More people looking to natural remedies for lagging libido but doctor warns there's no 'magic bullet'

Pssst! Hey, buddy! How would you like to pump up the passion tonight? You know, kick-start the engine of love?

What if you could pop a pill -- one for which you don't even need a prescription -- that would help transform you into the hunk of burning love your wife married?

If your sex drive could use a little get up and go, you might consider herbal versions of Viagra, as many men -- and women -- have begun to do.

Certain supplements and herbs -- some of them used for centuries - - may help supercharge your sexual vitality, experts say.

For men, dozens of products claim to help maintain erections, prolong sexual activity and even magnify sensations and responses. For women, various herbs are being touted to reduce stress and tension, balance hormones and boost sexual energy.

In recent years, Viagra, a fast-acting prescription pill for impotence or erectile dysfunction, has been hugely popular, apparently because it is effective for many people. But many men are reluctant to visit their doctor to ask for it, and others complain it causes headaches. There also have been some reports of links to heart attacks, sudden death, irregular heart rhythm, stroke, chest pain and increased blood pressure, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Longer-lasting "weekender" prescription medications also are popular but can be considered risky because they stay in the system for so long, doctors say.

That's why many people are looking for "natural" or herbal alternatives.

"Men will come in and say, 'I need, uh, something for, uh, energy,' '' says Diana Roach, owner of Evergreen Herbal Market in Rio Rancho. "I take them over to the men's section." Her store's "libido" section has two 4-foot shelves devoted to various herbal products.

"Some of this stuff is just a little hokey," says Jeffrey Sollins, a physician who founded Bridges in Medicine, an integrative medicine clinic that is part of Lovelace Sandia Health System. "I can't think of anything that's a magic bullet. I think if some of these things worked, probably every guy over 45 would be lining up, and I just don't see that happening."

On the other hand, he concedes, some herbs and combination products do appear to work for some people.

For instance, the herb ginko biloba reportedly may help sexual function by enhancing blood flow to the penis. In a pilot study at the University of California at San Francisco, ginkgo reversed sexual problems in 84 percent of men and women who were taking antidepressant drugs such as Prozac. A larger study is under way, according to wholehealthmd.com, a complementary and alternative medicine education Web site.

But Sollins says, "Ginko is supposed to be somewhat helpful, but my own personal experience is that maybe less than 50 percent of the time do I see it make a significant difference."

Many possibilities

Earlier this year, a Canadian physician and his colleagues tested seven herbal erectile dysfunction products to find out what was in them. Two contained significant levels of the prescription medications found in Viagra and Cialis. The drugs affect blood flow and can be deadly when taken with certain heart drugs containing nitrates, they reported.

The list of herbs purported to influence sexual function is long: arginine, which boosts blood flow; DHEA, which helps the body make estrogen and testosterone; ginseng (Panax), which might help men with impotence and also may help reduce stress; muira puama, called potency wood in Brazil; and yohimbe, an African tree bark that some studies show may correct impotence and possibly heighten libido.

But doctors warn that yohimbe can cause a dangerous rise in blood pressure, as well as anxiety, and can have other side effects. Many doctors prefer the purified form of the herb, the FDA-approved drug yohimbine, because it has a guaranteed purity and potency.

Other herbs that may enhance sex are: avena sativa, an oat extract said to free up testosterone; damiana, a Mayan herb that may boost blood flow; guarana, a caffeine-rich soda from Brazil; maca, a Peruvian herb used for menopause and impotence; and tribulus, a possible testosterone and libido booster.

Combination formulas -- with such names as Passion Power, Wicked Willy and Super Sex -- often have a long list of ingredients. But if the product doesn't have an adequate dose of natural compounds that have been shown to help boost sexual vitality, it isn't likely to be effective, experts say.

Herbs can help initiate a change in your body's chemical balance, such as increasing the production of testosterone, the "male" hormone that functions in both men and women to create your body's sexual response, according to the book "Sex Herbs," by Beth Ann Petro Roybal and Gayle Skowronski.

Most of these herbs are more effective when taken consistently over a period of time, the authors say.

If you are tired all the time, it's no surprise that you can't get too excited about sex, the authors add. They suggest people try to figure out and fix the underlying problem first -- a health problem, too much stress, side effects from medication or lack of sleep, for instance.

Then consider herbs that may restore your energy and perhaps your sex life as well. They suggest astragalus, fo-ti, ginkgo, ginseng and spirulina.

Underlying causes

So, why does it seem like everyone's sex drive is in low gear?

"About 80 percent of the people I see are stressed out to the max," Sollins says. "I think there are issues with diet; people are eating lots of sugar and processed foods."

In response, people are looking for a quick fix, he adds. "In our society, it's, 'Give me, do me, make it better fast.' Our approach is, slow down, let's find out if there's a medical reason, social, spiritual, emotional issue here.

"Any of those issues need to be addressed before we drive off to the drug closet or the herbal closet," he explains.

Another problem is "pharmaceutical impotence" -- side effects of medications people are taking, particularly antidepressants, Sollins says.

Sollins says if you are going to try herbs, do it with the help of an expert -- a licensed or certified herbalist, or a physician trained in integrative or alternative medicine, for instance.

Scientific evidence on the effects of these products is sketchy, but Roach says sometimes the power of positive thinking is the best medicine.

"The largest sex organ in the body is the brain," she says.

From Healthy.net