Female Viagra (Lovegra) — Does it Really Work?

Lovegra is the female version of Viagra. It’s made with the same active ingredient, sildenafil citrate.

This medication is advertised for boosting sexual desire and satisfaction in women — however, there’s very little evidence available to support this idea, and the active ingredient has not been approved by the FDA for use in women.

In this article, we’ll explore what Lovegra is, and explore the risks and potential side effects. You’ll also learn about some of the alternative options available to you instead.

What is Lovegra?

Lovegra is made by Ajanta Pharmaceuticals — one of the largest contract-manufacturing pharmaceutical companies in India.

This company makes hundreds of different generic medications, including two versions of sildenafil (generic Viagra) — Lovegra for women and Kamagra for men.

Lovegra is marketed for women as a way to increase sexual desire and satisfaction. Ajanta Pharmaceuticals specifically suggests the medication for FSD (female sexual dysfunction) and FSAD (female sexual arousal disorder). However, this drug hasn’t been officially approved for this application, and there’s limited evidence to suggest it works at all.

This medication works by inhibiting an enzyme called phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5). Blocking this enzyme increases blood flow to the genital regions. In men, this increase in blood flow improves the ability to get and maintain an erection. In women, it’s thought this increase in blood flow leads to greater stimulation of the clitoris — which would equate to a greater level of sexual satisfaction and arousal.

There’s been a lot of research on this effect over the last 20 years, but the jury remains out. It’s unclear whether using PDE5 inhibitors like Lovegra, Viagra, or Cialis, has any effect on the intensity of sexual experiences in women beyond the placebo effect.

What’s The Dose of Lovegra?

Each little pink pill contains 100 mg of sildenafil citrate. The dose is 1 pill 30–60 minutes before sexual activity.

For comparison, Viagra comes in 25, 50, and 100 mg doses — so these pills are on the strong end of the spectrum.

The higher the dose, the more likely this medication is to produce side effects.

When doctors prescribe Viagra to men, they usually start with the lower 50 mg dose to see how the body responds. This dose has an 80% success rate to begin with, so there’s usually no need to bump them up to the 100 mg dose, which only offers a 5% improvement in efficacy, yet brings a 20% higher chance of causing side effects.

How Long Does it Take For Lovegra To Work?

Lovegra takes about 30 to 60 minutes to take effect. Sometimes it can take longer, depending on the health of your digestive tract, whether you’re taking the medication with food, and other factors.

In some rare cases, Lovegra can take up to 2 hours to start producing effects.

What Is Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD)?

Past studies have revealed that as many as 26% of women encounter difficulties with sexual arousal [1]. Other reports peg the prevalence of sexual arousal difficulties in women could be as high as 46%.

FASD is considered only when there’s a persistent or recurring problem achieving orgasm or desire for sexual activity that causes stress or strain in a relationship.

This condition is similar to HSDD (hypoactive sexual desire disorder), which involves a complete disinterest in sexual activity. FSAD is different in that sufferers have a desire for sexual activity but are unable to achieve orgasm or maintain arousal.

Signs & symptoms of FSAD include:

Difficulty achieving orgasm
Loss of arousal during sexual activity
Low sex drive
Pain associated with vaginal stimulation
Vaginal dryness

What Causes FSAD?

There are many potential causes for this condition — from physical problems involving poor blood flow to the genital regions to psychiatric causes. Reports suggest physical causes account for anywhere from 30% to 80% of patients diagnosed with FSAD. The most common physical causes for the disorder involve issues with blood flow and neurological function (hypothalamic disorders or neurodegenerative disease).

FSAD is not considered a mental disorder, so it can’t be diagnosed or confirmed by a mental health expert — however, mental health is considered a key component of the condition.

Potential causes for FSAD include:

Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic stress or anxiety
Depression
Diabetes
Hypothalamic disorder
Neuropathy or neurodegenerative disease
Past traumatic experiences involving sex
Poor sense of body image & self-consciousness
Side effects from medications (SSRIs & SNRIs)
Vascular diseases affecting the genitals

How is FSAD Diagnosed?

In the past, diagnosis of FSAD or other female sexual disorders was more of an art than science. There are so many potential causes for these disorders that need to be ruled out first it may take a long time to come to a diagnosis.

Now doctors use a specific set of criteria to speed up the diagnosis of the condition and ultimately lead to faster treatment.

The primary diagnostic criteria doctors use today is the DSM-5 criteria.

