Addyi Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Addyi Tablet (flibanserin) is a prescription medicine used to treat hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in women under 65 who have not had this problem in the past. It is taken once daily at bedtime and is not meant for occasional or as-needed use or to boost sexual performance. Addyi carries a boxed warning about serious risks when combined with alcohol, certain medicines, or in people with liver problems.

What is Addyi Tablet

Addyi is a prescription tablet used to treat hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), a condition of low sexual desire that causes distress, in women under 65 who have not had this problem in the past. It is taken daily and is not meant for occasional or as-needed use, and it is not used to boost sexual performance.

Addyi Tablet uses

• Treats hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), also called low sex drive or low libido, in premenopausal and postmenopausal women under 65 years of age who have not had low sexual desire in the past
• Not for use when low sexual desire is caused by another medical or mental health condition, relationship problems, or the effects of a medicine or other drug
• Not intended to improve sexual performance and not for use in men

Benefits of Addyi Tablet

• Helps treat acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in certain premenopausal women
• Can help increase sexual desire and interest
• May reduce distress related to persistently low sexual desire
• Can improve the frequency of satisfying sexual experiences in some women
• Provides a non-hormonal oral treatment option for appropriately diagnosed HSDD

How Addyi Tablet works

Addyi is thought to act on brain chemicals called neurotransmitters that affect sexual desire. It seems to lower serotonin activity while raising dopamine and norepinephrine levels in brain areas linked to sexual motivation, though doctors don't fully understand exactly how it works.

Addyi Tablet dosage

Take the tablet by mouth once a day at bedtime, not at any other time of day, because taking it at another time raises the risk of low blood pressure, fainting, and sleepiness. Take it exactly as your doctor tells you to, and try to take it at the same time each night to help you remember.

If you miss a dose, skip it and take your next dose at bedtime the next day; do not take it the next morning or take an extra dose to make up for the missed one. Tell your doctor if your symptoms have not improved after 8 weeks; your doctor may decide to stop the medicine if it is not helping.

Avoid alcohol close to your dose, and wait at least 2 hours after having one or two standard alcoholic drinks before taking the medicine at bedtime, or skip that dose; do not drink alcohol after taking your dose until the next day. Avoid grapefruit or grapefruit juice while taking this medicine. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do activities that need full alertness for at least 6 hours after taking a dose and until you know how the medicine affects you.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet (100 mg, film-coated)

Side effects of Addyi Tablet

Common

• Dizziness
• Drowsiness or tiredness
• Nausea
• Dry mouth
• Trouble sleeping (falling asleep or staying asleep)

Serious

• Severe allergic reaction (hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat)
• Severe drowsiness
• Feeling light-headed like you might pass out (fainting)
• Severe low blood pressure (hypotension)
• Central nervous system depression, with confusion, trouble staying awake, memory problems, slow or shallow breathing, slowed reactions, or slurred speech

Warnings and precautions

This medicine has a boxed warning, the FDA's most serious type of warning, about combining it with alcohol, which can cause severe low blood pressure and fainting. There is also a boxed warning about using this medicine together with certain drugs that raise its levels in the blood (moderate or strong CYP3A4 inhibitors), or in people with liver problems, because both situations increase the risk of severe low blood pressure and fainting.

Do not take this medicine if you have liver problems, are allergic to it, or take certain medicines that raise its blood levels, including some treatments for HIV, fungal infections, certain antibiotics, hepatitis C, heart conditions, or the antidepressant nefazodone. Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice at any time while taking this medicine, since it can raise the chance of side effects. Avoid taking certain supplements, including St. John's Wort, ginkgo, or resveratrol, or certain over-the-counter medicines like cimetidine, without talking to your doctor first, since these can interact with this medicine.

It is not known whether Addyi can harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It is not known if Addyi passes into breast milk. You and your doctor need to decide whether you will take Addyi or breastfeed, since doing both together is not recommended.

Addyi should not be taken by people with liver problems, because this raises the risk of severe low blood pressure and fainting.

Drinking alcohol close to your dose greatly raises the risk of severe low blood pressure and fainting. Wait at least 2 hours after one or two standard drinks before taking your dose, or skip the dose if you've had three or more drinks that evening. Do not drink alcohol at all if using this medicine according to the boxed warning, and do not drink after taking your dose until the next day.

Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything requiring full alertness for at least 6 hours after taking your dose, and until you know how this medicine affects you.

Storage

• Store at 20–25°C (68–77°F) at controlled room temperature
• Keep tablets in their original, tightly closed container until needed
• Protect from excessive heat, moisture, and direct sunlight
• Avoid storing in bathrooms or other hot and humid locations
• Keep out of reach and sight of children and pets

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency medical help right away if you have signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as hives, trouble breathing, or swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat
• Call your doctor right away if you have severe drowsiness or a light-headed feeling like you might pass out
• If you feel dizzy or lightheaded after taking this medicine, lie down right away, and get medical help if the symptoms do not go away
• If you or someone else has taken too much of this medicine, get medical help right away or contact a poison control center

Alternatives

• Prasterone (DHEA)
• Transdermal Testosterone
• Bupropion
• Buspirone
• Vyleesi (Bremelanotide)