Oxytocin
FDA-approved
Also known as: Pitocin
Oxytocin is a natural hormone of nine amino acids, made in the brain and released by the pituitary gland. As an approved drug, it is given by IV drip or injection in childbirth, to start or strengthen contractions and to control bleeding afterward. Research on sexual experience has used a nasal spray, which is not the approved product.
Approved for starting uterine contractions when there is a medical reason to induce labor. Examples are Rh problems, maternal diabetes, preeclampsia at or near term, or waters that broke early when delivery is indicated. It is also approved for weak labor (uterine inertia) and as add-on treatment for incomplete or inevitable abortion. After delivery, it is approved to produce contractions in the third stage of labor and to control postpartum bleeding. It is given as Pitocin by IV infusion, or by intramuscular injection after delivery. It is not approved for elective induction of labor.
How it works
- It is a chain of nine amino acids. A sulfur bridge between two of them closes part of the chain into a ring.
- It makes the muscle of the uterus contract by raising calcium inside the muscle cells. This is the basis of its approved use in childbirth.
- It also has an antidiuretic effect: it makes the body hold on to water.
- A review of mostly rodent studies, with some human work, describes oxytocin and dopamine working together in brain reward circuits. These circuits shape bonding and social behavior.
- A review of rat and human research links oxytocin and dopamine release during sex to arousal and pleasure, and, in rats, to partner preference.
Evidence
Sexual experience in healthy couples (nasal spray)
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial in 29 healthy couples, one nasal dose did not change sexual drive, arousal, erection or lubrication. It increased orgasm intensity and contentment after sex, and men reported more sexual satiety. The effects were small to moderate.
Sexual dysfunction in women (nasal spray)
In an 8-week placebo-controlled crossover trial in 30 women with sexual problems, the nasal spray used before sex did no better than placebo. Sexual function scores improved in both groups.
Caveats
- The healthy-couples trial gave single doses to people without sexual problems.
- The trial gives no support for using it for low desire or erection problems, since those measures did not change.
- Outside medically supervised labor and delivery, it is avoided in pregnancy, because it can make the uterus contract.
- Because it makes the body hold on to water, large amounts of fluid during treatment can lower blood sodium. Severe water intoxication with seizures has occurred with IV infusion in labor.
References
This page is for education only. It is not medical advice. Decisions about any treatment belong with a physician who knows your history.