But, I heard this term last week from an MEA alum referring to her spouse who was in the midst of andropause, the male complement to menopause. So, let’s unpack the myths and realities of this midlife men’s transition (for a great review, check out MEA alum Greg Scheinman’s article on the topic in his Midlife Male online magazine). Here’s a paragraph from Greg’s article:
“Here’s what’s crazy – I’m the guy who digs deep into health research. I’m the one friends come to for advice about getting fit and staying sharp. Yet here I was, dealing with symptoms I couldn’t quite pin down, thinking maybe I was just losing my edge. The fatigue that coffee couldn’t fix. The workouts that stopped delivering the same results. The mental fog that rolled in despite my meditation practice. The mood swings that had my wife and dogs looking at me sideways.”
And a later excerpt:
“Why isn’t every men’s health podcast talking about andropause like women’s health platforms discuss menopause? We’re out here thinking we’re losing our mojo, feeling isolated and confused, when actually we’re going through a natural transition that affects literally every man on the planet.”
So, what does “going andro” mean? According to this MEA alum, her husband used to be trim and now had a potbelly, he used to be a tiger in bed and now was a kitten, and he used to have predictable emotions and now was unpredictable and – even more – uncommunicative. “He’s become a damn couch potato!” She thought he was just depressed until she stumbled on the word “andropause” when doing some AI research.
Yes, male menopause is a thing, but it’s much more subtle, gradual, and less pervasive than what women go through (and, of course, men still have the ability to procreate nearly their whole life). Some men even welcome being let out of testosterone prison as they feel less driven by their heat-seeking missile. Men’s testosterone levels generally fall about 1% a year after age 40. But most older men still have testosterone levels within the standard range. Only about 10% to 25% of men have levels thought to be low.
You can test testosterone levels, but many doctors don’t do that. If you have low testosterone, you’ll likely have more testing of the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is a kidney bean-sized gland that sits at the base of the brain. It is part of the body’s endocrine system. This system includes all the glands that make and control hormones. Healthcare professionals use pituitary gland testing to help find out whether the low testosterone is due to aging. Testing also can rule out low levels of other hormones.
As many of you know, I experienced nearly two years of acute andropause with all of the symptoms of menopause – night sweats, hot flashes, emotional and mental fog – due to being on hormone depletion therapy because of my stage-3 prostate cancer. I felt like I could lead a new movement called “Libido Liberation” due to the fact that I completely lost my sex drive with almost no testosterone in my body. Recently, I’ve heard a MAHA doctor who doesn’t like this cancer treatment protocol call this “pharmaceutical castration.” Yes, at times, I’ve felt like a eunuch. Thankfully, my testosterone is starting to come back, even though my libido is still playing hide and seek.
In sum, thankfully, menopause is having its moment and getting the attention it deserves. But, more men (and their wives) need to understand the sly, slippery, and stunting (at least to your ego) effects of andropause and we need to learn to talk about it as well. Feel free to share this post with a friend who needs it.
-Chip
P.S. Here’s a good piece of news. After a bunch of testing on Tuesday, I found out that the remaining cancer I have in my body (which isn’t a lot and has been dormant and not growing) is starting to go into remission! In other words, the cancer is shrinking. There’s no guarantee it’ll continue to do that, but it gives me even more incentive to continue to be healthy so that I can graduate from Cancer School.