Ehh-low Libido

[Magdeliscious]

Embarrassing but true.

I am 22 years old, and I have zero sex drive....its really hard to pinpoint what it is...any advice?

[tarnalberry]

It could be a number of things:

depression, naturally low, biologic, mental block

If it used to be higher, and it's not related to depression, or another psychological block, please do ask your doctor about hormone testing. The don't like to believe younger people can have problems like that with their hormones, but it happens (like me - 26 year old female with low testosterone).

[julie5914]

Are you male or female? Either way, as the above poster said, could be low testosterone. Could be that you're over stressed and need a vaca though! I mentioned this problem to my gyno, and she was very responsive. Anyway, if you are female and on the pill, it is almost always the pill's fault. My gyno prescribed a pill with lower estrogen, said give it 3 months, and if it was still too low, she would consider putting me on testosterone. I am hoping going gluten-free next month will help with this also though - hard to get in the mood when you feel sick, ya know!

[skbird]

This is something I wonder about, too. I don't have the most raging sex drive in the world - makes me sad because I remember when I did... I'm going to be 34 this weekend and it seems sort of wrong to be approaching my "peak" and not care that much about it. I was on the pill for 13 years so I found this article of interest:

Open Original Shared Link

I don't know if that's the case but I do remember *before* the pill I was a lot more interested in sex. The past couple of years I have been supplementing with progesterone as I am estrogen dominant and have lots of PMS issues. Supposedly progesterone is supposed to help sex drive some but I suspect I am low in testosterone, which is the theory brought up in the article I posted.

Stephanie

[shimma]

My sex drive is a lot lower than it used to be, and I'm pretty sure it's the Pill. My husband mentioned reading an article about it too, a study where they showed that women on the Pill have much lower testosterone levels. For me, it's such a vicious trade-off -- I either have miserable cramps and lose tons of blood every month and my sex drive is ok, or I have more tolerable cramps and lighter flow every three months (I'm on Seasonale so I only have four periods a year). It's so ironic - here's medication to prevent pregnancy, but it makes us not in the mood! Hardly fair.

[skbird]

It's so ironic - here's medication to prevent pregnancy, but it makes us not in the mood!

Well, maybe that's how it works!!!

My husband had a vasectomy so there's no need for birth control pills for me but going off of them was hard because life was much worse after, for me. So now I have horrible periods AND low libido. Oh well...

I did at one point try taking saw palmetto, an herb that is supposed to supplement testosterone, but it made me nuts, like it totally increased my estrogen or something. I was having horrible blood sugar crashes like I have when I have too much estrogen going on and was just miserable.

I'm going to my doctor next week and will be hitting him up for all kinds of info. He won't get a word in edgewise at this point, I have too many questions!!!

Stephanie

[Guest Eloisa]

I've had horrible cramps and PMS all my life and found out I had Endometriosis along time ago. I always thought that this was normal but later found out that it wasn't. I had a procedure done that was suppose to help, but it didn't. I then went on Lupron shots which mades matters worse. I finally got on a pill that has helped considerably called Yasmin. I still had the bad cramps but not as bad as they used to be and still had PMS. When I got on the Reliv shakes it took my PMS away which husband is grateful for that and has reduced my cycle from 8 days to 3 1/2 days and not as heavy as it used to be. I had been this way since I was 12 years old and nothing ever helped. As far as libido goes it was really bad when I started getting symptoms of Celiac and didn't know what was going on. When I went on gluten-free diet it still didn't change because my tummy felt better but I was exhausted with no energy and has brain fog. It changed when I got on Reliv and everything started falling back into place. My depression was gone, PMS gone, aches and pains gone from arthr, no more sinus problems, better skin and shorter monthly cycles and could think more clearly and not feeling like I was in a dream. Reliv changed my life and I'll never stop taking it.

[jaimek]

Where exactly do you get this Reliv? Is it a prescription drug? Can you buy it at a pharmacy or health food store? Sounds like I need some Reliv!!!!

[VydorScope]

Where exactly do you get this Reliv? Is it a prescription drug? Can you buy it at a pharmacy or health food store? Sounds like I need some Reliv!!!!

From what I can tell, Reliv is sold the same way pampered chef, or avon is.

Open Original Shared Link

Seems so have more info... beyond that I dunno nutin

[Emme999]

I don't think too highly of Reliv. My parents tried it for a while and it didn't do anything for them. Also - if you look at the nutritional content on the products, it's not too impressive. You could get most of the ingredients from a weak multivitamin.

Here is a link to the Reliv homepage where you can access the list of ingredients:

Open Original Shared Link

I wasn't impressed. If it works for you, great - but I know a few people who have used it who don't think it's a panacea in any way, shape or form. Even my aunt - who was a distributor told me the other day that it didn't do much for her except for in the beginning. She said, "I don't know - maybe it was the placebo effect."

