The Blahs, or Maybe Something Else

Not all men experience a drop in testosterone levels and sperm counts between the ages of 45 and 55, the time of life considered male menopause. Some men remain sexually active until 80 or older. Others find that at midlife, while struggling with heart problems, prostate disease, or diabetes, they suffer from fluctuating hormone levels, low libido, and depression.

Unlike menopause in women, men do not experience specific events like hot flashes and similar symptoms signaling the start of andropause. The only way to know for sure that a man is going through male menopause is by testing hormone levels, sperm counts, and other biochemical indicators of men’s health.

Body, Mind and Spirit

In general, characteristics of andropause tend to be similar to those of male aging. The most common signs are: reduced sex drive, infertility, decrease in spontaneous erections, loss of pubic or body hair, swollen breasts, small or shrinking testes, height loss, thinning bones, reduced muscle mass, sleep apnea or other sleep problems, mild anemia, and increased abdominal fat.

From a behavioral perspective, men often lose their self-confidence and motivation to stay engaged and committed to a career or relationship at this time. They may feel sad or depressed, have increasing difficulty concentrating and remembering things, as well as staying on task. Taken together, the changes suggest falling hormone levels and a growing sense of personal powerlessness. This change of life for men is typically interpreted in our culture as a “midlife crisis.”

Taking Ownership

It can take a medical crisis to get a man’s attention, and then they may rely too much on physicians to tell them what is wrong. In doing so, men give up personal responsibility for looking out for themselves, and distance themselves from their feelings and condition. Men can become desensitized to their dysfunctions and pay too little attention to what they are eating, drinking, and doing. They may think they are taking care of themselves by remembering to get their annual medical examination. But while given tests such as, PSAs (prostate), cholesterol, and stress EKG (heart), with valuable information charted and kept on file about their health, tests don’t really get at what is wrong. If the test results are within normal limits, men may use that as a rationale for not paying attention to their bodies, heads, and hearts for another year.

Andropause as a New Beginning

Every major change in life is an opportunity to deconstruct past choices and reconstruct your life so it makes more sense for you now. When you make these types of changes, losses can turn into gains, and victimhood into courageous rebirth. For most men, the greatest opportunity for change occurs between the late thirties and mid-forties. Because each person is unique genetically, physically, socially, and psychologically, no two men will have exactly the same needs, vision, or desires, nor see the same path to opportunity. But the challenge alone can ignite your fires, if you take it on.

The most difficult thing to do is to trust your inner recognition of the need for change, and not let fear or uncertainty hold you back. Fear of the unknown is what knocks most of us off our game. Self-transformation requires a willingness to put your life on the line instead of continuing to play it safe, to risk everything and gamble on the moves that feed your dreams. Trust that you have an onboard computer that will give you feedback on your situation, and provide guidance on how to program your body for optimal health and satisfaction. But you have to tune in in order to hear it.

To begin changing your life, start by looking in the mirror at your physical body. Choose what you would like to change first. Is it your weight, your energy and stamina, or your upper body strength? If you choose to lose weight and start eating smarter, you will see and feel results in a matter of days. If your choice is to exercise regularly, within one week you will feel more energetic, balanced, and flexible. The only limit to what you can accomplish is your imagination and your commitment to change. Your body has an almost unlimited potential for reshaping and reconfiguring.

Our job as humans is to understand the operating system that is our body in order to cooperate with it effectively. The body has the ability to regenerate almost all of its cells every year. It also has the capacity to maintain functioning even in extreme conditions. However, if your mind feeds it the wrong information by your attitude, it can derail itself almost instantaneously. As an operating system, body and mind work together only as well as the nourishment, instructions, and information fed into them.

Is it Andropause?

Experts say that as many as 5 million men may be experiencing andropause now. But is it andropause or something else? The symptoms of testosterone deficiency are hard to distinguish from common chronic diseases that affect men in midlife, such as liver disease, kidney problems, and underactive thyroids. Side effects of medications can cause similar symptoms, and so can excessive alcohol and drug use. Dramatic life changes such as divorce, job loss, financial problems and serious illness can turn your life upside down and be a real “downer.”

Andropause Treatments

Testosterone therapy may seem like a quick fix for these problems, but the benefits are not well defined and the treatments could trigger prostate cancer. For men with very low hormone levels, testosterone replacement therapy might be warranted over the short-term, but it isn’t appropriate for all aging men. For men with prostate or heart problems, testosterone supplements could carry risks similar to those of women exposed to hormone replacement therapy.

Herbal supplements and tonics are widely marketed to men in midlife with claims that they relieve symptoms of testosterone deficiency, but so far, none of the claims have borne out, and some of these supplements may interfere with other medications. Before taking supplements that promise rejuvenation in a capsule, check with your physician. While you may not be able to rev up your life with a pill or potion, there are some things you can do to improve your health and your zest for living.

Here are a few tips:

1. Learn to let go of “what’s eating you,” and to honestly express the deeply held feelings and fears stored deep in your gut.
2. Find a relaxation exercise that you can practice regularly. Examples that have been shown to lower blood pressure and prevent stroke are meditation and the practice of Qi Gong, a Chinese gentle martial art and moving meditation.
3. Men who are self-critical, angry, hostile, who fear losing control, have sleep issues, or have so-called Type A behaviors, have significantly higher risk of heart attacks. Divorced, widowed, separated, and men living alone who are not in intimate relationships also have higher risks. To heal your “hardened” heart, holistic physicians recommend eating a preventive, heart-healthy diet.
4. Another recommendation is to become more socially and romantically involved and less isolated and lonely.
5. Practice giving and receiving love, and forgiving yourself for prior acts of neglect or unkindness. It is time for men to “ask for directions and give women a break,” says Bernie Siegal, MD, author of Love, Medicine, and Miracles.

Ready for the next steps? Go to, Food, Hormones, and Lifestyle and follow that with Foreplay for Workouts.

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