What About My Libido, Doc?
Symptoms of the male menopause
From the beginning of human record, priests, saints, medicine men, farmers and sultans have been demonstrating how clear-cut, sure and simple it is to take the vigour of animals and men away. How? By removing their testicles.
The testicles in the human are the production site of the male hormone, testosterone. The ageing process in men is accompanied by a significant decrease in available levels of this hormone. This is probably due to decreased activity of these hormone-producing cells and a reduced blood supply to the testes.
Androgen (male hormone testosterone) deficiency in men may lead to loss of strength and energy, a decrease in muscle mass, osteoporosis, a decrease in sexual activity and, in some cases, changes in mood and cognitive function (thinking). This combination of factors often results in impaired quality of life.
The classical symptoms and signs of this deficiency include:
• decreased sex drive
• erectile dysfunction (impotence)
• decreased muscle mass and strength
• increased body fat in men up to 70 years old
• memory dysfunction
• decreased appetite
• decreased hair growth
• bone weakness
• decreased amount of red blood cells.
This group of symptoms represents the classical presentation of testosterone deficiency in the "male menopause".
Low libido and male menopause
Doctors who deal predominantly with older men see these kinds of symptoms quite frequently. They have coined a term for this group of symptoms calling it "male menopause". There appears to be a significant correlation between these symptoms and the ever decreasing level of the male hormone testosterone in the body.
It has been recognised for years that a low level of testosterone is associated with a low level of vitality, especially libido. The symptom of low libido along with a biochemically-measured low level of testosterone is called, "male hypogonadism". This means that the gonads (testes) of the patient do not function properly and they do not produce sufficient testosterone. However, not everyone with these symptoms has a measurably low level of testosterone.
It is possible that the testes are producing faulty testosterone, so that even though the testosterone level in the blood is normal, the target organs on which the hormone works may not react to its presence appropriately. The tissue of the target organs may also prove to be insensitive to these "normal" levels and will require a higher concentration of testosterone to achieve the same effect. This can be proved to some degree. A number of patients who experience these symptoms, but do not have a low level of testosterone, respond well to testoterone replacement therapy.
Before your doctor embarks on treating you for male menopause, it"s important that he excludes the presence of "mid-life crisis". This is not associated with a reduction in male hormone and is unlikely to respond to hormone replacement therapy.
*51\4*
