As men age and lose their testosterone, an “all-nighter” means not getting up to pee!
If men could understand the joy of replacing their declining hormones with real hormones, they would be flocking to their doctors’ offices. Most men are wrapped up in the thought process that testosterone is only for guys “who can’t get it up”! Not only do men experience the male equivalent of menopause—andropause—they also experience fluctuations exactly like women from environmental stresses and the stress associated with being a man in a very competitive world.
As men hit forty (and sometimes younger), hormonal changes occur that inhibit physical, sexual, and cognitive function. The first telltale sign of a typical middle-aged man is increased abdominal fat and shrinking muscles, which is a hallmark of declining hormones. Once broad shoulders begin to shrink and droop downward, there is a loss of well-being, sometimes manifesting as depression, fatigue, alterations in mood and cognition, decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, prostate disease, and heart disease. All of these conditions are directly related to hormone imbalances that are correctable with diet, exercise, and bioidentical hormone replacement.
Even though a solution exists for men experiencing this hormonal decline, most still hide, run, and shrink from the therapy because somehow it is all tied up in their “manliness.” I feel bad as I watch older men regularly suffer the effects of hormonal decline because it doesn’t have to be this way. They lose their thoughts, run to the bathroom to pee constantly, lose their physiques, and quietly begin to fade to black rather than admit that all is not well. These men are in a state of hormonal decline, and it is correctable.
Andropause, or male menopause, is finally becoming increasingly accepted. Andropause refers to the gradual but significant loss of testosterone, DHEA, and growth hormone: There is a slow and relentless decline of testicular function and, as a result, testosterone production.
We women lose our hormones (90 percent over a two-year period), and it’s so “in our face” that most of us would do anything to relieve the symptoms. But it takes men ten to twelve years to completely drain out; in fact, it’s so gradual that they do not attribute these “symptoms” to anything but aging. Most men have not realized that aging is declining hormones and that the decline can be slowed down and in some cases reversed with BHRT. Just as menopause is the change of life for women, andropause is the change of life for men. Every hormone has a “pause.” Andropause is becoming increasingly accepted by the medical community, yet there are still many doctors in this country and around the globe who don’t buy this premise. But look around you—men are falling apart, and it is happening younger and younger.
Other andropause symptoms to watch for include
Once men understand the benefits of real hormone replacement, once they “get it,” they’ll be as enthusiastic as the women who are on BHRT. Most women I ask say they would never give up their bioidenticals. The improvement in quality of life is so drastic, and so enjoyable, that life without them would be unthinkable. Men who have gotten turned on to real hormone replacement feel the same way. All of those symptoms men start to experience can be slowed down, and in most cases reversed, with bioidentical hormone replacement of the following hormones.
Testosterone is the hormone that gives men their strength and size. Most doctors don’t realize that testosterone starts dropping for young men in their early thirties, and it’s a long, gradual decline over the years. By the time a man is seventy, he typically has half the testosterone he had when he was thirty or younger.
Most guys think that as long as they can “get it up,” all is well, and for most men the erection is indeed the last thing to go. Way before that, you experience a general loss of vitality … just a tired, worn-out feeling. Your belly starts expanding, your doctor starts telling you things like “Watch your cholesterol,” you are put on statin drugs or blood pressure medicine. Your joints start aching, and your confidence begins to wane. It is crucial that men understand that testosterone loss is serious stuff, that low testosterone increases the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Testosterone is an “anabolic steroid,” meaning that it builds bone and muscle. The heart is the largest muscle in the body, therefore testosterone is vital to keep the “heart muscle” strong and pumping. Testosterone also protects the heart by keeping cholesterol and blood pressure down. Age-related decline in testosterone closely parallels the increase in heart disease as men get older. Testosterone helps with heart conditions such as angina, and it increases blood flow to the heart.
The desire for sex as well as sexual sensation and performance is promoted by the stimulation of testosterone receptor sites in the nerves, blood vessels, and genitals.
Testosterone is also vital to the male frame; without it, the muscles begin to wither noticeably. A man who is experiencing testosterone loss can work out all day long but without results. Building muscle is impossible without testosterone. In fact, this factor alone is enough to get many men to consider replacement. No man wants his muscles to shrink. Testosterone also keeps your bones strong. Without it, a man can be prone to osteoporosis, which is not just a woman’s disease.
