Even if you had someone special to celebrate with this Valentine’s Day, love-making in and of itself can be a stressor. Many factors – such as fatigue, menopause, certain medications or medical conditions – can cause disturbances in sexual desire. But if you’re not ready to hop on the Viagra bandwagon, there are alternative choices that may improve your feelings of desire.

Helpful Sexual Hints to Kick-start Your Sex Drive:

• Certain foods and vitamins

  are known to help increase arousal and the production of sex hormones. Try including more sources of Vitamin A, E and B3 in your diet this month – all of which have been shown to be helpful in the desire department. Even if you don’t notice a difference, it certainly can’t hurt!

• Taking Ginko biloba supplements

  has shown to positively effect levels of sexual desire in both men and women – including those who are taking antidepressants. Ginko biloba is also known to help with circulation, which can be helpful for men in retaining an erection. There are a number of other herbal supplements that have been used by a variety of cultures for years with the purpose of increasing sexual arousal. Mothernature.com has an excellent guide if you’re considering herbal supplements.

• Consider “scent therapy”

  A new form of aromatherapy meant to excite the senses and increase arousal. Scentuelle, a small patch made with floral essential oils is worn on the wrist over a 4-week period to increase overall levels of sexual desire. Similarly, simply smelling something that helps you to reminisce about prior feelings of arousal – for instance, your partner’s perfume or a particular food – can help to create scent-based attraction. Specific scents that have shown to increase desire include cinnamon, jasmine, and peppermint.

• If you know that antidepressants are contributing to the problem,

  consider switching to one that has a lower risk of sexual side effects. Wellbutrin XL, for example, is touted as having the fewest sexual side effects in comparison to other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on the market. St. John’s wort, a natural remedy for depression, is said to also have little or no effect on sexual desire, if you’re thinking of considering this option.

[photo credit: by .tara.]