Male Menopause/ Mid Life Crisis
Male menopause involves a drop of testosterone production in men who are aged 50 or older. Testosterone does more than fuel your sex drive, it also fuels changes during puberty, your mental and physical energy, maintains your muscle mass, regulates your fight-or flight response and regulates other key evolutionary features.
Male menopause differs from female menopause in several ways. Not all men experience it. It doesn’t involve a complete shutdown of your reproductive organs.
Male menopause can cause physical, sexual and psychological problems. The typically worsen as you get older. They can include:
- Low energy
- Depression or sadness
- Decreased motivation
- Lowered self confidence
- Difficulty concentrating
- Insomnia or difficulty
- Increased body fat
- Reduced muscle mass and feelings of physical weakness
- Development of breasts
- Decreased bone density
- Reduced libido
- Infertility
Low levels of testosterone is associated with male menopause has been linked to osteoporosis. This is a condition where your bones become weak and brittle. Unless male menopause is causing you severe hardship or disrupting your life, you’ll probably manage your symptoms without treatment. The biggest hurdle may be talking to your doctor about your symptoms.
The most common type of treatment of symptoms is making healthier lifestyle choices. For example, your GP might advise you to:
- Eat a healthy diet
- Get regular exercise
- Get enough sleep
- Reduce your stress
These lifestyle habits can benefit all men. After adopting these habits, men who are experiencing symptoms of male menopause may see a dramatic change in their overall health.
If you’re experiencing depression, your doctor may prescribe antidepressants, therapy, and lifestyle changes.
Hormone replacement therapy is another treatment option. However, it’s very controversial. Like performance-enhancing steroids, synthetic testosterone can have damaging side effects. For example, if you have prostate cancer, it may cause your cancer cells to grow. Speak with your doctor/neurologist about hormone replacement therapy and how that can affect your anti-epileptic drugs, weigh all of the positives and negatives before making your decision.