Male Menopause?!?

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Yes - you heard me correctly.

Men go through a type of “menopause” too. The term we more commonly hear for men is Andropause.

Now you may not be throwing off the covers one minute and curling back up in them the next but men also have very common clusters of symptoms that indicate your testosterone levels may be less than optimal.

How can I tell if my levels are low?

These symptoms can be tricky to detect because they can be pretty common experiences a lot of guys go through. If we had to give it a name maybe “Cranky Old Man” syndrome would apply.

  • Irritation - getting angry easier than usual,

  • Fatigue - you’re waking up more tired int he morning and if you don’t have that 2pm coffee it’s a slippery slope into nap time.

  • Low motivation - less drive to “go after it”, get things done. Feeling like you “should” workout but don’t feel like it. And if you do workout - not seeing the physical gains you would expect for the work you’re putting in.

  • Recovery - It takes longer and there’s more aches and pains than there ever used to be, -Sitting on the couch and vegging out sounds better and better these days. Even if you know you should be doing more.

  • Depression/Anxiety Insomnia - sleep becomes more inconsistent Sexual function changes - lower desire, erection satisfaction decreases, less sensitivity, can’t achieve orgasm.

Sex is still Ok, does this mean my testosterone is fine?

Most people think of testosterone and immediately think about sex. Interestingly there are lots of guys who may have low testosterone symptoms and feel sexual function is great.

Many guys however start to notice some changes sexually even if they’re mild. It can be difficult to assess Is it just a long term relationship thing? Is it just “getting old”? Your partner walks by and when you used to want to run immediately to the bedroom, now you ask them to hand you the remote. Sex is still OK, you can get an erection. It may not be as hard as it used to be. You may not have as big a climax as you used to, but it can still happen.

These scenarios are functional, but are not necessarily optimal. What are other risks associated with low T? We know low testosterone levels not only effect sexual and physical health but also can lead to depression, anxiety and cardiovascular risks. And just like all symptoms in the body - they are interconnected together and can indicate imbalances in other areas of the body as well. If erection function is off - it can give us clues not only about low T, but also about cardiovascular health, diabetes risk and cholesterol levels.

You still need to pay attention to the basics - diet, exercise, sleep, stress management. But it’s much easier to get to the destination of health when your hormonal gas tank is full. If T is optimal, you have more drive to workout, better mood, which all make it easier to make healthy lifestyle choices. Not to mention the health benefits of regular intimate interactions are well known.

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What causes low T?

All humans experience a decline in hormones as we age - it’s our biology. Additionally there are things that can fast forward hormone levels dropping. Stress - this is a major one. The building blocks of Testosterone are also used to make stress hormones. Which do you think the body is going to prioritize? Sorry guys - even though you would vote Testosterone, the body is going to default to fight or flight mode. Stress response = survival. The issue is, lots of us live in chronic stress responses depleting our testosterone building blocks over time. Hormone levels decline at a rate that was appropriate for humans for a millennia. Since the industrial revolution, human lifespan has changed, as has our desire to live longer, active lives. Humans are wanting more out of our later years, unfortunately our biology just hasn’t caught up yet.

Can I have low T if I’m younger?

Yes! There are risk factors causes such as head trauma, high stress levels, genetic predisposition, exposure to toxins/chemicals, certain medications, nutrient deficiencies, lifestyle choices and more that can all lead to a younger man having deficient testosterone.

So why did my doctor tell me my levels are normal?

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Certain medications can increase something called Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG). Imagine a sticky substance floating around the body carrying testosterone. If you have a high amount of SHBG, there is less available for the receptor sites in the body and less stimulation of testosterone functions. Imagine we drop a sponge into a gas tank. A small sponge will soak up a little, but the car will still get the gasoline it needs. Now imagine we drop a super size sponge in. The gas tank would still read full, but less gasoline will circulate in the engine and there are going to be problems. This is why guys can have “normal” total testosterone levels but still have sub optimal available testosterone levels or free testosterone.

What do I do if I think my T is low?

The best part is - we don’t have to guess! A simple blood test with total testosterone, SHBG and free testosterone will give us a very clear picture of how much you have, how much is bound up and how much is actually available to the body.

Contact us today to get started and find out how to optimize your hormones to live your best life!

jeanie Clemmer