The Luminescence Podcast with Schuyler Grant

Libido as a Vital Sign? Testosterone, Addyi & Vyleesi

The Luminescence Podcast with Schuyler Grant

Show Notes

Viagra was approved in 1998. It took another two decades before women's sexual health started being treated as a physiological issue instead of a mood problem — and most women still don't know there are three real prescription options for low desire.

In this Season 3 premiere, Schuyler Grant, Dr. Robin Berzin, and Dr. Mary Pardee are joined by phone-a-friend Dr. Somi Javaid, founder of HerMD, to break down testosterone, Addyi, and Vyleesi — what each one actually does, who they're for, and why the female desire drugs work on the brain while the male ones work on blood flow.

They discuss:

Why sexual pleasure functions as a genuine health metric — orgasm's measurable effects on cortisol, cardiovascular health, oxytocin, and sleep-supporting prolactin

Why roughly 80% of women lose meaningful natural testosterone production by midlife, and why some women mysteriously don't

Addyi (flibanserin) — a daily pill that works on serotonin and dopamine receptors — versus Vyleesi (bremelanotide), an on-demand injectable, and the real-world data Dr. Javaid has published on both

Off-label testosterone therapy in women — why it's not FDA-approved as a standalone product for women despite a global consensus statement supporting its use, and what nearly 80% success rates look like in the right candidate

Combining testosterone with Addyi or Vyleesi, and how FSFI (Female Sexual Function Index) scores are used to actually measure whether treatment is working

A rapid-fire round on saffron, erotic fiction, cannabis, red-light pelvic devices, the O-Shot, Vyleesi microdosing, and intranasal oxytocin — yes, BS, or "a hard maybe"

For any woman who's noticed her desire quietly disappearing and assumed there was nothing to actually do about it.

Catch more episodes, live events, retreats, and free master classes at luminescence.health.

This episode is presented by:

Genova Connect:Save 20% on testing with code COMMUNE20 so you can stop guessing and make adjustments to support what matters. Visit connect.gdx.netStemregen: Go to stemregen.co and use code LUMPOD for 20% off your next order.Vivobarefoot: Try Vivobarefoot with a 100-day return guarantee, and get a special discount for Luminescence podcast listeners at vivobarefoot.com/commune.BiOptimizers:Go to bioptimizers.com/luminescence and use code LUMINESCENCE for 15% off.

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