Andropause
Menstuff® has compiled the following information on
Male Menopause
Common Signs of Male Menopause
Hot Flashes for Men?
What Men Need to Know
about Women and Menopause
Male Menopause
If you were born between 1946 and 1964, you're a boomer. There are 76
million baby boomers in the US today, and many are acting like
teenagers again. No, they haven't discovered the fountain o youth,
but their bodies are changing; they are confused about sexuality,
they are moody and they constantly question their identity. Some are
even leaving their families in pursuit of a young companion or sexier
car.
These behaviors aren't effects of puberty, although they bear a
close resemblance. It's male menopause - "middlescence" or puberty in
reserve. 25 million men in the US, ages 40-55 are experiencing male
menopause today. Obviously, the physical, emotional, sexual and
psychological changes that men go through during this time are
traumatic. Often, the dramatic life changes that these mid-life men
undergo are misunderstood, both through their own denial and because
their partner does not understand what is happening to their
once-stable relationship. But there is another side to the male's
body that is often just as distressing - their partner's experience
of male menopause.
Definition: Male menopause (also called andropause or
viropause) is a multidimensional change of life involving seven
aspects, which may have varying degrees of intensity and
duration.
Seven Areas of Male Menopause: Hormonal, physical,
psychological, interpersonal, sexual, social and spiritual.
Duration: 5 to 15 years.
Ages 31-80: average age is 44.
Number of Men Experiencing Male Menopause: In the US, over
25 million men, ages 40-55. In 20 years, the number will more than
double to over 57 million.
Who is experiencing male menopause? Baby
Boomers! 76 million baby boomers in the US born between
1946 and 1964 are changing the way we view mid-life and aging.
Question to ask:
- Does every man experience the changes?
- At what age do most men go through male menopause?
- What is testosterone replacement therapy? Who needs
it?
- Since Viagra was introduced, has it been successful in
treating erectile dysfunction?
- How do you use testosterone gel, like AndroGel?
- Do men and women ever experience menopause at the same
time?
- How can a woman convince a man that his sudden mood swings and
physical changes are signs of male menopause?
- How did the "Dear Abby" column inspire looking into male
menopause?
- Do all men who go through male menopause need medicine, like
AndroGel or Viagra?
- Will men's health issues ever be as predominant as health
concerns for women? Do they need to be?
- Why do men need to be more aware of their health?
- What are the risks if men do not begin caring for themselves
on a physical, emotional and spiritual level?
Surviving
Male Menopause: A guide for women and men, Jed
Diamond
Common Signs of Male Menopause
- Psychological: Irritability, indecisiveness and
depression.
- Interpersonal: A longing for intimacy and fear of
getting close.
- Physical: Increased fatigue, short-term memory loss and
weight gain.
- Spiritual: Great restlessness and a longing to follow
soul's calling.
- Social: Desire for close friendships and recognition of
social isolation
- Sexual: Lowering of sexual desire, erictile dysfunction's
and fears of sexual loss.
- Hormonal: Drop in testosterone, DHEA, melatonin, thyroid
hormone and others.
Hot Flashes for Men?
Yes. The caveat is that only a small proportion of men have this
during the Andropause, sometimes referred to as the “Male
Menopause”. At Menopause, women around 50 years of age start
developing hot flashes, palpitations and mood changes. Their
menstrual periods also become increasingly irregular, and eventually
when the menses completely terminate, they cross the threshold of the
Menopause. The Menopause was not well understood until the twentieth
century. Advances in laboratory medicine allowed us to understand the
hormonal effects associated with the menopause. Research has shown
that some men develop symptoms similar to menopausal women also
around 50. Men obviously do not experience a discrete physiological
event such as the termination of the menses. However, some men feel
that failure to have an erection is the equivalent of the end of
menses. This is interesting as both events may mark the end of a
reproductive life. Overall, the symptoms of Andropause are more
spread out over a longer period. In contrast, menopause occurs
generally over several months or at most a year. Other symptoms of
Andropause can include weakness, memory loss and depression. Research
has shown that there is a hormonal reason for the difference in
timing. The cessation of the menses in women is associated with a
dramatic decline in estrogen levels. Fall in estrogen levels lead to
a compensatory rise of 2 hormones-Follicular Stimulating Hormone
(FSH) & Luteinizing Hormone (LH), also called regulatory
hormones. This is an attempt by the pituitary gland in the brain to
give the ovaries the last chance to produce more estrogens. This
phenomenon is called the pituitary feedback system. In aging men, the
decline of testosterone level also lead to rises in the FSH and LH
levels. The resultant high levels of FSH and LH act on the testes and
the adrenals in attempt to produce more testosterone. In men the rise
in FSH and LH levels is much less dramatic as compared to women. The
gradual decline in testosterone in older men gradually has led to
some doctors classifying the Andropause as “Androgen Decline in
Aging Men” or the ADAM syndrome. The decline is not exclusive to
androgens alone, as other hormones such as Growth Hormone also do
diminish with age. The Andropause is not a disease but a stage of
life. Not unlike puberty, this life-changing event may have many
psychological issues that both men and women have to struggle
with.
Robert Tan, MD a Geriatrician working in the Texas Medical Center.
www.andropausemystery.com
He is also author of the book: The
Andropause Mystery:unraveling truths about the Male
Menopause
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