Not Tonight Hun, It's the Andropause

Is male menopause real or just a medical condition that’s been created to push more pharmaceutical drugs? Can male menopause be diagnosed by a physician or can you self-diagnose yourself from reading a Q and A from GQ?

Female menopause is technically a term used when a permanent pause in the menstrual cycle starts signalling an end to the production of estrogen in the body. This normally happens between the ages of 45 to 50.

Well folks, there really is such a thing as male menopause, called andropause, that causes a hormonal change resulting in loss of libido, erectile dysfunction(!), fatigue and/or depression. With males, on the other hand, the hormones never turn off - they just start steadily decreasing about 1% a year starting in the late twenties to early thirties.

Andropause was coined to denote changes in androgen, which is used to describe hormones such as testosterone. It’s very difficult to test for andropause and a lab test that determines a man’s testosterone levels is used. The questions is - how low is low testosterone?

It used to be that andropause was diagnosed when a man’s sex life and drive diminished but evidence suggests that lifestyle and dietary habits have a greater effect on a man’s desire for sex than a hormonal condition.

So what can you do if you suspect you have andropause? Seeing a doctor is the first step. Changing your diet, exercising and taking natural testosterone supplements such as tribulus terrestris can make a difference in your well-being as well.