In order for FSAD diagnosis, a woman must have at least three out of six of the following symptoms:

Little to no interest in sex
Few thoughts related to sex
Rejecting sexual advances from a partner
Little pleasure during sex most of the time
Decreased interest in sex even when exposed to erotic stimuli
Little genital sensations during sex most of the time (75% or more)

These symptoms alone aren’t enough to diagnose FSAD. A core component of the condition is that these symptoms need to cause significant psychological distress as a result of symptoms and have persisted for at least 6 months.

Additionally, diagnosis is only made if the condition can’t be better explained by fundamental problems with the relationship, side effects of medications, or a non-sexual mental disorder.

Treatments for FSAD

Currently, there are only two medications approved by the FDA in the United States used in the treatment of low libido in women — Flibanserin (Addyi) and bremelanotide (Vyleesi).

Lovegra has not been approved in the United States or Europe for the treatment of FSAD or other female sexual disorders.

Other treatments are focused on managing the potential underlying causes for the condition — such as treatment for anxiety or depression, psychotherapy, adjustments to current medications, and changes in diet and lifestyle habits.

Does Lovegra Work For FSAD?

The manufacturer of Viagra, Pfizer — spent several million dollars on research exploring the effectiveness of their new blockbuster medication on over 3000 women with various libido-related disorders.

In 2004 the company decided they were not going to apply for approval for their medication for the treatment of FSAD. They cited “inconclusive results on the efficacy of their medication for FSAD”.

Joe Feczko, Pfizer’s then-president of worldwide development, stated that “FSAD is an emerging area of research and is far more complex than male erectile dysfunction. Diagnosing FSAD involves assessing physical, emotional, and relationship factors, and these complex and interdependent factors make measuring a medicine’s effect very difficult.”

Some of Pfizer’s research has been published, as well as similar research on generic sildenafil and related PDE5 inhibitors — none of this research has ever shown any indication that sildenafil is a reliable treatment for FSAD or related disorders. This fact, combined with the risk of side effects associated with the medication, is the reason why no sildenafil or other PDE5 medication has yet to be approved for treating the disorder.

Lovegra May Work in a Small Subset of Women With FSAD

Dr. John Bancroft, the director of the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, suggested that “I would not be surprised if there was a subgroup of women who would benefit from such medication [sildenafil] — probably quite a small subgroup. But for most women, the factors which are determining the problem are unlikely to be helped by a phosphodiesterase inhibitor.”

Some women with FSAD may experience symptoms as a result of congestion in the blood vessels that supply the genital regions.

In these women, medications like Lovegra may offer support. In these cases, the medication would act by restoring function to the region, rather than directly increasing stimulation or arousal. In vitro research has shown that PDE5 is present in female reproductive tissues, including the clitoris and labia.

Originally, it was believed that increasing blood flow to the genital region would increase sensitivity and arousal, but this doesn’t appear to be the case in practice.

Is Lovegra Safe?

There are no available studies specifically looking at the safety and efficacy of Lovegra. However, the active ingredient, sildenafil, has been through hundreds of different studies, including a handful of phase III clinical trials.

In 1999, researchers at Columbia University explored the effects of sildenafil (Viagra) on 30 women [2]. While the study found little to no improvement in terms of sexual satisfaction in the women, they concluded that the medication was well-tolerated.

Seven women in the study experienced clitoral discomfort after using the drug — three of which withdrew from the study as a result. Other side effects included headaches (17%), dizziness (13%), and digestive symptoms (10%).

What are the Side Effects of Lovegra?

Headaches
Flushing
Indigestion
Vision Loss
Nasal Congestion
Back Pain
Dizziness
Nausea
Rash
Muscle Pain
Hearing Loss
Vision Loss
Cardiovascular Disease

Drug Interactions With Lovegra

There are a number of negative drug interactions to be aware of when using any member of the PDE5 drug class — which includes Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, Kamagra, Lovegra, and others.

PDE5 inhibitors are contraindicated for anybody taking nitroglycerin or related heart medications. Both medications result in a widening of the arterial system that can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, dizziness, and fainting. In some rare cases, this can be fatal.

Other blood pressure medications should also be avoided while taking sildenafil or other PDE5 medications for similar reasons. These are antihypertensives such as ACE inhibitors and alpha-blockers.

Certain herbs or supplements, as well as alcohol, can have blood-pressure-lowering effects and should be avoided while taking Lovegra or related medications.

