I learn something new all the time. I know way too much about the female anatomy and how it works. Today while trying to figure out why hubby is not himself I discovered all his symptoms under one heading - Male Menopause is called Andropause. He is 7 years younger than me he will be 70 in January. I had always thought the Pause for men was basically a joke. However it is very real. I had already planned on having him see the doctor and now I really will. As I think back, I imagine this began right around the time he retired, and since has become more noticeable. Their journey is a bit different than females. I will spare you info I have learned and let you look it up yourself. Anyways, to all the men out there- are you aware of this?
Andropause is much more gradual than menopause, and often begins in the thirties with a gradual decrease in testosterone levels which often accelerates with time. It is the source of the "grouchiness men feel as they age. As estrogen levels decrease (much more rapidly), females feel the effects of testosterone more, so there is often an evening or even reversal of roles in a pair. A decrease in other hormones such as thyroxine accompanies menopause which, as far as I know, does not occur to the same extent in men.
If I recall correctly, there are problems with measuring the decline in testosterone. I'm not sure of specifics, but I think that "Normal" is a very broad range. If you do replacement therapy, it may increase the risk of cancer. I had mine checked a long time ago, and know it was lower than the midpoint of the range. Since Low T is not a condition that presents a health risk, I figured I'd leave well enough alone. And I don't think there's a problem with you sharing what you've learned, @Hedi Mitchell.
"Normals" are not reliable in an aging population. Here is an example of falling T levels over time: The following total and free T range indicates the downwards trend as men age. Reference Ranges for Total and Free Testosterone Levels Vermeulen, A. (1996). Declining Androgens with Age: An Overview. In Vermeulen, A. & Oddens, & B.J. (Eds.), Androgens and the Aging Male (pp. 3-14). New York: Parthenon Publishing. The following total and free T range indicates the downwards trend as men age. Reference Ranges for Total and Free Testosterone Levels Vermeulen, A. (1996). Declining Androgens with Age: An Overview. In Vermeulen, A. & Oddens, & B.J. (Eds.), Androgens and the Aging Male (pp. 3-14). New York: Parthenon Publishing.
@Don Alaska I hope you don't mind the edit. It was cleaner than me reposting it in my comment. I'll have to see if I can find the results of the test I had done all those years ago. So what's your opinion on testosterone therapy?
I tried several times to make that edit. It would show on the "edit" screen, but when I saved it, it went back to the original funky presentation. Thanks. My opinion on T therapy is the same for all hormone therapy. You are interrupting a natural process. It usually makes one feel better, but it can have harmful side effects in the long run. I encourage post-menopausal thyroid supplements since they don't seem to cause long-term problems, but estrogen therapy has shown to present with long-term bad effects. I haven't seen documentation of long-term bad effects, but I suspect that may be because men don't complain about feeling bad as often, and no studies have been done to follow cancer following T therapy. Try it if you feel miserable.
I've yet to get the forum to accept the HTML codes for Table, but I'm not a guru...and tables are much more complicated than font codes. I pasted the data into Excel, formatted it, copied it (not screenshot), pasted it into graphics software, then saved it as a jpeg file. Regarding testosterone therapy: I agree, you are interrupting a natural process. If declining testosterone (and estrogen) are universal parts of our aging systems, then it's by design and evidence of a properly functioning system. That's why I did not pursue a "remedy" for me.
If you are 30 years old and going through the "change", that is one thing that should be addressed, but if you are 50+ you should learn to live with it I think.
I just want to stop binge-watching Steel Magnolias. A guy can only cry but so much. Why did Shelby have to die????????
I agree Don, if "you're" still going through the change after 50, put on your "big girl" panties and learn to live with it
I'd "snip" it John, then "save as" png or jpg. I use Windows though, so I don't know if Mac's got a snipping tool. Here's a link to show you how, if you don't already know how to use one: