Let’s Talk About Your Sex Life
This month's newsletter focuses on a topic that is sometimes hard to discuss but is tied to health and well-being. It's August, and rising temperatures can mean fewer layers of clothing, which can be liberating or, conversely, if you aren't feeling your best, can accentuate feelings of sexual dysfunction. Sexual health can be a crucial indicator of relationship success. If not your relationship with your partner, your relationship with yourself. The Mainline Wellness narrative emphasizes the importance of health optimization, and part of that is what's happening in your bedroom. Iron deficiency (ID) and Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) can wreak havoc on your libido. If you are experiencing a lack of desire or challenges with pleasure, it could be an indication that your iron is low. Iron health and sexual health can be very closely connected.
How do Iron Deficiency and Iron Deficiency Anemia affect arousal?
Feelings of fatigue and lethargy are common among patients with ID or IDA. If you don't have energy, sex can feel like a chore. It can be hard on relationships when one partner's libido outstrips that of the other, putting pressure on the relationship. Treating ID and IDA as priorities can influence how you relate to your partner. Intimacy in marriages and relationships can be improved when one partner addresses underlying health issues. Improving iron levels with oral supplements or IV iron can positively address energy levels. When you have more energy, arousal is easier to achieve.
Can it be more challenging to orgasm if you are suffering from Iron Deficiency or Iron Deficiency Anemia?
The short answer is yes. For a longer answer, Mainline turned to the Oxford Academic Sexual Medicine Review, which states that "iron is crucial for cellular functions, including energy projection, metabolism, DNA replication, and a range of functions in which iron is an enzymatic cofactor. The most common signs and symptoms of iron deficiency are weakness, tiredness, difficulty concentrating, and impaired work productivity. Unsurprisingly, these factors are closely linked to sexual function."
If I discover that I do have Iron Deficiency or Iron Deficiency Anemia and I get an iron infusion from Mainline Wellness, when can I expect to see improvement in my sex life?
Typically, clinical improvement starts 3 - 4 days after your first infusion and should continue until 12-14 days after the infusion(s). There could be other factors contributing to sexual dysfunction, but if ID or IDA are the critical factor, sexual health will correlate with overall biological improvement.
Summer Appointment Openings!
Please contact our clinics in False Creek and Surrey. We have openings available and can often accommodate last-minute requests.
Don’t have a doctor?
In 2023, Mainline Wellness and Well Health partnered to establish DHAD. As the name suggests, DHAD allows patients to have a free consult with a physician if they believe they are a candidate for IV iron but don't have a GP or their care provider is not comfortable referring for IV iron. Click the button below to request a free consult with an independent specialist from Well Health.
Last summer, Mainline interviewed Well Health's Dr. Sam Gharbi. He spoke about infusion treatment providing a transformational shift in patient wellbeing and in the interview cites strengths and weaknesses in the medical system and why he thinks the ball has been dropped when it comes to treating patients with iron deficiency. Read the candid interview here.
About Mainline Wellness
Mainline’s mission is to offer fast, safe, friendly, and comfortable iron infusion services for patients and referring physicians across the Lower Mainland. By reducing wait-times and providing timely access, the Clinic aims to boost patient well-being and overall physical health while decreasing the burden placed on hospital infusion services.
Do you have questions about iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia? Email Mainline Wellness at info@mainlinewellness.ca
Do you think you might be iron deficient?
Here are some symptoms to look for:
Low energy
Chronic napping
Pale skin
Heavy or irregular periods
Cold hands and/or feet
Restless legs
If you experience any of these symptoms, you may have low iron or be anemic. Make an appointment with your health care provider to get your iron checked. Taking steps to treat iron deficiency and anemia is simple. If you have questions or wish to find out more about how an iron infusion may help to address iron deficiency and anemia, the team at Mainline Wellness is happy to help and can be reached by phone at 604-876-2344 or email at info@mainlinewellness.ca.
Mainline's Patient-Centred Approach
At Mainline Wellness, we are focused on improving the awareness and understanding of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia in Canada to help more patients get the help they need – preoperative or otherwise.
We are committed to offering safe, timely, and accessible ER physician and nurse supervised iron infusions. Speak to your healthcare provider to see if iron infusions may be helpful for you. Treatment can begin within one week.
Our Locations
Vancouver
672 Leg in Boot Square
Vancouver, BC V5Z 4B4
by Appointment Only
Phone: 604-876-2344
Mainline Vancouver is accessible by pedestrian traffic only. Street parking is available nearby, and parking lots are accessible from these streets:
- Cambie Street (7 minute walk)
- 2nd Ave (3 minute walk)
- Moberly Road (1 minute walk)
Surrey - Now Open!
Suite 301, 9639 137A Street
City Center 2
Surrey, BC V3T 0M1
by Appointment Only
Phone: 604-900-7007 Ext. 100
Mainline Surrey is located in City Centre 2, immediately adjacent to City Centre 1 at the heart of the Health and Technology District in Surrey, British Columbia. We are on the 3rd floor, Suite 301, within iScope.
Patient Safety
Our clinic is run according to the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons Class 3 Facility Safety and Equipment guidelines.
All clinical staff have active Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification and years of experience working in urban emergency departments.