People’s Pharmacy: Woman concerned about high sex drive

Q. I have a much higher sex drive than my partner. He is in his late-30s, while I am in my mid-20s. I would prefer to have sex every couple of days, while he is fine with having it once every week and a half.

I find it difficult to deal with this situation because I feel that it’s not normal for me, a woman, to have the higher sex drive. I worry that I might make sex seem like a chore to my partner if I ask him to have it with me more often. I often wish that I could take medication that could lower my sex drive so that I could be happier.

A. We consulted two of the country’s leading sex experts about the concerns you raise. Dr. Ruth Westheimer suggested that your partner could help you achieve sexual satisfaction even if he isn’t in the mood for intercourse.

Irwin Goldstein, M.D., editor in chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, pointed out that you are not unusual. In focus groups, it was discovered that 25 percent of women often have a higher sex drive than their male partners.

It may be worthwhile for your partner to have a medical work-up and have his hormonal levels checked to make sure everything is within normal limits. Dr. Goldstein mentioned that there is an experimental drug that may improve libido for both men and women called Ectris (flibanserin). The Food and Drug Administration is expected to review it during the next year.

There are no approved drugs to lower libido. However, the herb vitex (chaste tree berry) may reduce sex drive.

Q. My 81-year-old mom is currently prescribed allopurinol to prevent gout, enalapril and labetalol for high blood pressure, metformin for diabetes, Plavix to thin her blood, Zocor to control cholesterol, plus extra magnesium and potassium (Klor-Con).

She exhibits confusion, symptoms of dementia and dizziness, and has fallen several times. I think these medications may be excessive, and at this stage some may even be counterproductive. Opinion?

A. Your mother’s medicines could be having an impact on her overall health. A physician who specializes in geriatric medicine should review her situation, because we have detected some potential problems.

Allopurinol can cause sleepiness, while labetalol and Plavix both may cause dizziness and fatigue. Some readers have reported severe muscle weakness and memory problems with statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs like Zocor (simvastatin). Metformin can deplete the body of vitamin B-12, which may lead to confusion and forgetfulness.

Far more worrisome is the combination of potassium with enalapril. This could lead to a life-threatening complication.

If your mother were to fall again, she might break a hip. Such an accident could have devastating consequences. We are sending you our Guides to Drugs and Older People with a Drug Safety Questionnaire to encourage her doctors to review side effects and interactions. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $2 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (58 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. O-85, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It can also be downloaded from our Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Q. Is chewing Aspergum as effective as chewing an aspirin if you think you are having a heart attack?

A. Physicians frequently advise patients who think they might be having a heart attack to dial 911 and chew a baby aspirin while they wait for the ambulance. Aspergum contains 227 milligrams of aspirin per gum tablet and should work about as well. Another quick way to get aspirin into the system is to dissolve an uncoated tablet in a glass of sparkling water.