If you are a male aged between 40 and 45, and suffering from depression, a loss of self-confidence, lack of purpose, irritability, fear or general moodiness, you may just be experiencing the so-called male menopause. It is sometimes known as a mid-life crisis and it can have serious and far-reaching effects; it can also occur at just about any age between 35 and 70. Strictly speaking, men can’t have a menopause, as it’s defined as the point at which periods stop happening, but the name has stuck.
The male menopause has been considered a myth for some time, but recent research suggests that it is just as real as the female version. There is no doubt that most men in their mid-40s experience some or all of the feelings associated with it. These feelings are often intensified by those dramatic events that tend to occur in middle life, such as the break-up of a marriage, financial concerns, career dissatisfaction or children growing up and leaving home.
Male menopause symptoms may be caused by a deficiency of the androgen hormone (testosterone) that men tend to suffer in mid-life; leading some to call the condition the andropause. It’s estimated that by the age of 70, androgen levels in men are only about 10% of what they were during youth. This deficiency leads to one of the symptoms that most concern men during their middle age – a loss of interest in sex, although just getting older can have that effect as well.
Whether all the symptoms of male menopause are caused by this deficiency is still open to debate, although a decrease in testosterone levels also increases the chances of heart disease in a man, as well as increasing the chance of injuries due to decreased bone density. A blood test can determine whether testosterone levels are too low and need to be treated with testosterone replacement.
It’s estimated that around half of men in their 50s and almost two thirds of men aged over 60 have at least some of the male menopause symptoms that are more commonly associated with women – night sweats, aching muscles and loss of sex drive. Other male menopause symptoms include irritability, general fatigue, and loss of purpose and a vague feeling of dissatisfaction. Some men become depressed and even suicidal. Some of these male symptoms are fairly similar to those of puberty, causing some to give the condition the nickname of “middlescence”.
One problem with the male menopause is that it is something that most men would rather not discuss – especially when it comes to a loss of interest in sex. In fact many men are not even consciously aware of it, despite having some or all of the signs. Some symptoms of male menopause can be treated to some degree, although there is really no sure remedy for the vague feelings of restlessness and dissatisfaction that characterize this type of problems. Perhaps the remedy is simply to accept what is happening to you as a normal sign of aging.