Always speak with your doctor before trying Lovegra. Your doctor will be able to assess your current medications to check for interactions. They may also be able to offer another solution to try first.

How Does Lovegra Work?

Lovegra works by blocking the PDE5 enzyme — which is tasked with breaking down a chemical messenger called cyclic-GMP (cGMP).

cGMP is a vasodilator, which means it causes the arteries to widen and allow more blood to flow through.

PDE5 is one of several groups of enzymes designed for breaking cGMP down to reverse its effects — leading the blood vessels to constrict. As the blood vessels constrict, blood pressure increases, and the volume of blood flowing through the artery is reduced.

Different PDE enzymes can be found in different parts of the body. The type 5 group is mostly present in the ears, eyes, and genital regions. A general PDE inhibitor would cause changes in the blood flow of tissues all around the body, while PDE5-specific inhibitors only affect target regions, such as the genitalia.

In men, increasing blood flow to the penis directly improves the ability to achieve and maintain an erection.

In women, this change is thought to improve sexual arousal — however, as we’ve already covered in this article, this doesn’t appear to be how it works in practice.

Lovegra Alternatives

There are very few drugs available for treating clinical low libido in women. The options that are currently available are relatively unreliable — working with some women while providing no clear benefit in others.

There are also a variety of vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements that have shown promise in treating libido loss in women.

FSAD & HSDD Drug Alternatives

There are only two medications currently approved for the treatment of female sexual disorders — Flibanserin and buspirone.

Flibanserin is used as a treatment for women experiencing chronically low libido.

It works through completely separate mechanisms from Lovegra. Instead of acting as a vasodilator, Flibanserin is a serotonergic medication acting in specific cortical regions of the brain associated with arousal [3].

PDE5 Inhibitor Alternatives

From a chemical perspective, Lovegra is identical to all the other sildenafil citrate medications on the market — including Viagra, Kamagra, and Revatio.

Any of these other medications have the exact same set of effects and can be used as an alternative.

From a practical standpoint, doctors can only prescribe medications that have been approved for the condition they’ve diagnosed in their patients. Viagra is only approved for use in males with erectile dysfunction. Doctors can’t prescribe this for women with FSAD even though the active ingredients and doses are identical.

Likewise, sildenafil citrate medications such as Revatio are only approved for use with arterial hypertension.

There are also alternatives that have the same mechanism of action (PDE5 inhibition) but use a completely different active ingredient.

Alternative PDE5 inhibitors include:

Cialis (tadalafil)
Kamagra (sildenafil citrate)
Levitra (vardenafil)
Mvix (mirodenafil)
Revatio (sildenafil citrate)
Staxyn (vardenafil)
Stendra (avanafil)
Viagra (sildenafil citrate)
Vivanza (vardenafil)
Zydena (udenafil)

Where To Buy Lovegra in 2020

Lovegra is not available legally in the United States. The only place to buy this medication is from unofficial sources online.

While many of these sources ship legitimate Lovegra sourced directly from the manufacturer — Ajanta Pharma — a lot of them are fraudulent as well — shipping products that are either fake or laced with potentially dangerous ingredients.

It’s recommended you avoid ordering Lovegra.

If you’re experiencing a lack of libido and want support for your condition, visit your doctor to explore your options.

References Cited In This Article

Schoen, C., & Bachmann, G. (2009). Sildenafil citrate for female sexual arousal disorder: a future possibility?. Nature Reviews Urology, 6(4), 216-222.
Kaplan, S. A., Reis, R. B., Kohn, I. J., Ikeguchi, E. F., Laor, E., Te, A. E., & Martins, A. C. (1999). Safety and efficacy of sildenafil in postmenopausal women with sexual dysfunction. Urology, 53(3), 481-486.
Baid, R., & Agarwal, R. (2018). Flibanserin: A controversial drug for female hypoactive sexual desire disorder. Industrial psychiatry journal, 27(1), 154.
Berman, J. R., Berman, L. A., Toler, S. M., Gill, J., Haughie, S., & Sildenafil Study Group. (2003). Safety and efficacy of sildenafil citrate for the treatment of female sexual arousal disorder: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The Journal of urology, 170(6), 2333-2338.
Chivers, M. L., & Rosen, R. C. (2010). Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors and female sexual response: faulty protocols or paradigms?. The journal of sexual medicine, 7(2), 858-872.