Low sex drive

srovski2008 · Newbie Joined: Oct 05, 2008 Posts: 5

Hello,

This is my first visit to this site and I think it's great how so many people share their information. I was diagnosed with MS last year from the numbess in my right thumb which is almost gone now and I haven't had any change in my body from 3 years ago (6 months after giving birth) which I thank god for every day. My last visit to the specialist he told me that it all looks good and there seems to be no change. Around a month and half ago I'm have lost my mood when it come to it and no matter how much my husband tries I don't achieve the required wetness. My period is a little off now (a little too early) and I was taken off betaseron 6 months ago and placed on Copaxone which is by far better. The betaseron cause some hyperthyroidism (painful). The thyroid specialist informed me that hyperthyroidism is overactive thyroid and then it will go underactive (hypoactive) before going back to normal. I've been reading on the net that low sex drive comes from messed hormones, lesions, drug side effect, thyroid problems...etc. I haven't noticed any other change in my body except low sex drive (overly sensitive down there too probably due to the dryness). Also, I've been reading on the net that 30-40% of population (without MS) go through this after the age of 30 as well. I'm 32 years old and I was wondering if this because of my MS (new lesions) or is it because of Copaxone, hormone imbalance, stress of family life? I work fulltime, have 3 years old son. Has anyone else have had this issue? can you have low sex drive after 3 years with no other symptoms be MS lesions?

Thank you Sad

S.

jimmylegs · Family Elder Joined: Mar 12, 2006 Posts: 1998

hi S welcome to the site. sorry to hear you are having issues. i recently had a weird sex drive experience... i had found out i was zinc deficient and then i overdid my supplements so that my zinc was too high. around the same time, my sex drive skyrocketed. zinc is also typically lower on average in MS patients, even though the result is still inside the normal range. zinc is required for testosterone production which controls male and female libido. you have to be really careful when supplementing zinc or other minerals though - here's a link to some zinc-y foods if you don't want to go for a supplement.

ssmme · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 8:34 am Post subject:

Don't be shy about using other forms of help as you wait for the zinc to take effect. Use personal lubricants and adult toys to see if they help make it more satisfying.
_________________
DX'd 08/2006, RRMS, currently in the Tovaxin extension study group.

Lars · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 8:48 am Post subject:

Jimmylegs,
I know from reading your posts that you are a advocate of Zinc. Since Zinc apparently strengthens the immune system the Heuga Center Nutritionists have it on the "don't take" list. Thoughts?
Lars

srovski2008 · Newbie Joined: Oct 05, 2008 Posts: 5

I did some reading on it and it seems to work for guys only (not for me).

Thanks
S.

srovski2008 · Newbie Joined: Oct 05, 2008 Posts: 5

Besides focusing on somethings to improve it, does this sound like a new MS lesion? or with lesion you usually will feel a change in your body? Anyone else expereincing this? Low sex drive with no other symptoms?

Thanks
S.

ssmme · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 12:28 pm Post subject:

jimmylegs · Family Elder Joined: Mar 12, 2006 Posts: 1998

zinc works for both male and female libido. i know my story is just anecdotal, but i am female myself.

lars, zinc is (on average) lower in ms patients than in healthy controls. when we talk about nutrients that affect immune function, we have to consider that our immune system is a complicated arrangement.

in a very simplistic way, some messages say 'attack', and other messages say 'stop attacking'. if the body is low on ingredients that constitute the 'brakes', then one can certainly do well by strengthening that part of the immune system. vitamin d3 improves immune function in just this way. it strengthens the immune system by beefing up the brakes (among other things).

it's a long time ago now, but i've also seen research that indicates ms patients experience a drop in their natural killer cells in advance of a relapse. so you could consider adding a number of things that boost your body's natural killer cell level in hopes of preventing or minimizing the impacts of a relapse. it's a boost to the immune system, but likely a positive one.

getting back to zinc and ms. we have had a fair amount of discussion here on uric acid levels and ms and relapse. ms patients typically have reduced levels of uric acid, and also on average, lower zinc. it turns out that adequate zinc is needed to maintain levels of uric acid (in rats), so those two phenomena of the ms patient are potentially linked. http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/105/1/26

uric acid is pretty important to immune support in ms. admittedly the following is just a murine EAE study, but you can find lots more research out there
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=138606

inflammation can certainly be altered in both excess zinc and in zinc deficiency states. zinc status has to be balanced and optimized. ms patients who are deficient in zinc should certainly not avoid it for worrying about the inflammatory consequences of excess zinc. better to aim for that sweet middle ground of optimal. it's pretty important to have your bloodwork monitored if you're going to supplement zinc. other options are to boost the intake of zinc-rich foods.

if you check out the thread 'ms, zinc, boys, girls, and controls', you can see the chart which will give you a sweet spot to aim for.