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Post-menopausal libido loss
I am post-menopausal, married and concerned about the fact I seem to have no interest in sex at all. On a recent trip to the States, I bought the herb Yohimbe but in all the articles I have researched, it appears to be targeted at men. Can you please tell me how I take it and for how long?
If we were in America, where Yohimbe is sold over-the-counter in healthstores, I could tell you the recommended dosage for sexual dysfunction, especially impotence in men, is 15-50mg a day. However, since Yohimbe is banned in the UK which means so you cannot legally buy it in healthstores here, and since very high doses carry the risk of serious side-effects, including paralysis, I am going to suggest an alternative.
The approved herb I suggest you think about instead is damiana (Turnera diffusa) which can help bolster a flagging libido in both men and women. The therapuetic daily dose is 2ml if you are using a liquid extract or three cups of tea a day, made by steeping 2-4g of the dried leaf in 150ml of boiling water for 15 minutes before straining and drinking.
Like the herb, uva ursi which we recommend for chronic bladder infections, damiana contains an antibacterial substance called arbutin, although the concentration is ten times lower. It is on the FDA’s generally regarded as safe (GRAS) list and is widely used as a food flavouring agent. Long term use of the herb (ie for more than six months) can result in a mild laxative effect.
*Neals Yard sell an organic Damiana tincture which costs £4.85 for 50ml. Mail order on 0161-831 7875. Do not use damiana if you suffer from diabetes since there is a risk it may interfere with the blood glucose control measures you are already taking.