The best book I have read to help me understand menopause and why there is this lack of sex drive is "The Alchemy of Love and Lust" by Theresa Crenshaw, MD. You can probably check it out at your local library or order it on the web. The book talks about how our hormones change from the time we are very young to when we are old and how it affects our life and our neurochemicals. I've tryed estratest and testosterone injections,testosterone capsules, and creams with very minimal results. Some women benefit from Wellbutrin since it stimulates dopamine which is the pleasure neurochemical. Without dopamine there is no orgasm or desire. There is very few other drugs that stimulate dopamine without causing addiction but I hope the pharmaceutical companies are working on it. Our dopamine levels decline with age at a rate of approximately 13% every decade after we hit 40 yr..Don't expect your doctor to know much or anything at all on dopamine and what it does. I have found that they know very little about neruochemicals even though there is much research out there on them. The docs know more about serotonin because they get information from the drug companies . I tryed Wellbutrin and it helped for about a month and then it made me feel irritable so I stopped it.There is some suppliments you can take to help increase your dopamine level somewhat but it doesn't make a drastic difference.

Thanks for the info Judy.  I sure wish I could find something that helps.  One of the ladies who posts on a different meno website wrote that her libido has increased since she started menopause.  She is taking Welbutrin so I think there might be something to it.  Still, I don't know of many doctors who would put you on Welbutrin just to help your sagging libido.

I hadn't heard about the dopamine/libido connection.  Thanks, will check it out.  There is a new drug on the market, Effexor, that is an SSRI that also increases dopamine levels.  For men the trouble is, though, that the desire increases and erection is maintained but ejaculation is not easily attained, if at all. (Hm might make it perfect for some women ;-)) I Don't know the effects on women - will research.Also will ask Doc who is MD and DR of Natural Medicine if she knows of a natural way to increase dopamine levels.

Low Dose Selegiline is also helpful and has a mild antidperessant effect too (effects dopamine).  At above 10 mg a day it can cause problems since it is a MAO inhibitor.  Discuss with your doctor.

I've had great success with it as a mild antidperessant and sexual enhancer since my surgical menopause.

I'm new to the board ,so I'm not sayng this will work for everyone, just something that helped me a bit.