Q. I am a 38-year-old widow. When my husband was alive, we had an amazing sex life. We enjoyed sex two or three times daily, sometimes up to five times. Each time I experienced orgasm. So I can’t forget those moments.
I am always thinking about him and have trouble with unwanted sexual arousal. It may happen several times a day. I can’t control it, but it is inappropriate and inconvenient.
I asked a gynecologist to remove my ovaries as a way to reduce sexual desire. Instead she prescribed progesterone. I have been taking it and find the undesirable feelings are far less frequent. Is there anything I should know about progesterone?
A. Coping with the loss of a beloved partner is always difficult. We’re not surprised that your physician was reluctant to perform an oophorectomy (removal of ovaries) to dampen your desire. It is not a simple surgical procedure and there can be complications.
If your doctor prescribed Provera (medroxyprogesterone) to lower libido, this is an off-label use. That is, the FDA has not approved this medicine to reduce sex drive. Nevertheless, it is sometimes prescribed for this purpose. Side effects may include breast tenderness, changes in menstruation, blood clots, depression, gallstones, fluid retention, headache and changes in blood sugar.
If you experience any of these reactions, you might ask your doctor about some other possible treatments. An herb called chaste tree berry (Vitex agnus-castus) is sometimes helpful, perhaps because it has progesterone-like activity. Antidepressants such as fluoxetine or sertraline may also dampen libido, but they have side effects of their own and may be difficult to quit.
