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Studies show that an array of new drugs can increase sexual desire, improve sexual performance, and even make sex more pleasurable.

A whole new range of drugs, herbs, and nutrients have been shown to improve libido and sexual performance, as well as the subjective experience of erotic pleasure.

In my last column I discussed some herbs that have been shown to possess these valuable, sexually-enhancing properties. In this column I’m going to discuss some interesting pharmacological agents that may also be able help improve people’s sex lives.

A homegrown science has been enthusiastically built around what are called “prosexual drugs,” a term coined by nutrition expert John Morgenthaler, who also coined the term “smart drugs,” for relatively safe drugs that improve cognitive function and overall brain performance--which I discussed in a column several weeks ago. “Prosexual drugs” is a term used for pharmacological agents that can improve both sexual vitality and general heath.

Many of the same drugs that improve cognitive abilities, interestingly enough, also improve sexual arousal and performance--as there is a strong link between optimal brain function, sexual vitality, and good general health. According to gerontologist and life extension researcher Ward Dean, M.D., “Anything that improves brain function is probably going to improve sexual functioning.”

I’ll just be able to touch upon this vast subject in this column, but will point you elsewhere for more information. I’m going to profile four drugs that may be able to enhance one’s sex life: cabergoline, bromocriptine, deprenyl, and LSD. At least two of these drugs--bromocriptine and deprenyl, are considered “prosexual drugs,” which also carry cognitive and general health benefits. Medical studies suggest that this may be the case with LSD too, although cabergoline falls into a pharmacological category all its own.

A fungus that grows on rye, known as “ergot,” has served as the source for a number of important pharmaceutical drugs--including cabergoline, hydergine, bromocriptine, nicergoline, and LSD--and ergot-derived drugs have developed a reputation for sexual enhancement.

Many people report aphrodisiac-like effects from ergot-dervived drugs, which is likely due to their enhancement of the excitatory neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. Raising dopamine levels is known to increase sexual arousal, but there appear to be other mechanisms operating as well.

Cabergoline is especially interesting, as it allows men to have multiple orgasms, like women, because it blocks the release of the orgasm-inhibiting hormone prolactin. Prolactin levels naturally increase with age in men, and this is often partially responsible for age-associated impotence. With cabergoline some men are able to have numerous multiple orgasms in rapid succession.

In one study with cabergoline, 60 healthy males, between the ages of 22 and 31, normally needed a break of 19 minutes between lovemaking sessions. However, after taking cabergoline, they were able to have several orgasms within a few minutes. Medical psychologist Manfred Schedlowski, who was involved in the trials at Essen in Germany, said the drug raised the libido to enable the male to orgasm again more quickly.

Cabergoline was reported to have no side effects on men during the tests, although a more recent study found that the drug is associated with an increased risk of heart failure. There may be another drawback as well. There is evidence that the release of prolactin, which surges during orgasm, promotes the growth of new neurons in the brain--a process called neurogenesis.

Researchers at the University of Calgary discovered that the release of prolactin spurs the growth of new brain cells in the front regions of the brain involved in smell. So Cabergoline may allow men to have multiple orgasms at the expense of less brain growth and an increased risk of heart failure. Sounds like a pretty tough call to me. Cabergoline is available by prescription, as well as through overseas pharmacies.

Another derivative of ergot, also known for it’s sexual enhancement properties--as well as its cognitive-enhancing abilities--is bromocriptine, which has also been shown to significantly increase the capacity for, the frequency of, as well as the subjective enjoyment of sex for many people.

Bromocriptine works by stimulating the brain’s production of dopamine (which naturally decreases with age and is associated with a decline in sex drive), while decreasing levels of the hormone prolactin (although not as dramatically as cabergoline), and increasing testosterone levels when they are low.

It appears that bromocriptine has a balancing and normalizing effect on the body’s hormonal system, which may help to reverse the hormonal changes responsible for age-related sex decline. Many physicians may not be aware of this, as it is most commonly prescribed as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease.

In my previous column about cognitive-enhancing drugs I discussed deprenyl, which is equally important in this context.

Deprenyl--which also works primarily on the dopamine system in the brain--has been shown to significantly increase both sex drive and maximum life span in aging laboratory animals, and many people have verified that at least the elevation in sex drive carries over into the human species. In addition to its aphrodisiac and life-extending properties, deprenyl has been shown to have antidepressant and cognitive enhancement effects as well.

Perhaps most significantly, deprenyl is the first pharmaceutical treatment to ever demonstrate an increase in the maximum lifespan of laboratory animals. This means that deprenyl can increase what is commonly referred to as “normal life expectancy,” in at least in one species of laboratory animals.

In several unprecedented experiments, rats showed as much as a forty percent increase in their maximum lifespans from deprenyl treatments, which is approximately equivalent to a human being living to be one hundred and seventy years of age.

In fact, all members of the placebo group were dead several weeks before the very first deprenyl-treated rat died. Interestingly enough, it was those animals that had the highest sex drives which lived the longest.

Deprenyl is currently available in the United States by prescription, and it is prescribed primarily for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease. There are some contraindications and precautions that one should be aware of before experimenting with this substance.

Some drugs, such as MAO inhibitors, should never be used in combination with deprenyl, and too much deprenyl can cause unpleasant, amphetamine-like symptoms. It is worth noting that while most antidepressants--such as prozac and zoloft--appear to inhibit sexual function for many people, deprenyl actually enhances it. I think that alone would make me less depressed.

Then there is LSD, the notorious, outlawed psychedelic drug--with a stellar medical record for safety and potential healing--that is currently being researched as a psychotherapeutic tool. I mentioned in my last column how cannabis can substantially elevate sexual arousal and erotic pleasure for many people, but cannabis is mild in these respects compared to the super-sensory-amplifying power of LSD.

From personal experience, I can attest to the fact that the blissful rapture experienced with cannabis-heightened erotic play is an order of magnitude less than what can be experienced when one has sex on LSD. On LSD, extraordinary sexual ecstasy can be achieved, which can last for hours, with many orgasms. People often report a complete physical and spiritual merging with their partner, as well as mystical, transcendent experiences that defy description. Too bad LSD is currently illegal.

Some of the other drugs worth exploring for their healthy, sexually-enhancing properties are hydergine and yohimbine. Hormone supplementation with testosterone can increase sex drive and performance in both men and women. I’ll also mention Viagra and Cialis here, just to be complete, as these drugs--and other pharmacological agents that assist with erectile dysfunction--have vastly improved many people’s sex lives.

To learn more about how drugs can enhance sex, see my article on the subject, “Chemo-Eroticism” (http://mavericksofthemind.com/chemo-eroticism), and John Morgenthaler and Dan Joy’s book Better Sex Through Chemistry.

The information in this column is presented for informational and educational purposes only. The author encourages everyone to always discuss any planned use of drugs, herbs, or nutritional supplements with their physician first.

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About this column: Catch the Buzz is a trimonthly column, running every 10 days, exploring news about cannabis and psychedelic culture in Santa Cruz. Related Topics: LSD, aphrodisiacs, bromocriptine, cabergoline, deprenyl, erectile dysfunction, pharmacology, prosexual drugs, sex and drugs, and sexuality
Please share any thoughts that you may have about combining drugs with sex. Tell us in the comments.