There are proven methods to improve sexual performance and pleasure among couples. However, various couples struggle with different challenges. One couple may be dealing with erectile dysfunction in the male partner, another with lack of sex drive in the female or male partner. Some couples have too much stress in their lives that’s not managed properly and this negatively affects their sexual experience and intimacy. For others a lack of creativity is the major cause of disinterest and boredom and has lead to poor sexual performance and desire. The mistake that happens often is when couples use an inappropriate method for treating the problem. You see, all of the conditions listed above are encountered by many couples and each problem requires a unique solution. Additional problems and frustrations occur when a couple uses the wrong method to treat their specific problem, for instance using a drug or other method as the "cure all" for what is lacking in their sexual experience. An example would be someone using a medication or other herbal substance that is intended to treat erectile dysfunction, but that person thinks that the substance will increase sexual desire, which is not the case because that is not how the substance was designed to work.

Erectile Dysfunction

This is also referred to as "impotence" in men. It is the condition in which the male partner has a sex drive (very important), can get an erection (or at least start the process), but is unable to maintain an erection for the intended duration of sex or until an orgasm is reached. This condition is appropriately treated with medications. And you can treat it with natural substances also. The medications used to treat erectile dysfunction belong to a class of drugs called phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Included in this class are the drugs Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra. They are effective in treating impotence because they cause more complete filling of the penis with blood and allows the penis to remain engorged for a longer period of time, usually long enough to reach climax and sometimes even beyond that. Viagra has proven effective in enhancing sexual pleasure in women in a similar way by increasing blood circulation to the vaginal area. Levitra has been proven to help treat erectile dysfunction in men that also suffer one or more other illnesses that compound the problem. Among them are diabetes, high blood pressure, and hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol levels in the blood). There are also natural herbal products that help treat erectile dysfunction without the side effects that may be encountered with these medications.

It is important to consult your primary doctor in determining whether any of the medications are the best option for you, especially if you have a history of heart disease or low blood pressure.

Lack of Sex Drive

This is when there is no desire to participate in sexual activities. There are different causes for this condition. Stress can be a factor. Many medications have decreased sex drive as a side effect. Depression is a cause, especially when it leads to physical inactivity. Even our diets can contribute, directly and indirectly, to lack of sex drive and performance in men and women. It is important to distinguish lack of sex drive from erectile dysfunction, here's why. Let’s say a man has no or low sex drive and becomes frustrated because he is unable to become aroused sexually for his partner, yet he believes that Viagra (a treatment for erectile dysfunction) will help solve the problem. He will more than likely become more frustrated because that is not how Viagra works. It was not formulated to stimulate or increase sex drive. With Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra there needs to be sexual arousal which releases certain enzymes or chemicals into the bloodstream that allow the meds to be effective. Without arousal this does not occur. There are some natural ways to increase testosterone levels that have been proven to dramatically increase sex drive. There are even foods that help with this. Exercise is a great way to enhance testosterone levels and sex drive in a safe way, but some forms of exercise are more effective than others.

Stress Anxiety Depression

I put these together because they can be closely related if we don't manage them properly. Unmanaged stress and anxiety often lead to depression. High stress, anxiety, and depression are major inhibitors of good sexual and general health. It is true that great sex has to do with the right mental stimulation and attitude and nothing negatively impacts the right mind set more than high stress, anxiety, or depression. We manage these conditions by incorporating things that make our lives more balanced. Some ways include; diet and exercise, involving ourselves in more spiritual pursuits, committing more time for the family, or it could be just getting rid of things that make you stressed, anxious, or depressed. Usually effective management involves some of everything. The important thing is that you take action to get them under control. They can be managed effectively by most of us.

Lack of Creativity and Romance

Some couples kill their sex lives when they stop being creative. Even sex, as pleasurable as it is, can become old and even boring if we stop being creative. You see, creativity starts the mental process that sets the stage for great sex. Creativity gets our minds involved in the act. Let's face it, anyone can do it or go through the motions, but to really have great sex involves a bit more from the mind and body together. Remember when you first met your partner and how you felt. The excitement you felt during that time was a motivating force that helped you think up ways to show them how much you cared. And your efforts payed off in a good way, didn’t they? I will let you know that by involving the mind in thinking of creative ways to communicate your affection towards your partner can engender the same excitement you felt when you first met. It will make a difference in improving your chances for great sex every time.