Testosterone protects your heart in other ways. For instance, it helps to prevent angina (pain or discomfort due to lack of oxygen to the heart muscle). Interestingly, age-related decline in testosterone closely parallels the increase in heart disease as men get older. This should tell you something.
The desire for sex, as well as sexual sensation and performance, is promoted by the stimulation of testosterone receptor sites in nerves, blood vessels, and the genitals. Low testosterone can lead to atrophy of the male genitals but can be reversed with testosterone replacement.
Testosterone is part of the template that tells the brain “All is well”—that this man is still reproductive (young). By now you know that bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is the secret to keeping your insides young and disease-free. It’s hard to understand why men are not jumping on this bandwagon, but I believe a big part of the problem is that the doctors do not understand the male hormonal system any better than they understand the female hormonal system.
Of all hormonal declines, loss of testosterone is the most common deficiency in men over age forty. Remember, a low or nonexistent sex drive is usually the last symptom to show up. Before that happens, the following changes in a man’s physical and emotional self make themselves known:
Testosterone levels are established by blood and saliva tests. For men, the optimal range for total testosterone is between 6,000 and 9,000 pg/mL—the level you typically see in young, healthy men. According to Dr. Philip Lee Miller, men feel their best when their ranges are in the upper part of the normal range. Up to 99.7 percent of the total testosterone in circulation at any given time is bound up with proteins and is not in an active form. The amount of free, or available, testosterone should ideally be around 25 to 35 pg/mL.
If your numbers come back low, a qualified doctor can prescribe bioidentical hormone replacement therapy in the form of patches, creams, gels, and sublingual tablets or lozenges, or even injections. All testosterone products require a prescription. Proper treatment can restore your levels to a normal range so that you can experience reversal of a symptom.
This hormone decline is not going to stop. You really can’t ignore it. Every year, you go into further hormonal decline, so it makes sense that your hormone replacement needs would increase each year or more often depending upon your health and lifestyle. If you find that you are irritable or “testy,” testosterone can help, just as estrogen helps women who become “bitchy.” With hormones, too much or too little and you don’t feel “right.” Seemingly from out of nowhere, those seven dwarfs pop up again: Itchy, Bitchy, Sweaty, Sleepy, Bloated, Forgetful, and All-Dried-Up. They are real, and they visit men and women alike. The goal with balanced bioidentical hormone replacement is to send those dwarfs packing.
After about age fifty or sixty, you may experience enlargement (benign prostatic hypertrophy, or BPH) or inflammation of your prostate gland, whose job is to contribute to the production of semen. The prostate is the male equivalent of a female breast; it has ducts just as in a woman’s breast, and in these ducts, testosterone makes food for the sperm. Without testosterone, prostate problems begin. No testosterone, no food for the sperm; no food for the sperm, no semen; no semen, no sex! Younger men don’t run out of sperm. Younger men don’t get enlarged prostates, and they rarely get prostate cancer. Why? Because their bodies make a full complement of hormones, including testosterone.
Prostate disease is so common that men expect it to catch up with them at some point in their lives as they age. But it doesn’t have to. You can head off prostate problems by beginning bioidentical testosterone replacement as soon as you become the slightest bit symptomatic.
Once the prostate has begun to age and wither, prostate disease has an opportunity to occur. It’s time to get your prostate checked if urination is painful or more frequent at night. This is your body talking to you … it’s a warning. An enlarged prostate is just the beginning of a downward slope. It’s another sign. I’ll say it again—young men don’t get enlarged prostates. Young men don’t run out of sperm; young men rarely get cancer. Because they make a full complement of hormones, including testosterone. Their ratio of estrogen to testosterone is in balance.
Testosterone replacement will make you feel young again, and you will enjoy the amazing health benefits: protection against heart disease, mental decline, prostate disease and prostate problems, loss of libido, and deteriorating muscles.
Mainstream medicine believes that an enlarged prostate is exacerbated by testosterone. If a man has an elevated PSA test, he is immediately taken off testosterone or is given a hormone ablation drug to stop all testosterone production. Did this happen in nature?
