Can the Pill Increase Desire?

Recently I received a question for a reader who wanted to know if taking “the little blue pill” would increase his desire to make love to his wife. Another man asked if taking the pill would make his penis larger.

In both cases the answers were no. But the questions themselves indicated that despite all the advertising and the talk about “the pill” for men, there is still a lot of confusion about how such a pill works, and whether you should take it.

First let me say that taking any pill, but especially one for erectile difficulties is something you should be talking about with your doctor. And don’t start the conversation with some version of the question they suggest on tv: “Is the pill right for me?”

The key is being prepared for your appointment. Know what questions you want to ask and why you are asking them. What do you really want to know.

For example, the man who asked if the pill would make his penis larger could be asking because he felt it wasn’t large enough or he was afraid the pill would make it larger and he didn’t want to hurt his honey.

So know what you want to ask, and make sure your questions are both focused and complete. Practice them if you are not comfortable. You will have a short time with your doctor. Make that time count.

Both of these men were confused by what this pill can and and can’t do. And what to expect when they take it.

So what does the pill do?

The pill doesn’t increase desire. In fact it won’t work until you are already feeling desire, what we used to call “horny” when we were kids. So the answer to the man who wanted to know if the pill would increase his desire the answer is no.

The emotion of desire, your feelings, start a complex series of changes in your body (for both men and women). When a man feels desire, his emotions enable chemicals in his body to open the blood vesels into his penis filing his corpora cavernosa, spongy tube in his penis, with blood. This engorgement of these tubes is what he experiences as an erection.

When men who have difficulties with erections experience desire, the pill will support this engorgement and he will be able to have an erection.

But, he has to feel the desire first before the pill will work. The pill won’t work without desire. So, if he no longer experiences desire, the emotion, for his wife, then the pill will more than likely not work.

However, a trip to the doctor may still be in order. Remember, for seniors some of the biggest problems with low desire are triggered by the medications they take. For both men and women. So, if this is you, be sure you ask your doctor about the side effects of the medications you take to see if they are the culprit causing your low desire. Include all your over the counter medications and your dietary supplements. Your doc needs to have the full picture before he can help you.