But - like I said, maybe it works for you! If so, definitely keep taking it! But I also noticed that it says "natural ingredients" on the label - so I would contact them to make sure it's gluten-free.

- Michelle

[mytummyhurts]

I have this same problem. Never, ever want to have sex.

The way I feel right now, I could go the rest of my life without it and be just fine. Unfortunately, my husband doesn't feel the same way!

[tarnalberry]

I thought I'd pop back in and add that many folks struggling with a low-sex drive may find seeing a sex therapist helpful. I have a low sex drive not only from the low testosterone levels, but from a condition that causes sex to be very painful. While the condition is mostly controlled at this point (like celiac, nothing is "cured" but can be managed), the psychological ramifications are immense, and three years later, my husband and I are still working on them. Having someone whose studied human sexuality so closely work with you through some of the problems can be very helpful. Of course, it's not for everyone, but I've found it to be for me.

[mytummyhurts]

I thought I'd pop back in and add that many folks struggling with a low-sex drive may find seeing a sex therapist helpful.  I have a low sex drive not only from the low testosterone levels, but from a condition that causes sex to be very painful.  While the condition is mostly controlled at this point (like celiac, nothing is "cured" but can be managed), the psychological ramifications are immense, and three years later, my husband and I are still working on them.  Having someone whose studied human sexuality so closely work with you through some of the problems can be very helpful.  Of course, it's not for everyone, but I've found it to be for me.

Yes, I've thought about doing that. I was raised in a very strict religious home and taught to think sex was bad, so I think I have issues there. My sister also has these problems, I think she may have something similar to you because it's the same thing where it's very painful.

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Hi Tiffany,

I have the same problem. I have a very low sex drive. I don't know, how my testosterone levels are, but very often I have pain. I would like to know what this condition is, cause it sounds like me. Before I read your post I used to think, this is, because I'm very busy with doing sports. And I heard women who make a lot of sports can have low sex drive, cause they're "satisfied" with their sports. I would be glad, if you could PM me.

[tarnalberry]

I thought I'd respond here, in case any one else finds the information useful, but feel free to PM me back with specific questions.

What I have is vulvar vestibulitis. Basically - and here's your TMI warning ;-) - it causes burning pain in the vulvar vestibule (the area immediately outside the vagina itself, but at the entrance) either upon pressure, or just all the time. It's a subset of vulvodynia, which has many different manifestations. The actual cause is unknown, though it seems to have a genetic component, may be related to some food issues (not necessarily celiac, as the diet that some people find useful is a low-oxalate diet, which isn't necessarily gluten-free, but there could be a correlation), may be related to overactive nerve cells, and could be related to histamine formation in the body.

There are a lot of other problems that cause vaginal/vulvar pain, however, including vaginismus (which can be a problem on it's own or in combination with any other thing that causes pain), bartholin's gland inflammation, micro-tears on the vulvar skin, recurrent low-grade yeast infections - particularly with non-candida strains, and a bunch of other causes I don't remember.

I would encourage you to find a vulvar pain specialist, and consider a sex therapist if it's affected your sex drive (this is the reason I first started seeing a shrink). Vulvar pain specialists can be hard to find, and may require travel (I'm lucky, mine's *only* a 90 mile drive (one way) away), but makes a WORLD of difference. (I would probably say that a decent vulvar pain specialist is probably an order of magnitude more rare than a decent celiac specialist. Which is kinda sad no matter how you look at it.)

I would also recommend checking out "The V Book" for more information - it's a wealth of easy to understand stuff that can help you navigate this touchy subject.

[Guest Eloisa]

I don't think too highly of Reliv. My parents tried it for a while and it didn't do anything for them. Also - if you look at the nutritional content on the products, it's not too impressive. You could get most of the ingredients from a weak multivitamin.

I wasn't impressed. If it works for you, great - but I know a few people who have used it who don't think it's a panacea in any way, shape or form. Even my aunt - who was a distributor told me the other day that it didn't do much for her except for in the beginning. She said, "I don't know - maybe it was the placebo effect."

But - like I said, maybe it works for you! If so, definitely keep taking it! But I also noticed that it says "natural ingredients" on the label - so I would contact them to make sure it's gluten-free.

One of the things about Reliv is that it's a Patented Product that has a 30 day money back guarantee. There is nothing out in the market that comes close to it. If your not getting results then you may not be taking the product correctly. A healthy person for preventive purposes takes 2 shakes a day of Reliv but if your having health issues which all people on this board seem to be then you take additional shakes. If taken correctly, it works and I know hundreds of people who use it correctly and have had great results on it.