It’s a punch line, an icon, the star of TV commercials that once evoked embarrassed chuckles. Viagra - the little blue pill celebrating its 10th birthday - continues to pack a potent punch, and not only in the bedroom. It and other erectile dysfunction drugs have become ingrained in pop culture and, as a result, may be changing how a nation of men thinks and acts on issues of health.
“They’ve done a real service to men’s health,” says Scott Williams, a spokesman for the Men’s Health Network advocacy group of Viagra and its two younger competitors, Levitra and Cialis.
Interest in these medications serves as a portal to other men’s health issues, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease because it gets men talking to their doctor, Williams says. About 70 percent of the time, erectile dysfunction, or ED, “is the outward sign that there’s something else going on inside.”
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic agree. The clinic last month published a paper suggesting a connection between ED and heart disease. “Seeing your doctor for erectile dysfunction may have a silver lining,” they say.
Such links make sense if you look at the roots of the now famous diamond-shaped pill. Researchers for Pfizer pharmaceuticals were testing compounds to treat high blood pressure and cardiovascular chest pain when they discovered their volunteers developed an unintended side effect: erections. The reason: the drug enhanced the effects of nitric oxide, a chemical that relaxes smooth muscles in the penis and allows for increased blood flow.
Pfizer shifted gears and asked the Food and Drug Administration to consider the drug for the medical treatment of erectile dysfunction - a condition affecting 15 million to 30 million American men, says the National Institutes of Health.
Its approval as a prescription drug in 1998 created an immediate blockbuster. Within the first year, an estimated 2.6 million mentions of the drug were made during physician office visits, the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey showed.
Since then, 35 million men have popped a Viagra. It’s unclear how many men are getting prescriptions for ED drugs from a physician, versus buying pills from one of the plethora of Internet sites that advertise them. Either way, they’re being bought and used. In 2007, combined sales of Viagra, Levitra and Cialis totaled more than $3 billion. Viagra also is now approved for treating pulmonary hypertension.
Salvatore Giorgianni, director of external relations when Pfizer introduced Viagra, says the drug triggered a sexual revolution much like the one ignited by women’s contraceptive pills decades earlier. Pfizer’s team knew there would be an immediate impact on pop culture and, sure enough, Jay Leno kicked it off with a joke on “The Tonight Show.”
Still, the product’s image evolved from a playboy potion to an “enabling technology,” he says. That’s reinforced by the evolution of the product’s marketing: advertisements are more likely to address sexual satisfaction in addition to erectile dysfunction.
“The same generation interested in birth control pills and women’s reproductive rights is the same generation involved in another huge sea change in sexual health,” says Giorgianni, now an assistant professor at the school of pharmacy at Belmont University in Nashville.
That generation’s interest in sexual freedom forced the medical community to validate the drugs as a legitimate treatment option.
The men taking Viagra, Cialis and Levitra presumably are mostly older. As many as 14 percent of sexually active older men may be using sexual enhancement drugs, says a 2007 New England Journal of Medicine report on a large-scale study of sex among older adults.
But the FDA, researchers and other government agencies have been aware for years of the drugs’ popularity among sexually healthy younger men and illicit drug users. These studies point to the potential dangers involved in mixing medications or abusing them. The FDA also urges men who take nitrate-based drugs or alpha-blockers for prostate enlargement or high blood pressure to avoid taking Viagra and the like.
There also are potential negative side effects on the relational side. Author Cyndi Targosz conducted a survey for her upcoming book “Dating the Younger Man,” and found women complained if a sexually healthy partner was using a drug like Viagra for “recreational” purposes. The women said it made the experience less natural, regardless of whether the partner was a younger or older man.
“My major issue is that that it’s misused by men who think more is better. More is not better,” Targosz says. “They are doing a disservice to themselves and their women. The men are not aware that the pleasure for a woman is not just about this hard thing.”
Targosz blames the pharmaceutical companies that relentlessly promote ED drugs.
“I believe it’s put a lot of pressure on men the way women feel pressure to get implants for their breasts,” she says.
There’s bound to be negatives with the introduction of a new drug, especially one associated with sex, Giorgianni says. He wasn’t surprised that Viagra showed up on the Internet sites.
“When you’re selling sex, bad things can happen,” he says. “We tried to stay focused on the medical condition as much as possible and away from the sensationalism.”
Mary Shedden is a staff writer for The Tampa Tribune.
POP CULTURE PILL
Viagra is so ingrained in pop culture, we forget it’s only been around 10 years. See if you recognize these faces and symbols of the famous erectile dysfunction drug.
Bob Dole: The former U.S. senator and wounded war hero went public with a commercial campaign for Viagra.
Viagra Ford: NASCAR driver Mark Martin races around the country in the No. 6 Roush Racing team car featuring the drug’s logo.
Rafael Palmeiro: The former Major League Baseball player was among several athletes who have hawked Viagra in recent years.
Viagra Gold: The popularity of Viagra’s iconic diamond shape appears in fine jewelry.
Post a Comm

