The Pink Pill – Is the “little pink pill” actually safe?

Is the “Pink Pill” Viagra for women?

 

Safety concerns emerging for Addyi – the little pink pill for women.

Chances are you’ve almost certainly heard about Addyi – the controversial “little pink pill” for women that some have heralded as the “female viagra” for the estimated 40% of women who suffer from low female sex drive.  This ‘pink pill for women (yes, it really is pink!) was released in October 2015 to little fanfare, and it has since been well documented that initial reaction to the drug was tepid at best.

 

Addyi is the marketing and brand name for this female libido treatment, and after 6 months on the market, there are some safety concerns emerging for this drug – formerly known as Flibanserin.

 

Addyi, developed by Sprout Pharmaceuticals, was approved by the FDA on August 18, 2015 for the treatment of acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in premenopausal women. The drug became available to women in October of that year, now after a few months of very underwhelming sales, many are questioning the safety of this female libido drug – and wondering if the marginal results of the little pink pill are worth the safety risks.

 

They call it the little pink pill – but is Addyi really a ‘Female Viagra’?

Although the media has jumped in and made this reference quite frequently – the fact is that Addyi is definitely not ‘Viagra for women’. There are very important and fundamental differences in how Addyi works compared to male drugs for erectile dysfunction.

The first thing that should be noted is that Addyi is the first sexual enhancement drug (for men OR women) that is sold as a treatment to increase sexual DESIRE. While men have several drugs available to improve erectile function and help them perform better sexually – there is no drug currently available to increase a man’s sexual desire.

Erectile dysfunction drugs are generally designed to increase blood flow in men, and facilitate better erections. The common ED medications available on the market are sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra) and tadalafil (Cialis). These pills are taken by mouth and work on the nitrous oxide pathway and enhance the body’s ability to maintain erection.

Viagra doesn’t improve erections in normal men, only in those with difficulty in achieving or maintaining erections sufficient for sexual intercourse due to a true medical problem. It is not an aphrodisiac (sexual stimulant) and – unlike Addyi – Viagra is not intended to increase sexual desire.

Addyi, on the other hand – does not physically effect the body after it is taken – but rather Addyi works on receptors in the brain to produce an increase in sexual desire – for some women. Addyi was formerly intended as an anti-depressant, but was then “re-purposed” and tested as a female sexual enhancement drug. After 2 rejections by the FDA, Addyi was approved on the third try, and became the first FDA approved treatment for low sexual desire in women.

Addyi was approved with a Boxed Warning to highlight the risks of serious side effects in women who drink alcohol during treatment with Addyi, in those who also use moderate or strong CYP3A4 inhibitors, and in those who have liver impairment. Addyi is contraindicated in these patients. In addition, the FDA is requiring the company that owns Addyi to conduct three well-designed studies in women to better understand the known serious risks of the interaction between Addyi and alcohol.

 


 

“Is Addyi actually a Pink Pill?”

Well, unlike many of the myths surrounding this female sex pill – Addyi does in fact come in the form of a pink pill. It is not the female equivalent of Viagra, nor is it intended to be used on an “as needed” basis like Viagra – but it is indeed a ‘pink’ pill. So that is at least one part that the mainstream media got right. The standard Addyi little pink pill comes in a 100 mg. capsule, and is taken orally each day.

Addyi is a non-hormonal, multifunctional medication that helps increase the brain’s serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine levels. It is critical that women avoid drinking alcohol while taking Addyi. Consuming alcohol while taking Addyi (which is taken daily) can cause poor liver function, low blood pressure and fainting episodes.

addy the little pink pillThe recommended dosage of Addyi is 100 mg administered orally once per day at bedtime. Addyi is dosed at bedtime because administration during waking hours increases the risks of hypotension, syncope, accidental injury, and central nervous system depression (such as somnolence and sedation). It is recommended to discontinue using Addyi if improvement is not seen within 8 weeks of first starting it.

Obtaining Addyi, the little pink pill – is not always simple, as many women have already found out. Only certified pharmacies can dispense Addyi to patients, who must also have received a prescription from a certified prescriber. Additionally, pharmacists must counsel patients prior to dispensing not to drink alcohol during treatment with Addyi.

There can be serious and potentially life threatening side effects from drinking alcohol while taking Addyi – and this is the main reason that the FDA attached so many conditions to the approval of Addyi for treatment of low female sex drive.

 


Is the Little Pink Pill safe for women?

Unfortunately the jury is still out on that question. So far, demand for this female sexual enhancement drug has been extremely underwhelming. While Viagra prescriptions totaled 40,000 per week when first released, Addyi has not even been close to that – with only 200-250 prescriptions being prescribed weekly since its release. The safety of this little pink pill has always been the sticking point with the drug’s critics – and the reason the FDA rejected the drug twice previously on the basis that it had questionable effectiveness compared to the long list of potential side effects.

A recent editorial, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, questioned the FDA’s approval of the drug. “The FDA approved a marginally effective drug for a non-life-threatening condition in the face of substantial — and unnecessary — uncertainty about its dangers,” wrote Dr. Steven Woloshin and Dr. Lisa Schwartz at the Center for Medicine and the Media at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. The researchers said the drug had significant known side effects, such as dizziness, sleepiness, and nausea.

VIDEO: The Little Pink Pill

 

Does the little pink pill really work?

Unfortunately the jury is still out on this question too.  A new review of the “little pink pill” for women with low sexual desire says the drug doesn’t work very well — but some doctors and patients who’ve been using the treatment disagree. The drug, Addyi, or flibanserin, has been on the market since October.

“The data presented in this review suggests that the meaningful change caused by flibanserin is minimal,” according to the team of Dutch researchers. The researchers looked at eight studies on Addyi that together included nearly 6,000 women. They said for women using the drug, the number of additional “satisfying sexual events” averaged out to about 0.5 per month. The agency asked Sprout Pharmaceuticals, which makes Addyi, to do more studies on the interaction between Addyi and alcohol.

Addyi may provide some improvement for a small circle of women, however many natural female enhancement pills like Femestril already exist in the marketplace, and provide far more effective results without the negative side effects – and are helpful for a much broader audience of women.

Herbal enhancers like Femestril use only pure, natural, and safe ingredients which boost female sex drive without harming your health – and as a bonus, you can still enjoy a glass of wine while taking them! Find out how Femestril works – and you will find out why so many women choose Femestril to increase female libido.

 

While the little pink pill generated a lot of buzz and controversy, it seems to have failed in the fulfillment of its main goal – to significantly increase female sex drive and improve the sexual pleasure and satisfaction of women who need a boost in their libido.

Meanwhile, Femestil – the “other” pink pill – is safe, natural and effective in boosting both sexual desire and arousal, and giving women the sexual pleasure and satisfaction they desire. We encourage you to order Femestril risk-free, and try the pink pill that WILL re-ignite your passion and put the SEX back in your sex life!   ORDER NOW


 

Let Passion and Pleasure Back into Your Life.

Order Femestril Risk-Free TODAY!

 

order femestril now