Andropause: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Andropause, often referred to as ‘male menopause,’ describes the natural depletion of men’s hormones, predominantly testosterone, as they age. This causes a selection of unpleasant symptoms in men once they go past the age of around 50, which affects erotic stimulation, alongside causing physical, mental, and emotional changes.  

Symptoms of andropause

As testosterone depletes at around 1-1.5% per year, men may experience a range of symptoms that can include:

• Loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, and infertility
• Fatigue and low energy
• Muscle weakness and reduced muscle mass
• Depression, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and low self-confidence
• Increased or redistributed body fat
• Breast pain or breast growth (Gynecomastia)
• Decreased testicle size
• Loss of body hair
• Hot flushes
• Osteoporosis, a condition that can enable your bones to become brittle and fragile

As men get older, the number of symptoms they experience can increase and symptoms can worsen, leading to unhappiness and increased psychological distress. So, is there a way to control or even stop the symptoms of andropause?

Treatment of andropause

Occasionally, some men find relief from the milder side effects of andropause by making lifestyle changes. However, most men, especially if they are experiencing more severe symptoms find that the only reliable solution is to replace the lost hormones – restoring balance and harmony within the body. Unlike HRT, bioidentical hormone replacement (BHRT) restores the lost hormones using body-identical natural hormones, alleviating the debilitating symptoms of andropause with a lack of side effects. This doctor-led process returns your natural hormone levels using blood test analysis, rather than issuing hormones in the one-size-fits-all style of traditional HRT. If you would like to find out more about the effectiveness of BHRT versus standard HRT for andropause treatment, click here.