Many people are familiar with the term “menopause” for women, but did you know that men also experience a type of menopause? Although it may not be as obvious, this age-related change has been loosely referred to as “andropause”.
This is how one of my patients describes the “shift.” We’ll call him Tom.
“I never believed in “andropause” until I went through it. In my early 40s, I started noticing changes in my body, which I ignored initially. First, it was the loss of muscle mass (I had to work harder at the gym to get results). I noticed at the same time that I was losing “sharpness” in my mind. I just didn’t have that “edge” I used to have. Then my sexual performance started to change (I could perform but it was much more difficult than it used to be). I then started developing fatigue and stopped going to the gym. Soon after, I developed a tummy, some sleep issues, and mild depression. I was like “What’s going on? This is not me!”
Read more patient stories here.
The Impact of Testosterone
Whether you embrace the term “andropause” or not, male sexual hormone changes with age are a real phenomenon. Testosterone—a male’s predominant hormone—starts rising in puberty (we all know the cracking voice), and young men start to grow hair, increase muscle mass, and take on other male characteristics. It peaks in a male’s early 20s around 1,000 ng/dl (nanograms per deciliter) and drops slowly by 30-40% with age.
Testosterone is responsible for far more than muscle tone and sex drive. It functions to build and maintain a healthy body for reproduction. As described by Tom above, it affects sleep, energy, motivation, mood, brain function, muscle mass (thus metabolism), sexual function, and overall sense of well-being.
Menopause vs. Andropause
Fortunately or unfortunately, a male’s course into andropause is much more subtle than a woman’s transition into menopause.
For a female, we see age-related changes in testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. Testosterone levels peak between 18-24 years of age and then decline until menopause, which happens on average at age 51 (of course it can be earlier or later given family history). Menopause is a normal event that results in an abrupt decline in estrogen production. As estrogen levels drop, we see hot flashes, night sweats, and changes in periods (they become erratic and can be more or less frequent initially, and then stop as estrogen continues to drop). As testosterone drops, we see the same symptoms we see in andropause.
So, when thinking about andropause vs. menopause, women basically go through andropause (caused by testosterone “T” dropping) plus menopause (estrogen “E2” dropping)! For the chart below, we will just consider the E2 component.
It Doesn’t Have to Be Downhill
For both men and women going through this similar but different experience, there is a solution. It’s called Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT). Anyone you meet who has pursued BHRT will tell you it is an absolute game changer in their lives. You can identify them from their look: youthful, vibrant, healthy, well-rested, and usually in better shape than most.
People receiving BHRT feel more in control of their bodies and lives, sleep more consistently and soundly, are more interested in intimacy with their partners, have better mental clarity, and have renewed vitality and zest for life. They tend to be more enthusiastic, calm, relaxed, and stable. These folks have better bone mass, better cholesterol profiles, better muscle mass and joint health, and lower rates of cancer in general.
BHRT is a natural way to stimulate hormone production and is a quick and easy low-maintenance procedure. It really is that easy to achieve all of the above!
