Better Sex Tips

Courtesy of Prevention

Reason: You're Distracted During Sex
It's not just those endless to-do lists that make your mind wander. You're wired that way. According to brain scan research, women's brains are naturally more active than men's, even during sex. The reason: lower levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. "Dopamine creates the desire to go after a reward--in this case, an orgasm," explains Clayton. Dopamine also increases the flow of sensory impulses to the genitals, essential for arousal. But low levels of dopamine caused by chronic stress or medical conditions can distract you during sex.

Why Your Desire Is Lagging
Libido Enhancing Drugs

How Science Can Help
A supplement that contains the hormone DHEA
This hormone (dehydroepiandrosterone) may increase dopamine production and normally spikes right before orgasm to enhance desire and focus. Taking 300 mg of DHEA an hour before sex significantly increased both mental and physical arousal in postmenopausal women, according to a study published in the Journal of Women's Health & Gender-Based Medicine. Clayton only recommends 25 to 50 mg and warns that DHEA can affect some people's cholesterol levels, however. So be sure to check with your doctor before taking it.

A simple test for ADD
Up to 2 million adult women in the United States suffer from attention deficit disorder, which may be associated with low dopamine levels, says Daniel G. Amen, MD, a psychiatrist, brain imaging specialist, and author of Sex on the Brain. This can literally make it difficult to pay attention during lovemaking. However, "when a woman is finally treated for ADD, usually with a combination of drug therapy and behavior modification, it improves her sex life--not to mention the rest of her life as well," he says. To get a test for ADD, go to prevention.com/links.

Reason: You Have Trouble Reaching Orgasm
Women typically blame this on psychological problems, but the reasons are often physical. Poor blood flow to the genitals, for example, caused by cardiovascular conditions like diabetes or heart disease, makes it harder to have an orgasm. Another common culprit: declining hormone levels due to perimenopause and menopause. Smoking can also disrupt blood flow by constricting blood vessels.

How Science Can Help
The amino acid L-arginine
Like Viagra, this naturally occurring amino acid increases the production of nitric oxide, a chemical released by the genital nerves during arousal, sending much-needed blood to the area. Amen suggests taking 1,000 to 3,000 mg of L-arginine supplement (available at drugstores) right before sex.

A new antidepressant
The inability to experience orgasm is a common side effect of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). That's because the serotonin boost you get from these drugs decreases dopamine, which leads to sexual problems. Clayton often switches her patients to bupropion HCI, an antidepressant that doesn't affect serotonin levels, enhances dopamine function, and, in several studies of women, has boosted desire.

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