[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Pharmacology](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/) › [Drugs for hypoactive sexual desire disorder](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/classes/drugs-for-hypoactive-sexual-desire-disorder/) › Flibanserin

# Flibanserin

## Drugs for hypoactive sexual desire disorder?

Drugs for hypoactive sexual desire disorder

A bedtime tablet for low sexual desire that causes distress in premenopausal women. With alcohol it can cause severe low blood pressure and fainting.

Updated Nov 12, 2026

## Quick facts

**Group**
[Drugs for hypoactive sexual desire disorder](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/classes/drugs-for-hypoactive-sexual-desire-disorder/)

**Target**
Serotonin 5-HT1A (agonist) and 5-HT2A (antagonist) receptors

**Used for**
Acquired

**Key effects**
Dizziness and sleepiness · Nausea and tiredness

**Monitor**
Blood pressure and dizziness · Mood and alcohol use

**ATC**
G02CX02

No doses: the clinician sets them by the current guideline.

On this page

- The basics Mechanism of action
- Indications
- Adverse effects
- Pharmacokinetics
- Memory aid

- Safety Contraindications
- Key interactions
- What is monitored
- Administration and safety
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Nursing care

- Study Test yourself

- Connections Connections

## Mechanism of action

Flibanserin acts in the brain as an agonist at serotonin 5-HT1A receptors and an antagonist at 5-HT2A receptors, changing the balance of serotonin and other neurotransmitters involved in desire. How this improves sexual desire is not known. It is taken daily, not on demand.

- Activates 5-HT1A receptors
- Blocks 5-HT2A receptors
- Shifts serotonin and related signalling in the brain
- Desire may improve over weeks

## Indications

- Acquired, generalised hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women; not for men or for improving sexual performance

## Adverse effects

### Common

- Dizziness and sleepiness
- Nausea and tiredness
- Trouble sleeping, dry mouth and constipation
- Anxiety

### Serious (rare, important)

- Severe low blood pressure and fainting, especially with alcohol (boxed warning)
- Excessive sleepiness
- Allergic reactions

## Contraindications

- Liver disease
- Alcohol close to the time of a dose (see the label's timing rules)

## Key interactions

**Alcohol**
Severe hypotension and fainting; the label sets strict timing rules

**Cimetidine and proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole)**
Listed as needing review before use together

**Ginkgo, St John's wort and resveratrol**
Listed as needing review before use together

**Grapefruit and grapefruit juice**
Avoided during treatment

## What is monitored

- Blood pressure and dizziness, especially early in treatment
- Response after about eight weeks; it is stopped if there is no benefit
- Mood and alcohol use

## Administration and safety

- Taken once daily at bedtime
- Alcohol timing follows the label's rules
- No driving or machinery until the patient knows how it affects them

## Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Information on use in pregnancy and breastfeeding is limited; patients are asked to tell their doctor if they are pregnant or breastfeeding.

## Nursing care

- Take an alcohol history before treatment starts
- Teach the patient to lie down if dizzy and to seek help after fainting
- Ask about herbal products and acid-reducing medicines
- Ask about liver disease

## Pharmacokinetics

**Absorption**
Taken by mouth once daily at bedtime

## Memory aid

FLIBANSERIN: «FLIp the serotonin» (1A on, 2A off) at bedtime, and never with a drink, or you FLIP over and faint.

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## What are flibanserin's actions at serotonin receptors?

Agonist at 5-HT1A and antagonist at 5-HT2A.

## What is the boxed warning for flibanserin?

Severe low blood pressure and fainting, with higher risk when alcohol is taken near the dose.

## Who is flibanserin approved for?

Premenopausal women with acquired, generalised hypoactive sexual desire disorder; it is not for men or for improving sexual performance.

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## Connections

## Related drugs 2

- [Buspirone](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/buspirone/)
- [Trazodone](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/trazodone/)

[← Back to the class: Drugs for hypoactive sexual desire disorder](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/classes/drugs-for-hypoactive-sexual-desire-disorder/)

Educational content on how drugs work; not a prescribing guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.

Sources: [Flibanserin: MedlinePlus Drug Information](https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a615040.html) (MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine), 2026); [ATCDDD - ATC/DDD Index](https://atcddd.fhi.no/atc_ddd_index/?code=G02CX02) (WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, 2026).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/flibanserin/