As “the pink pill” (brand name Addyi, generic name flibanserin) was approved in August (http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm458734.htm ) I thought it would timely to post a few initial observations.
- It will become available to pharmacies on October 17, 2015.
- It is not approved for postmenopausal women.
- It must be taken every day to work
- According to studies, women who took it said they had between 0.5 and 1 additional “sexually satisfying event per month” versus those who took a placebo.
- Results might not be seen until 4 weeks of use. If no improvement after 8 weeks it should be stopped.
- Patients must sign a form stating that they understand that they should not drink any alcohol while taking Addyi.
- Only approved pharmacies will carry it.
- Only certified practitioners can prescribe it (yes, we are looking into that)
- Blood pressure can drop significantly causing dizziness or fainting if someone on Addyi drinks alcohol. If two drinks, 17% of people experienced this, if four drinks 25% had symtoms.
- It unfortunately doesn’t make your husband better looking or less annoying
- It unfortunately doesn’t make your children more likely to do their chores without being asked
It is the only medication that has been approved to treat acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in premenopausal women. To that end, it is helpful to have something to try. That being said, it is not a panacea.