Eli Lilly, the maker of the erectile dysfunction drug Cialis, was also found by Medicines Australia's Code of Conduct Committee to have issued a product-specific media statement in April this year.

However, the company escaped censure on a third charge, that of bringing discredit to the industry and reducing public confidence in it.

Despite the fine, Eli Lilly will not have to lodge corrective advertisements in trade or other media -- as sometimes required after proven code breaches -- as members of the committee decided such an order "would provide Eli Lilly with another opportunity to discuss the product with the general public".

Cialis competes directly with Pfizer's better-known drug Viagra, which is also used for erectile dysfunction.

The complaint was lodged over a press release issued by Eli Lilly in April, which was timed to coincide with the release of a new version of the drug called Cialis Once-a-Day.

The press release, headlined "New research reveals scheduled sex a turn-off", reported the results of a national Galaxy poll -- commissioned by Eli Lilly -- which purported to show that 74 per cent of Australian men said "spontaneity ... is an important part of sex". The poll also claimed that more than half of men aged 45 to 54 "admit ... that their ability to have sex on impulse has declined drastically or noticeably" since they turned 30.

The release linked the results to the launch of Cialis Once-a-Day, which it said would "(restore) their ability to respond to spontaneous opportunities for sex".

The press release and its claims, which were widely reported in the media, became the subject of a complaint to Medicines Australia's code of conduct committee by consumer group Choice and LaTrobe University academic Ken Harvey. It was also featured on ABC TV's Media Watch in May.

In his complaint, Harvey said the press release in his view was "not bona fide news but rather thinly disguised promotion of the prescription drug tadalafil (Cialis) to the general public. Eli Lilly have now provided the latest example of how a drug company can undermine quality use of medicines activities."

Choice's complaint said the release did not educate the public about the use of the medicine, but rather was intended to promote the medicine to the general public.

Eli Lilly had advised GPs, pharmacists and specialists about the availability of its new product before the media release was distributed. Under Medicines Australia's code of conduct, companies are allowed to issue a media release to announce a new product, or new circumstances under which an existing product can be prescribed. But any releases must be "educational" and must not promote particular products.

Body: In the minutes of its decision, the MA committee said Lilly's press release "included overly positive statements about the benefits of once-a-day treatment such as 'exciting news', 'important new option for men with ED' and 'a new option with 24/7 coverage will be most welcome as it will make them feel more like they did before they got the condition'."

The committee also found some statements in the press release that were not justified by Cialis's official product information, such as the claim that the drug is "most appropriate for men who anticipate sexual activity at least twice a week and who have responded to the on-demand treatment regime".

The minutes also reveal that some members of the code of conduct committee had argued for Eli Lilly to be fined more than $60,000. The maximum fine the committee can impose is $200,000. Eli Lilly, which claimed all along that the media release was within the code's guidelines, has the right to lodge an appeal.

A spokeswoman for the company said it was disappointed with the decision and was considering its response. "Eli Lilly is disappointed with the decision of the Code of Conduct Committee as we take our responsibilities as a member of Medicines Australia, including adherence with the Code, most seriously," she said. "Lilly is currently reviewing the Committee's decision and will determine next steps shortly."

Harvey said the decision was a "useful shot across the bows" and he was "reasonably happy" with the verdict and the fine. "Hopefully this will make other companies think twice before doing it again -- and if another company went down the same path, I hope the fine would be bigger."

He praised Medicines Australia for its relatively fast action, which he said was dramatically quicker and more effective than a parallel complaints process for complementary and alternative medicines, run under the auspices of the Complementary Healthcare Council. "The (Medicines Australia) system is reasonably fast and the sanctions have some bite -- and that's very different to the Complaints Resolution Panel," Harvey said.

