HERstory Finally Made

Thursday FINALLY our voices were heard at the FDA as HERstory was made! 

Here is what I said to the FDA...THANK YOU for voting 18-24 in favor of approving flibanserin or ADDYI for women suffering with HSDD!!

 Yesterday, I had the privilege of spending the day on Capitol Hill discussing the importance of treatment options for HSDD with senators and congressmen.

10 years ago, I was blessed to meet my husband Ben and am  grateful that he is here  in support of me and anyone who has experienced the devastating effects of HSDD.

Having both experienced failed first marriages, we came together with intense chemistry, passion and a determination to handle our new found love with TLC.

What neither of us expected was the abrupt and total disappearance of my libido and desire for sex.  Having   both been active initiators, we were totally unprepared when my DESIRE for sex suddenly “left the building” …like Elvis’s Blue Suede Shoes.

Not like it temporarily left when I had four small kids or when my father died.

A silent wall of shame grew between us.  Shame and guilt on my part for not “wanting” to have sex with the man whom I loved and hurt and guilt on his part wondering what he was doing wrong. Often pretending to be asleep before he came to bed, we suffered separately in silence seriously threatening our relationship.

I was fortunate to be enrolled in the clinical trial for flibanserin and what a relationship saving 8 months that was!  As if the light switch had been turned on, so was I!  Once again sexually confident, I returned to flirty and initiating woman Ben fell in love with.

The trial stopped leaving me with no medical option and life returned to uncertainty  and distress.  I purchased voodoo medicine promising restored libido but was too frightened to take it knowing it was not FDA approved and an rx for off label testosterone proved completely ineffective and the side effects sacred me.  Luckily, Ben is a prince.  Others are not so lucky as I hear from men every day who believe their former spouse suffered from HSDD – FORMER is the operative word. Could their relationship have been saved?  No one can know.

What I do know is flibanserin taken each night worked for me.  For my marriage.   I fully understand the importance of weighing risk/benefits of any prescription drug.  No drug is without risks or side effects…even Tylenol. 

But I should be able to determine with my physician if the risks of flibanserin  are worth the benefit of treatment and for me, the effects  were not modest but significant, and the side effects non existent. For the record I am a woman not a mouse, would not take 4x the intended dose and I'm offended that this would be compared to a date rape drug.

I love sex with my husband but if I don’t have the desire to have sex, I either opt out  or simply oblige which shortchanges us both. Much like even tho I love steak I will not want to eat it if I am not hungry.

I want to want my husband.  It is simple.  I implore you to approve flibanserin understanding that although it may not work for everyone, it certainly worked for me and thousands of other women. 

For us flibanserin is a relationship saving, life changing drug