Andropause
Testosterone assessment | Andropause treatment | TRT
Andropause
Testosterone deficiency
More and more men have questions about testosterone treatment and/or testosterone therapy. They wonder if the various symptoms they are experiencing could be related to andropause and if they could improve with testosterone treatment.
As men age, the testicles generally begin to produce less testosterone. This happens to all men to varying degrees, but men differ in the extent of the decline in testosterone levels. Men also differ in how their bodies respond to a given decline in testosterone.
Please note:
Younger men seeking to increase their testosterone levels are becoming increasingly interested in this treatment. Although we assess symptoms and check blood testosterone levels accordingly, we do not routinely prescribe testosterone replacement therapy to younger men with normal or borderline testosterone levels. Sexual symptoms should always be evaluated and can usually be managed without hormone therapy.
Truly low blood testosterone levels usually cause a constellation of symptoms (a syndrome) that may include low libido (low sex drive), lack of energy, irritability, depression, poor concentration, loss of physical strength, and decreased muscle mass. Sometimes erectile dysfunction is present. This syndrome, combined with laboratory results indicating low testosterone levels, is often referred to as andropause or testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS), which is the term we prefer.
As you can see, the symptoms involved can be quite vague and may overlap with many other conditions. These symptoms often appear when our lives are too busy or stressful. This can complicate the diagnosis of testosterone deficiency/andropause.
