Boomer Beat | Men Go Through Menopause, Too! It's Called "Andropause"

Menopause comes as no surprise to women in their 40s and 50s, when the sudden onset of hot flashes, night sweats and other obvious symptoms make their lives unpleasant and signal the beginning of “The Change.” Menopause is brought on by age-related hormonal changes that indicate the end of a woman’s reproductive capability. Largely for this reason, it doesn’t occur to most people that similar age-related hormonal changes also occur in men. Since the symptoms men experience are more subtle and happen over time, many suffer needlessly and do not seek help that could dramatically improve their quality of life.

Experts today say as many as 25 million American males are experiencing some degree of male menopause.

Symptoms of andropause include hair loss, decreased libido, lack of energy, behavior changes, weight gain, memory loss and decrease in muscle mass and are often associated with a man going through a “mid-life crisis.” We’ve all heard jokes about the stereotypical Mr. Mid-life Crisis, the middle-aged guy who went bald, grew a paunch, bought a red sports car and ran off with a younger woman. But the condition many people think of as a male mid-life crisis is often rooted in a commonly misdiagnosed hormone imbalance. The good news is andropause, like menopause, is very treatable.

“These symptoms of andropause are nothing to laugh at and can rob a man of enjoying what should be prime years of his life,” said Dr. Jennifer Landa of BodyLogicMD in Orlando. “Testing a man’s hormone levels is one way we can determine if low testosterone is a factor and recommend a regimen of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Men’s symptoms appear over the course of a decade or more and it becomes a very slow, insidious process that they attribute to getting older. As men lose their testosterone, they begin experiencing male menopause – or andropause.”

Testosterone is essential for building muscle and retaining memory in men. When they reach their early 30s, men begin losing testosterone at a rate of one to two percent a year.

“Hormone shifts aren’t the only reason for some of the issues men can face as they age,” says Dr. Landa. “As we work with a man to determine the source of his symptoms, we also review his overall attitude, psychological stress, alcohol/narcotic usage, injuries, surgery, medications, weight and any infections. Many times, we find that a variety of things contribute to the onset of andropause, which is key to developing an individualized treatment plan. There is no magic bullet, but a combination of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT), fitness and nutrition can put a man back on a balanced track.”

So what’s a man to do? If medical exams have ruled out illness or disease as the cause of your symptoms, schedule a visit with a doctor who specializes in hormone therapy and is trained in helping patients manage andropause.

“Modern day medicine is changing the way we diagnose and treat men suffering from andropause,” says Dr. Landa. “Physicians who specialize specifically in hormone imbalance issues are playing a critical role in this movement.”

For info, see BodyLogicMD – www.bodylogicmd.com; Discovery Health – www.health.discovery.com; WebMD.com (search for “Low Testosterone”).