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Sex Drive, Erectile Dysfunction, and GLP-1 Side Effects
1. Sex Drive
Some researchers have begun to investigate how GLP-1 drugs might affect your libido, or sex drive.
A survey of social media comments found that most GLP-1 users who commented on changes to their sex life reported increased sex drive and sexual arousal. But that experience isn’t universal: Some people report a reduced desire to have sex or a generally muted response to sex shortly after taking the medications.
Libido-related GLP-1 research is thin. But Chris Szoke, NP, CDCES, a nurse practitioner based in Tucson, Arizona, points to the impact of GLP-1 medications on digestion, appetite suppression, and changes to hormones such as dopamine that “reward” the brain. These medications appear to affect the reward centers of the brain.
“It’s not surprising [that GLP-1 medications] might also affect other forms of pleasure, including sex,” Szoke says.
Szoke adds that he has had patients who have seen a boost to their sex drive after starting a GLP-1 medication but that it’s hard to tell if that’s related to the drug or the weight loss.
“Their self-esteem and confidence might be up,” he says. “But what if the drug helped them start drinking less or smoking less marijuana? It’s all connected. We can’t pinpoint one cause or effect without more research.”
Weight loss can boost testosterone in men and increase libido, but it also can reduce testosterone and sex drive in women, according to research.
“It’s very plausible that losing weight with help from a GLP-1 can boost your sex drive, not because of the GLP-1, but simply because of the weight loss, especially the fat around the abdomen,” Szoke says.
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