Natural Libido Boosters
Hi Amalah!
I’ve been reading for years now and I have a little “problem.” Actually, I have to admit to not having read too much recently because… actually, it’s a pretty huge problem with an unfortunate tangential crisis. I’ve been struggling with unexplained infertility for over two years now (that’s the huge problem) and just in the last month or two, the whole process has started to put a damper on my romantic tendencies (unfortunate tangential crisis). I’m pretty proud that it took this long frankly. An online friend who is also struggling with infertility recently commented, “I wish I still had private parts” and that about covers it. I’ve lost count of the number of medical professionals who have been “up in my business” in the last two years and it kinda dulls the excitement of undressing from the waist down.
Still reading? Good, because here’s where I’m hoping you can help. A LONG time ago, you mentioned a supplement (or possibly a tea?) that you had used to stir the embers a bit when you were feeling a little less than sexy. I don’t remember if you mentioned it in your blog or in the Advice Smackdown and I can’t figure out how to search the archives of the Smackdown anymore (I’m getting old and change is haaaard).
Do you remember what this stuff was? Do you have any other suggestions, because I adore my wonderful husband and he deserves so much more action than I can provide these days!
Please, please, please tell me I didn’t imagine this and you know what I’m talking about!
S
Bringing Sexy Back, Naturally
I do! I do know what you’re talking about. And no, you didn’t imagine anything. The topic simply got lost in the sea of Amalah Probably Writes Far Too Many Things On The Internet, and you’re not the first person to email me asking just what the heck happened to that column that mentioned the lady-libido thing. Or the second, or third! In fact, I have gotten SO MANY emails (usually via my personal email account) asking where that recommendation can be found that I realized it’s high time I revisit the topic anew, here at the Advice Smackdown where people seem to be looking for it.
Because the original column was NOT actually part of the Advice Smackdown, but a Bounce Back column on low libido and getting your sexy back after baby. [Editor’s note: for future reference, if you’re looking for quick access, type “libido” into the search box and the sought-after post is the first one to pop up.]
The supplement in question is an herbal blend I bought at Whole Foods. Not really any sort of big hard-to-obtain secret formula handed down by a shaman you must visit on a mountaintop after sacrificing a chicken or anything. Head to the general lady-supplement area (where they keep the women’s multivitamins, prenatal vitamins, general stuff for the female business), and you’ll see a couple different options for women’s libido. If you don’t have Whole Foods in your area, a quick search of both GNC and the Vitamin Shoppe’s websites reveal that they also carry similar supplements. Personally, the Gaia Herbs Women’s Libido variety is my favorite, but your mileage may definitely vary. There’s also Hot Plants For Her and Irwin Naturals Steel Libido for Women, both of which contain a few of the same herbs plus a few different ones.
And what herbs are we talking about here, exactly? Let’s go to the labels: Horny goat weed, Damiana leaf, Maca root, Ashwagandha root, Wild Oats milky seed, Blue Vervain and other assorted root, bark and flower extracts, depending on which formula you go with. Exactly the sort of thing I usually shrug off as bullhockey, personally, but what can I say? I was desperate and so was my husband, more than a little bit, and willing to give anything a try. Luckily, I was more than pleasantly surprised. (OHHHHH yeeeeeeeeeaaah.) Your body might respond to some of these ingredients more/better than others, or not at all. For me, the Gaia variety is the one that produced the most significant, that’s-totally-not-in-my-head-unless-you-count-the-crazy-sexy-dreams-omg results.
You cannot take these formulas if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and should always talk to you doctor before adding a supplement to your diet, particularly if you regularly take other medications. (Herbal supplements are NOTORIOUS for interfering with prescription medications, since they are not regulated by the FDA or dispensed through your pharmacist who can check for interactions.) (And NO, I DO NOT COUNT AS YOUR DOCTOR.)
