Yes, there are FDA-approved drugs specifically designed to increase sexual desire, though they work differently than most people expect. They’re not instant-acting aphrodisiacs. The two prescription options currently available are approved only for premenopausal women, while men with clinically low testosterone can see libido improvements through hormone replacement. Beyond prescriptions, a few supplements show modest effects in clinical trials, and some common medications may actually be killing your sex drive without you realizing it.
FDA-Approved Drugs for Low Sexual Desire
Two prescription medications are currently approved in the United States to treat hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in premenopausal women. Neither one works like a magic pill you take before sex.
Flibanserin (Addyi) is a daily pill taken at bedtime. It works on brain chemistry related to desire rather than blood flow. In clinical trials, women taking it experienced roughly one additional satisfying sexual encounter per month compared to placebo. That’s a real but modest effect, and it requires daily use for weeks before results build. Flibanserin also comes with a notable safety restriction: alcohol and this drug interact dangerously, causing severe drops in blood pressure and fainting. The FDA label instructs users to wait at least two hours after one or two drinks before taking it, and to skip the dose entirely after three or more drinks.
Bremelanotide (Vyleesi) works differently. It’s a self-administered injection you give yourself at least 45 minutes before anticipated sexual activity, so it’s used on demand rather than daily. It activates pathways in the brain involved in sexual response. Nausea is the most common side effect, particularly after the first dose, and it typically lasts about two hours. Flushing is also reported.
Both drugs are approved only for premenopausal women who have persistently low desire that causes personal distress, and neither is intended for men or postmenopausal women.
Testosterone and Libido
For men, low testosterone is one of the most common treatable causes of reduced sex drive. The American Urological Association defines low testosterone as a total level below 300 ng/dL, but the diagnosis requires both lab results and symptoms like diminished desire, fatigue, or mood changes. When both criteria are met, testosterone replacement therapy often helps. Most men see meaningful improvements within the first three months.
For postmenopausal women, testosterone is sometimes prescribed off-label at much lower doses, typically one-tenth of the standard male dose applied as a topical cream or gel to the thigh, calf, or buttock. Improvements in desire usually appear within six to eight weeks, and clinicians generally discontinue treatment after six months if there’s no noticeable benefit. Testosterone injections and oral formulations aren’t recommended for women because they can push levels dangerously high. This approach is not currently recommended for premenopausal women due to insufficient evidence.
What Viagra and Cialis Actually Do
This is the biggest misconception around sex drugs. Viagra (sildenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil) do not increase desire at all. They improve blood flow to the penis, helping achieve and maintain an erection, but they require you to already be sexually aroused for them to work. As Harvard Health puts it plainly: when your mind isn’t there, no erectile dysfunction drug can fix that. These medications address the plumbing, not the wanting.
Supplements With Some Evidence
A few herbal supplements have been studied in clinical trials, though the evidence is far thinner than for prescription drugs. Tribulus terrestris has shown statistically significant improvements in sexual desire scores across multiple trials in women. In one study, 75% of women in the treatment group reported improvement compared to 50% on placebo. That’s a real difference, but the gap is smaller than it sounds in practical terms. Other trials showed even more modest separations between the supplement and placebo groups. These were also small studies with short durations, so the evidence is preliminary.
Maca root is widely marketed for libido, but high-quality clinical data is limited. Many of the positive claims come from animal studies or small trials without rigorous placebo controls.
With any supplement, quality control is a concern since these products aren’t regulated the same way prescription drugs are. What’s on the label doesn’t always match what’s in the bottle.
Medications That Lower Your Sex Drive
Sometimes the real answer isn’t adding a drug but identifying one that’s suppressing your desire. SSRIs, the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants, are well-known libido killers. They can reduce interest in sex, make arousal difficult to achieve or sustain, and delay or completely prevent orgasm. The most common culprits include citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft).
If you’re on one of these medications and your sex drive has disappeared, that connection is worth exploring with your prescriber. Alternatives like bupropion (Wellbutrin) and mirtazapine (Remeron) are significantly less likely to cause sexual side effects. In some cases, switching medications or adjusting the dose can restore desire without sacrificing the mental health benefits. Blood pressure medications, hormonal birth control, and certain anti-anxiety drugs can also dampen libido, though the effects vary widely between individuals.
Why There’s No True Aphrodisiac
Sexual desire is one of the most complex processes in the body, involving hormones, brain chemistry, emotional state, relationship dynamics, stress levels, sleep quality, and physical health all at once. That’s why no single drug produces the dramatic, instant effect people imagine when they search for something that “makes you horny.” The drugs that exist work gradually, modestly, and only in people whose low desire has a physiological component. For many people, the causes of low libido are situational: stress, exhaustion, relationship conflict, or medication side effects. No pill bypasses those factors.
The most effective approach for most people is identifying what’s suppressing desire in the first place, whether that’s a medication, a hormonal imbalance, chronic stress, or poor sleep, and addressing it directly. Prescription libido drugs fill a real gap for people with a specific medical diagnosis, but they’re not recreational enhancers and won’t turn a normal sex drive into a supercharged one.