An increasing number of Brits are flocking to sex drugs to boost their sex life that's taken a tumble due to the credit crunch stress.

British people in their 20s and 30s are buying Viagra and Cialis to boost their performance in the bedroom.

Moreover, bankers, lawyers and hedge-fund managers are having the pills delivered to them at work to keep the problem secret from partners.

Mitesh Soma, founder of Chemist dire ct.co.uk, the UK's largest online pharmacy, said a third of the monthly 10,000 orders now go to London's Square Mile or Canary Wharf.

"The credit crunch and long hours led to a surge in under 35s who need help," Mirror quoted him as saying.

Source-ANI

Scientists feel that watermelon has some ingredients that can raise the libido level, much like what Viagra does.

Watermelon is made up of 92% water and the remaining 8% are nutrients such as lycopene, beta carotene and citrulline. When the watermelon is eaten citrulline gets converted into arginine through certain enzymes. Aginine is an amino acid and it helps the heart, the circulatory system, prevents cancer and enhances skin health while maintaining a healthy immune system.

Dr Bhimangouda Patil, director of Texas A&M’s Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center in College Station says, “the citrulline-arginine relationship helps heart health, the immune system and may prove to be very helpful for those who suffer from obesity and type-2 diabetes. Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels - the same basic effect that Viagra has - to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it.”

Dr. Patil says the watermelon is amazing and though not as organ specific as Viagra “but it’s a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side effects.”

Kuwait : Customs officers at Kuwait International Airport have arrested an Indian for the possession of 6,500 abortion pills and 990 pills used by women after giving birth, reports Al-Rai daily.
Security sources said the Customs officers noticed the confused state of the suspect while approaching the inspection desk. The officers found a huge quantity of abortion pills after checking the Indian’s luggage. A case was registered and the suspect was referred to the General Department for Drug Control (GDDC).

Failed student attacks teachers: A high school student who failed in his exams attacked his teachers in a school in Al-Surra area, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily.
Sources say securitymen rushed to the school, arrested him and referred him to authorities.

Travel agent faces music: A Bangladeshi expatriate working at a travel office filed a complaint at Jahra Police Station accusing an Asian customer of attacking him, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily.
The customer reportedly discovered that his ticket was not confirmed after he reached the airport. The enraged customer then went to the travel office and attacked the Bangladeshi.

By Mezyed Al-Saeedi
Special to the Arab Times

Birth control pills have done nothing to stem the tide of rising unintended and teenage pregnancies, according to a population and contraception expert at Princeton University.

Professor James Trussell, director of the Office of Population Research at Princeton University, said that birth control pills were “outdated” while speaking last month at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service in London.

"It has not reduced unintended pregnancies in America or anywhere else that has introduced it,” he said, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Trussell added that other forms of contraception too, including emergency contraception and the so called “morning after” pill, have also failed to bring significant progress in curbing unintended pregnancies – accounting for 25 percent of all pregnancies in the U.S. – because of what he said was an excess of unprotected sex.

The only way to bring an end to unintended pregnancies is to resort to stronger and more portent methods of contraception such as implants or the IUD, which prevent the formation of embryos in a woman’s uterus, Trussell said.

Pro-life advocates, however, continue to argue that the recognized failure of birth control pills prove that abstinence is the best policy in bringing an end to teenage and unintended pregnancies.

“On teen sex, it's time to stop treating the problem and start preventing it with the only birth control that is 100% effective—abstinence,” the Family Research Council (FRC) said in a statement while describing its support for abstinence-based programs for youth.

Many pro-family groups point out that abstinence-based education programs have proved effective in schools.

In a review by The Heritage Foundation, 15 out of 21 abstinence-education programs “showed positive behavioral results in the students, including the delay or reduction of sexual activity.”

Bethlehem police said someone stole nearly 200 boxes of pills used to treat male sexual dysfunction.

Someone stole 197 boxes of Levitra from a car sometime between Friday and Saturday. According to WebMD.com, Levitra is used by men who experience problems with sexual function.

The boxes of pills were stolen from a car owned by Sarah Biggs, 27, of Bethelehm. Biggs works for a pharmaceutical company and the pills were taken from her car parked near her home in the 2000 block of Madison Avenue, said Bethlehem police Lt. Joseph Kimock.

He said there were no signs of forced entry in Biggs' car.

