Hello Renegadesoldier,
Testosterone naturally drops as men age, starting around age 35, and
can make men moody and irritable. ??aging male syndrome (AMS), also
called male menopause, andropause, viropause, male climacteric, and
late onset hypogonadism . Men go through AMS between the ages of 35
and 65 (normally between 40 and 55) when their hormone levels
(especially testosterone) go down. Testosterone is a hormone that
helps maintain sex drive, sperm production, pubic and body hair,
muscle, and bone. Testosterone levels decrease over time. This decline
is normal in healthy males as they age. Unlike women who lose their
fertility (ability to get pregnant) when they reach menopause, men do
not lose their fertility. All men have different experiences? some
men?s hormone levels go down more than others, and some have more
symptoms than other men.?
This government sponsored site recommends having a testosterone blood
test, drawn in the morning. The test result can be especially useful
if you have had a baseline result from an earlier test, for
comparison. Your doctor can advise you of your levels and decide if
you need supplemental testosterone, which comes in various forms,
including injections. Patches and gels, among other forms. It is not
clear if testosterone is completely safe either.
Please check this site, and all the links for complete information.
When searching for information on your own, steer clear of sites that
sell testosterone or supplements ? data on such sites can be
unreliable and skewed.
http://www.4woman.gov/mens/topics/aging.cfm
?Feeling tired and grumpy? Could it be hormonal?
For normal, healthy lifestyle and sexual functioning, men need to
produce a regular amount of testosterone. Testosterone not only has an
effect on the physical, but also emotional and mental aspects of men's
health and quality of life.
Decreased energy, mood swings, irritability, poor concentration,
reduced muscle strength or bone density, and a low interest in sex may
be signs of low testosterone levels, a condition also know as
'androgen deficiency'.?
?Symptoms and signs of testosterone deficiency may include:
?Fatigue and low energy levels
?Thinning of bones or 'osteoporosis' leading to increased risk of
fractures, hot flushes
?Irritability
?Depressed mood
?Reduced sex drive.
?Androgen deficiency is treated by testosterone replacement using
tablets, implants, or patches. Untreated, testosterone deficiency is
not usually life-threatening, but treatment can reverse the symptoms
of androgen deficiency and is particularly important in maintaining
bone mass.
CAUTION! - Testosterone may be offered as an 'instant cure' for the
ageing male. Younger men may believe testosterone or other anabolic
steroids can transform them into 'Superman' - lean, muscular, strong.
If a small dose is good, more is better... right? - WRONG!?
http://www.dva.gov.au/health/menshealth/04_hormones.htm
?The newly recognised condition of irritable male syndrome plays havoc
with male animals, temporarily turning confident, chest-beating
Tarzans into withdrawn, grumpy wimps. And there's some evidence that
irritable male syndrome, which is triggered by a sudden drop in
testosterone, affects men as well as animals, says Gerald Lincoln of
the Medical Research Council's Human Reproductive Sciences Unit in
Edinburgh, Scotland.
The symptoms may resemble those of the so-called male menopause, but
Lincoln believes the condition can affect men of any age when stress
causes testosterone levels to plummet. If he's right, it's not just
women who have their hormonal ups and downs.?
?Clearly, the jury's still out when it comes to people. But if
irritable male syndrome does affect men, diagnosing it won't be easy.
It's far from clear what normal testosterone levels are, while extra
doses of the hormone may increase the risk of heart disease.?
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn1980
?Men's mood swings may be down to a sudden drop in the male hormone
testosterone which, the theory says, affects their brain and therefore
behaviour.
Some scientists believe that middle-aged men go through a menopause, as women do.
But Gerald Lincoln of the Medical Research Council's Human
Reproductive Sciences Unit in Edinburgh believes stress can cause men
of any age to suffer testosterone levels to plummet, affecting their
mood and behaviour.?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1844648.stm
?If your doctor tells you that you need an orchiectomy, dont freak
out. It may cause you some issues, but in most physical instances, the
orchiectomy should not affect you in any way other than minor post
operative recovery. One testicle is all that is needed to do all the
things that you have always done. You will be able to return to your
normal sex life soon after recovery from the orchiectomy - a minor
surgery. Yes it is minor, infact an orchiectomy is almost always done
in an outpatient facility, which means you wouldnt even need to stay
in a hospital for a night. Most men can even father children after an
orchiectomy with only one testicle - ask your doctor about possibly
banking sperm, prior to the orchiectomy just as a precaution.?
This site has great information about the surgery as well! Please read
the entire site!
http://www.tc-cancer.com/orch.html
Take care of your heart too!
?Men get cardiovascular disease (CVD) more often than women, and this
has been blamed on the male sex hormone testosterone. Although women
have more CVD after the menopause than before it, suggesting a
protective influence of female hormones such as estrogen, CVD is still
more common in men than in post-menopausal women of the same age.
It's been shown, however, that testosterone may have a good effect on
other cardiac risk factors; for instance, low testosterone is linked
with high levels of insulin, something that's seen in CVD. Men with
low testosterone levels are often more obese, have raised blood
pressure and blood glucose levels, as well as raised cholesterol
levels. And there's some evidence that low testosterone is associated
with an increased risk of CVD and stroke.?
?Free testosterone levels below 10 pg/mL in men with symptoms of
weakened sexual development (hypogonadism) are generally treated by
testosterone replacement therapy. Roughly half the men in this study
had levels below this threshold point. Should they receive
testosterone replacement? This is still open to question. There still
isn't enough good evidence to show that a low testosterone is
associated with an increased risk of a heart attack or stroke.?
?However, the findings from this and other studies mean that it's time
to do some well-planned and well-conducted clinical trials of
testosterone replacement therapy in men at risk of heart attack and
stroke who have levels of the hormone well below normal.?
http://www.healthandage.com/public/health-center/28/article/3047/gm=20!gid2=2532
I hope this answer has been informative! Please request an Answer
Clarification if anything is unclear!
Sincerely, Crabcakes
Search Terms
Orchiectomy + testosterone levels
Male menopause
Low testosterone levels + moody
testosterone levels + testicular cancer |
