Low libido? Diminished sex drive? Lack of desire/passion/urge?
In the world of functional medicine, we like to use the phrase: “test, don’t guess” allowing us to be much more precise and efficient with recommendations because we have patient-specific test results. We then apply personalized treatment plans tailored specifically to the patient’s most-needed areas of attention.
This is the beauty of addressing the underlying cause of a person’s symptoms or dysfunction.
Even though testing can be more of an investment up front, it often saves a lot of money in the long run. Guessing which supplement or treatment may be best can lead to frustration and unnecessary expense, and in some cases unintended side-effects.
Guessing, or medicating symptoms for that matter, does not reveal the root cause like testing can.
Hormonal health is complex. Hormones and their functions are an intricate web with one single part having a significant role in many other hormone functions and body systems.
One of my favorite functional tests to assess a person’s sex (testosterone, estrogen, progesterone) and adrenal (cortisol, DHEA) hormones, among other markers, is called the DUTCH Test.
No, it is not a test only for people from the Netherlands. It’s actually an acronym for Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones.
The DUTCH test shows levels of sex and adrenal hormones and their metabolites and these results can really paint a picture of how a person’s body is functioning. The test helps tell the story of how your body can best be supported through specific dietary, lifestyle and supplement recommendations.
Your body, like many other things, often follows patterns; habits if you will. For example, when you get stressed many of us tend to subconsciously tense the muscles of our jaw and upper trap/shoulders/neck, leading to tightness in these areas that can progress to pain, headaches or other symptoms over time. Or, you get similar symptoms when sitting at a computer or driving for extended periods.
You can probably relate to some degree of a symptom experienced based on a repetitive action. Your body also often follows similar consistent patterns internally. Your physiology and bodily functions are affected by common dietary and lifestyle habits.
One of these many patterns or habits is how your hormones function and which metabolic pathways are used. Think of a hormone (testosterone or progesterone for example) traveling down a road (the metabolic pathway). It encounters a fork in the road… two different pathways. It can go left or right.
Similar to the same tight muscle patterns that you endure, your body favors certain hormone metabolic pathways. There are specific supplements that can help support balance of these pathways and therefore help support hormonal balance. Certain pathways are more ideal than others and will lead to better overall function, especially libido.
Because libido has a lot of societal stigma behind it, you may find it challenging to talk about it even with a healthcare professional. Knowing this, I have included a link to a few general supplements below that can help
I’m absolutely not refuting the initial “test, don’t guess” statement. Appropriate functional testing and interpretation is going to provide the information that will lead to the most personalized recommendations and treatment plan, and therefore the highest chance for desired outcomes, especially long term.
There are obviously medications available to “treat” low libido for men and women, but they are not designed to actually support the body’s natural processes. They temporarily treat the symptoms.
The supplements below are designed specifically to support those previously mentioned common hormonal processes. I’ve provided links below that allow you to confidentially order without needing to schedule an appointment or purchase in-person. They are delivered to your home with packaging that prevents the delivery person from knowing your business.
Libido Stim-F (female formula)
Libido Stim-M (male formula)
Feel free to check them out, reach out if you have questions, and please know you are safe to talk about all things libido in a Functional Health Consult.
-Kyle Boland, DC