-- Reporting by Pamela Lehman, The Morning Call

Namibia is to follow the example of South Africa in placing restrictions on the sale of certain appetite suppressants.

Medicines containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and d-nor-pseudoephedrine will no longer be available without prescription if they are reclassified from schedule 2 to schedule 6 drugs.

The pack sizes of such drugs will also be limited.

The Namibian learned last week that a decision in this regard by the Medicines Control Council of South Africa (MCCSA) will take effect in Namibia by the end of the year.

The decision was taken because drug dealers were using ephedrine from legally bought pills to manufacture methamphetamine, which is popularly known as 'speed', 'meth' or 'tik'.

The MCCSA says on its website that this practice is rapidly increasing in South Africa.

"The International Narcotics Control Board (INC recommended that the controls of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine substances should be expanded to pharmaceutical preparations containing these substances," it says.

In South Africa, the rescheduling also affects medicines for colds and sinusitis that contain ephedrine.

This might not be the case here, though.

The Registrar of Medicines of the Namibian Medicines Control Council, Johannes Gaeseb, told The Namibian that flu and sinusitis medicines containing variants of ephedrine would remain schedule 2 drugs in Namibia because they were not likely to be abused.

This would benefit the less privileged, because they would otherwise have to pay about N$150 to see a doctor to get a prescription for flu medicine that they can now get without prescription.

Gaeseb said appetite suppressants such as Nobese and Slims contained pure ephedrine and were often abused as "party drugs" because they keep people awake.

Ephedrine is a powerful stimulant that is dangerous for people with high blood pressure and heart problems.

Asked why Namibia was following the example of South Africa, Gaeseb said: "We are in the same region.

If SA makes it [ephedrine] hard to get, and our laws remain relaxed, those using the substance for illicit drug manufacturing could come to Namibia and stock up, and just take back to SA."

DIABETES IS one of the serious ailments from which millions of Indians suffer. But sadly, despite advances in science and technology a cure for the disease is yet not available. In India there are around 686 brands of medicines to treat diabetes, but none are very effective. In fact, most of the drugs available in the market only push the body to secrete more insulin, leading to faster degeneration of the body’s own mechanism to control sugar.

However, Merck and Co Inc US, a multinational pharmaceutical company has recently introduced a new low-cost, hassle-free patent protected drug to check the disease in India. Used by the diabetic patients in USA for the last two years, the drug will cost around Rs 300 per week in India. The drug company is claiming that the new pill has now side effect and is very easy to use.

Dr Sethu Reddy, regional director, scientific affairs, Merck and Co Inc US told media about the medicine during a workshop in Mumbai organised on Saturday, July 05. He said the medicine is mainly for two types of diabetic patients and is meal independent, without any dosage adjustments. Reddy mentioned that the medicine can be prescribed by even doctors at primary health centres as it does not have major side effects like hypoglycemia (lower glucose level than normal) and weight gain.

According to experts, the pill sold under the name Januvia contains the new molecule called Sitagliptin, which is the first of a new class of drugs known as Dipeptidyl peptidase IV ( DPP4) enhances the body’s own ability to lower blood sugar (glucose) when it is elevated. Besides, the new drug modifies the gut (intestine) peptide Incretin and makes the pancreas stimulate insulin without straining itself.

Due to presence of ’thrifty gene syndrome’, people living in Indian sub-continent are more prone to diabetes. The genetic disorder hibernates in Indian race and get activated because of sedentary lifestyle, bad food habits and improper sleep and cause diabetes. If not cured diabetes leads to several complications such as renal disorder, which can lead to kidney failure requiring dialysis, blood vessel damage in the eyes leading to blindness, nerve damage in the feet can lead to amputation and heart disease can lead to death.

Presently, there are about four crore diabetic patients in India. Out of these only 1.5 crore are aware of their situation and are
Other Articles by Md Mudassir Alam

under some form of treatment. Out of those under treatment patients, only 20 per cent are able control their sugar level. Unfortunately, diabetic patients in India generally use medicines to get cured from the ailment, but they don’t think to change their lifestyle including proper diet, exercise and sleep.

Arrival of the new pill in India is certainly a good news for diabetic patients, but they should go for natural way of treatment rather than make themselves fully dependent on the medicine. By 2025, there will be around 69.9 million diabetic patients in India. The figures may also go up, if people do not guard against the possible causes of the disease.