We’ll start with more of the basics and then below is the actual user/editorial review. Right? Have you heard of the renowned Spanish flies? Their popularity is on the rise and more and more couples are using them. Why not also try the effects of this aphrodisiac known since ancient times? That’s why my partner and I jumped at the chance – but we weren’t the only ones curious…
What is it?
This is a dietary supplementfor overall sex life enhancement, including achieving better orgasm and increasing libido. Supposedly a few drops can separate you from a great sexual adventure! Or is it? We’ll take a look at that in the review itself below (check out the individual chapters/sections of this article) – it will expand over time as my colleagues and friends respond.
If you would like to try Spanish flies, they can be bought in a range of sex shops. There are different types and brands available (HOT, Inverma – is this review, others will come out another time in the Aphrodisiacs section, Eromed, etc.). But basically they are always in the form of drops in bottles (15-100 ml) with very easy dosing.
Basic-how-to-use
The capsules are taken internally, either targeted half an hour before sexual activity, or regularly for a longer lasting and more certain effect. So, depending on the product, be sure to read the package insert carefully. It is very important not to exceed the recommended dosage. Alternatively, do not be afraid of a slight cloudiness of the product, caused by the content of important natural extracts.
The unforgettable effects of Spanish flies can be enjoyed by women and men, but check the pre-determination of the specific product. Some target only one gender.
Basic active ingredients?
The composition is mostly based on L-Arginine and Vitamin C, which are also the main active ingredients. Otherwise, Spanish flies contain natural extracts (mostly from the roots of Chinese angelica, commonly known as ginseng), water, 20% ethanol and the necessary amount of preservatives added.
Why the hell the flies?
Don’t let the name fool you, Spanish flies have nothing to do with flies. It is nicknamed so after the seemingly inconspicuous medicine fly (Lytta vesicatoria), a beetle in the mayfly family.
The males of the blister beetle secrete a secretion containing the poisonous substance cantharidin (cyclic anhydride of cyclohexanedicarbonic acid), which belongs to the terpenes, as a defence against predators.
During mating, the partners pass this venom to each other and the female passes it on to her eggs.
Historical origin
Eating blisters was known to all ancient civilizations. In ancient Rome, it was already used as an aphrodisiac and poison. It was allegedly used by Julius Caesar’s wife Octavian. In ancient China, the puffball was one of the main ingredients in bombs. In North Africa, it was used as a spice until recently and is still commonly used to flavour couscous. In the Middle Ages, its decoction was used in executions.
The powder or tincture was the raw material for medicines for a large number of diseases including rheumatism and rabies, and was further administered to women to induce abortion. The Marquis de Sade, the French founder of sadism, prescribed it to prostitutes at orgies, and until the 19th century it was sold in Bohemian pharmacies to burn warts.
What does cantharidin actually do when ingested internally?
At lower concentrations, it causes congestion of the urogenital system, aiding male erections and increased sensitivity in women. However, the use of this aphrodisiac carried a high risk of overdose, causing health problems or even death.
Externally, extracts of the blister beetle etch human skin and cause blisters, named after the beetle. Some organisms, such as frogs, are immune to cantharidin; the poison accumulates in their bodies, and they become poisonous. You will have heard of the bizarre licking of some frogs for psychedelic effects.
The composition of Spanish flies has gone through a long historical process, and you certainly don’t have to worry about the safety of using them anymore. Although the ingredients have changed, the effects remain, and with them the name that carries with it the age-old story of their creation.
And what am I saying to these specific ones? Spanish Fly Extra Cobeco
For the review, we received a couple of packs of Spanish Fly Extra 15 ml from Inverma (or the well-known Cobeco Pharma from Holland). Within the editorial office we had about 9 of them, so you can look forward to more and more tests from our colleagues = we wanted to put these rather unusual for us helpers to the test in more pairs (although it’s a pity that not in bulk)…
They match competing products in composition. Here is the transcription of its label: Water, L-Arginine 40.5 mg, Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) 15 mg (18.75% of the recommended daily allowance), preservatives: E211, E202
This is a dose that is approximately equivalent to one adult dose – which according to the instructions is approximately 15 drops. That’s about 3 ml of liquid from the bottle. So when you do the math, one bottle contains 5 doses of aphrodisiac. So 1 dose for 1 person costs about 37 CZK (calculated from the end price of 189 CZK – at the time of preparing our review). Is that a lot or a little for the effect on your sex?
What’s in action?
My boyfriend and I have taken it 7 times, so if you can count, we’ve tested almost 2 small bottles. For me, it made pleasant ripples in my lower abdomen, my boyfriend wasn’t sure of any effect in the first few doses, but he liked the testing itself, and that it was something new.
So for him I would attribute it to enthusiasm and for me? It’s easy to blame it on placebo (or the effect of our brains on a possible influencer), but hard to tell the difference.
For me (well, for a girl) it had an effect, it was nice. So for me it came on rather after three quarters of an hour – according to the manufacturer/packaging it is supposed to be dosed under the tongue half an hour before sex. By the way, the under the tongue dosing thing inspires confidence in me – CBD preparations that definitely work for us are also dosed in the same place = and they have it close to the brain (extremely simplistic of course).
So that was a late reaction for me, but it was still there, so I can recommend it for half of our couple – the other half (or my boyfriend, not my ass – though she enjoyed it too) was thrilled with my horniness, so she got a nice ride out of the effect.
