these days. And when it does, I can tell the difference – there’s more passion, she’s more into it and less distracted.

And there is foreplay throughout the day. There is constant talk about intimacy, and every now and then an eye is raised. And that encourages what happens later. For example, we come home from work and I’m taking a shower, and she comes in and makes a few comments, which hasn’t happened before. She also initiates more.

The difference I noticed is not only physical, but also mental. The positive change in Deb’s mental health had a big impact. That is very welcome to me.

Todd and Debra Dillo.

Courtesy of Debra Dillo

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education