Other News Video |
Testosterone Drop Triggers 'Male Menopause'
Dwindling Sexual Drive Among Effects
POSTED: 10:37 a.m. PST November 20, 2003
UPDATED: 11:06 a.m. PST November 20, 2003
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Hot and cold flashes and cranky, erratic mood swings are symptoms some doctors say their male patients complain of -- the same symptoms experienced by menopausal women.
Doctors say one of the most troubling side effects of so-called male menopause is a dwindling sexual drive.
At the age of 20, most men feel they are just getting started with life, but few realize they are gradually losing testosterone -- the male hormone that makes a man a man.
"For the majority of men the male hormone level stays in the normal range. It may drop as much as 50 percent between age 20 and age 80," endocrinologist Dr. Murry Gordon said.
When it happens as a natural part of aging, it needs no treatment. But for some men, low testosterone signals a medical condition called hypogonadism. Its symptoms are similar to those that women have during menopause: hot flashes, fatigue, weakness, depression, erectile dysfunction, loss of muscle tone and osteoporosis, which leads to bone fractures.
For Day Werts, it was something more worrisome.
"The problem was a complete lack of interest in sexual activity ... and it bothered my wife more than me," Werts said.
Werts was suffering from secondary hypogonadism, which is caused by a problem with the pituitary gland. It's the master gland that controls all hormonal function in the body.
An MRI revealed that part of Werts' pituitary gland was missing. In his case it just happened, but a severe blow to the head, stress or alcohol can also cause the condition. Either way it is treatable with hormone replacement therapy.
"You can improve bone density by treating men with low testosterone, you can improve libido, you can improve sexual functioning, you can improve hot flashes, you can improve levels of energy," Gordon said.
Hormone replacement comes in a shot or gel and can take time.
There are no long term medical studies on testosterone therapy, and doctors warn that replacing testosterone can cause prostate levels to rise, worsen prostate cancer and possibly contribute to hardening of the arteries.
Doctors say one of the most troubling side effects of so-called male menopause is a dwindling sexual drive.
At the age of 20, most men feel they are just getting started with life, but few realize they are gradually losing testosterone -- the male hormone that makes a man a man.
"For the majority of men the male hormone level stays in the normal range. It may drop as much as 50 percent between age 20 and age 80," endocrinologist Dr. Murry Gordon said.
When it happens as a natural part of aging, it needs no treatment. But for some men, low testosterone signals a medical condition called hypogonadism. Its symptoms are similar to those that women have during menopause: hot flashes, fatigue, weakness, depression, erectile dysfunction, loss of muscle tone and osteoporosis, which leads to bone fractures.
For Day Werts, it was something more worrisome.
"The problem was a complete lack of interest in sexual activity ... and it bothered my wife more than me," Werts said.
Werts was suffering from secondary hypogonadism, which is caused by a problem with the pituitary gland. It's the master gland that controls all hormonal function in the body.
An MRI revealed that part of Werts' pituitary gland was missing. In his case it just happened, but a severe blow to the head, stress or alcohol can also cause the condition. Either way it is treatable with hormone replacement therapy.
"You can improve bone density by treating men with low testosterone, you can improve libido, you can improve sexual functioning, you can improve hot flashes, you can improve levels of energy," Gordon said.
Hormone replacement comes in a shot or gel and can take time.
There are no long term medical studies on testosterone therapy, and doctors warn that replacing testosterone can cause prostate levels to rise, worsen prostate cancer and possibly contribute to hardening of the arteries. Copyright 2003 by TheKCRAChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
