What Else, Besides Time of Day, Impacts Libido?

I’m asking because I’m about to enter a clinical trial for a new (well, not totally new) drug to lower prolactin.

I spent a fair amount of time reviewing my prolactin levels over the past few years, and have observed that they’re always highest in the morning. Which seems to be normal science.

It’s interesting that even on TRT, my libido is usually strongest in the morning still. But it seems strange that it would be at its best when my prolactin is at its worst.

But then again, cabergoline lowered my libido.

Any other hormones/factors that play a part?

Things that affect libido:

  • Obesity
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Poor sleep
  • Medications
  • Stress/depression
  • Low testosterone
  • Infections
  • High prolactin
  • Low thyroid hormones
  • Alcohol & drugs
  • Surgery
  • Heart disease
  • High cholesterol
3 Likes

Neurotransmission… the most important aspect of libido

1 Like

This, and a day long review of old blood tests, really has me wondering if it’s my prolactin or various other lifestyle imperfections causing the remaining sexual issues.

Low libido with sufficient testosterone levels is almost always due to adrenal/thyroid imbalances.

With the exception of rare cases, I really don’t agree with prolactin lowering medications since the underlying issue still exists. Being that prolactin is mediated (in part) by TSH and thyroid hormone production, optimising this pathway first would always be my first port of call.

1 Like

Well… you are wrong.

Libido is much more complex and starts in the brain. Please be cautious with this kind of statements.

1 Like

Who is?

Not you dear :wink:

1 Like

I hadn’t responded so wasn’t worried about me, haha. Just curious. I hate how this site doesn’t show who people are responding to sometimes. I have that issue most of the time

Thyroid regulates every single cellular process in the body, including brain neurotransmitter production via the gut microbiome (regulated by thyroid hormone). The brain is not independent from the body. If you have thyroid deficiency, you will have issues with digestion and absorption of the required base products to produce these neurotransmitters. Resulting in various disorders.

Specific gut bacteria (which I have researched extensively) are responsible for Serotonin, dopamine, adrenaline, etc. If your gut flora is compromised this can result in anxiety disorders and various other mental issues (depression, etc), which can be a by product of down-regulate thyroid/adrenal axis.

I don’t want to be mean with you. Neurotransmissor dynamics are far much complex than something you can describe in one phrase. Can gut bacteria influence? Yes, probably. Is gut bacteria responsible of those? NO WAY. Scientific community is not even near to get the whole picture. If not, just treat patients with feces transplants an boom! Libido solved, depression solved, name it solved. You would probably have more success raising dopamine levels directly, and again, it will never be the only variable in this libido big equation. It is not that simple. Probably any MD in this forum can explain this better than me.

1 Like