Since I am a Celiac it's common nature for me to check all ingredients before putting them in my mouth otherwise I wouldn't have bought it. I've been on the product and have been getting good results for the past year and half. The Natural Ingredients in it are gluten-free. Before I started taking it I took it to my Celiac doctor and my regular doctor and my nutritionist who is registered and experienced with Celiac and they all said it was a great product and had heard of if through the medical industry. The weak multivitamins you compare it to never worked for me and why would I waste my time and money on it if it didn't work for me.

[Emme999]

Okay, here's the vitamin workup on Reliv Classic:

Vitamin A (10% as Beta Carotene) 5000 IU 100%

Vitamin C 480 mg 800%

Vitamin D 400 IU 100%

Vitamin E 60 IU 200%

Thiamin (vitamin B-1) 3.0 mg 200%

Riboflavin (vitamin B-2) 4.25 mg 250%

Niacin 20 mg 100%

Vitamin B-6 4.0 mg 200%

Folic Acid 400 mcg 100%

Vitamin B-12 18 mcg 300%

Biotin 300 mcg 100%

Pantothenic Acid 20 mg 200%

Calcium 1000 mg 100%

Iron 18 mg 100%

Phosphorus 400 mg 40%

Iodine 150 mcg 100%

Magnesium 200 mg 50%

Zinc 16.5 mg 110%

Selenium 50 mcg 70%

Copper 2 mg 100%

Chromium 50 mcg 40%

Sodium 80 mg 3%

Potassium 50 mg 1%

You mentioned that a "healthy" person takes 2 shakes a day and someone with greater nutritional needs takes more. I have to tell you that this isn't safe - particularly because of the vitamin D content. "Vitamin D has the greatest potential among all vitamins to cause toxicity. Dosages greater than 1000 IU/day are certainly not recommended. Increased blood concentration of calcium (a potentially serious situation), deposition of calcium into internal organs, and kidney stones are some of the characteristics of vitamin D toxicity. Many researchers suggest that long-term overconsumption of vitamin D in fortified foods contributes to atherosclerosis and heart disease, possibly as a result of decreasing magnesium absorption." (Michael Murray - Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements). If you need additional vitamins - get them individually - DO NOT take additional Reliv unless you want to mess yourself up.

Also - I just noticed that each serving contains 1000 mg of Calcium. This is great for one or possibly even two servings - but not more than two. "Calcium supplements are generally well tolerated at dosages less than 2000 mg. Higher dosages may increase the risk for kidney stones and soft tissue calcification... when there is an exess influx of calcium the body reduces calcium absorption and increases both urinary excretion of calcium and calcium utilization by bone and other tissues." (Michael Murray, Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements)

As for it being a "patented product with a 30 day guarantee" - that means absolutely nothing. Patents only provide the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling a product. It does not guarantee efficacy. Many health manufacturers add "patented" to their products for marketing purposes.

The guarantee is also meaningless. You could walk into just about any health food store there is - buy a supplement, take most of it, and return it because it didn't do anything for you. That's just how it works. I managed a health food store for almost 2 years. Almost all vitamin manufacturers guarantee their products. When vitamins are returned to stores, they are simply sent back to the manufacturer and the store is credited.

And there *are* a LOT of products on the market like it. Consider Met-Rx, Ensure, Nature's Life Meal Replacements, Boost, The Ultimate Meal, etc. Just do a search for "meal replacement" on any online vitamin shop - then check the ingredients to make sure it doesn't contain gluten.

And what is this with "I know hundreds" ? Do you sell Reliv or something? A hundred people is actually a lot, and I kind of doubt that you personally know "hundreds" for whom this product has been effective.

Looking at the vitamin makeup - it really is pretty weak. I compared it to "weak vitamins" because that's essentially what it is + a small amount of protein and too few additional ingredients to actually do anything ("a proprietary blend of 190 mg = not enough of *any* of those things to do anything except for maybe enough cayenne & licorice root to irritate your stomach - perhaps enough of the enzymes to break down the vitamins, but they shouldn't need to be broken down in the first place!).

Sorry, but I still don't think too highly of it. No offense, but be careful what you suggest. The vitamin D & calcium is too high to suggest taking this product more than 2 times a day long term.

Be careful.

- Michelle

[givingthanx]

Low sex drive can be caused by thyroid issues.

[givingthanx]

<span style='color:blue'>Okay, here's the vitamin workup on Reliv Classic:

And what is this with "I know hundreds" ? Do you sell Reliv or something? A hundred people is actually a lot, and I kind of doubt that you personally know "hundreds" for whom this product has been effective.

- Michelle </span>

Yes, she sells Reliv. Do this google search:

reliv site:glutenfreeforum.com

Almost every reliv conversation is initiated by her, and instead of giving people information on how they can reliv from another source, she gives them her phone number and asks them to call her. not that there's anything wrong with being a rep for a multi-level marketing company, but my concerns about the product, specifically for celiacs, have not been settled.