Help! I need less friction in my sex-life!

Dear Dr. Mitch:

I’m 41 years old and recently discovered that I’m not getting as lubricated as I used to.  I feel like I’m just not as ‘into sex’ with my boyfriend.  I’m getting vaginal irritation during intercourse as well.  What can I do? 

V.R., Arizona

 Dear V.R.:

It looks like you may be entering perimenopause.  This is not an unusual finding at this stage of life and many women experience this, some even earlier.  The short fix is using a good lubricant and reapplying as necessary to make certain there is no irritation from the friction.  I believe organic coconut oil is an excellent choice as a personal lubricant and has no petroleum products or other synthetic additives and make sure you are not douching because this practice can dry out the vaginal mucosa.

However, I think this problem should now be investigated by getting your hormones checked which includes progesterone, estrogen, DHEA, IGF1, FSH, LH, SHBG and testosterone.  You must look carefully at the testosterone levels and seek out a doctor who can help you understand optimal levels versus normal levels (a subject for a later topic) as this can affect libido in both men AND women.  Most likely, after you receive your interpreted lab results, a more permanent fix with this issue would be the use of an intravaginal hormone like estriol.  A new study shows using DHEA alone intravaginally can alleviate the symptoms as well. Of course, lifestyle changes including proper CLEAN diet, lots of pure water and regular exercise daily are part of a good hormone regimen too!  If you have not recently, along with the above hormonal protocol, this would be a good time to get your annual gynecological examination. 

Look good, feel good and have great sex!

Dr. Mitch

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Tags: estriol, hormones, intercourse, libido, peri-menopause, testosterone, vaginal lubrication