Enlargement of the prostate is caused by excessive proliferation of the cells in the prostate. While many doctors believe that excess testosterone aggravates BPH, numerous studies show that high testosterone levels are not a risk factor. In fact, the latest research suggests that it may actually be high estrogen levels that cause excessive proliferation of the prostate cells. New-thinking doctors are questioning this standard of care. Testosterone is your life force. When you were young and fully hormonally productive, you did not have prostate problems. It is only in testosterone decline that problems occur. Does it make sense to take your testosterone away as a means to correct the problem? Doesn’t it seem that this would make the problem worse? The absence of testosterone takes away quality of life, and it also signals to the brain that all is not well … that you are no longer a reproductive person (remember, biologically speaking, we are here to perpetuate the species, and this includes men; otherwise we are not necessary). The “new thinking” is that you want to “put back” what you are losing in the aging process to perfect balance and stop the decline.
In his book Life Extension Revolution, Dr. Miller writes, “Evidence shows that prostate disease increases precisely as natural testosterone levels decline in the aging male and that the incidence of prostate dysfunction is at its lowest at the time when lifetime testosterone exposure is peaking.” Dr. Miller goes on to say, “Maintaining healthy testosterone levels is one of the most important things a man can do to protect the health of his prostate. The newest research suggests that low testosterone in combination with increasing estrogen may be the true culprit in prostate dysfunction.”
Prostate cancer is a serious concern. Most researchers agree that high testosterone is not itself a risk factor for this cancer. However, if cancer is present, it is thought that testosterone can fuel its growth. For that reason, many antiaging doctors are reluctant to use testosterone replacement in the presence of prostate cancer. Yet in Europe, where medicine is more progressive, testosterone is actually being used as a treatment for prostate cancer with great results. Obviously more research is needed, but it makes you think: Young men make buckets of testosterone all day long, young men don’t get prostate cancer as a rule … so it doesn’t make sense that taking away testosterone in an older man would be the way to go (as many doctors interviewed in this book have concurred).
For a man to be a “man,” he must have estrogen. A male has more testosterone than estrogen, but it is the correct ratio that makes him a “man.” As men age, they lose testosterone, and in doing so, they overproduce estrogen. When there is more estrogen than testosterone, the man is no longer a male. He really can’t “get it up” at this point. Now it really is all about erections! His body becomes feminized; he develops a flabby stomach and small breasts; his voice becomes higher and softer; his vitality diminishes and his energy dissipates; he appears to give up on the world and drop out. You’ve seen this decline in men you know or in your fathers. They just aren’t the same guy anymore. To stay in the game, correct bioidentical hormone replacement is the answer. Frequently, men over fifty have estrogen levels that are even higher than those of women of the same age. Too much estrogen in the male body can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke and lead to inflammation of the prostate. To make matters worse, too much estrogen can also suppress testosterone production in the testes.
Estrogen is as important a component of a man’s hormonal makeup as it is of a woman’s. It is important to have the correct ratio of estrogen to testosterone. If a man is overweight, he can become estrogen-dominant just as a woman can, because fat cells produce and store estrogen. What’s more, exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the environment such as those commonly used in pesticides can also create an estrogen imbalance in men. Many researchers link these chemicals to the rising rates of infertility and impotence in American men. Estrogen dominance in men stimulates breast cell growth and benign prostatic hypertrophy (enlarged prostate). It is extremely important to work with a qualified doctor to replace testosterone in the correct amount with bioidentical hormones. A knowledgeable doctor will know to not only check testosterone levels through labwork, but also to get estrogen levels.
Some symptoms of estrogen dominance or excess in men include:
Excess estrogen in men can be corrected and rebalanced. Helpful changes for men with excess estrogen include proper diet, regular exercise, and, of course, bioidentical hormone replacement. Sometimes a natural testosterone/estrogen blocker such as indole-3-carbinol might be advisable.
The male body also produces progesterone, although in tiny amounts in the testicles and in the adrenal glands. Even though the amounts are small, progesterone is vital to a man’s hormonal health and helps balance the estrogen that builds up in his body.
Progesterone is a precursor, or building block, to cortisol, testosterone, estrogen, and other hormones. All hormone levels drop with age, and so does the level of progesterone, causing more depletion of other hormones. Being under stress further depletes progesterone, because stress increases the demand for cortisol. If progesterone is low or missing, you can experience symptoms such as:
To counterbalance the effects of excess estrogen, natural progesterone is often recommended for men over forty years of age or even younger, especially if there is a history of prostate cancer or BPH.
Thyroid imbalance is common in men and women of all ages. A qualified doctor can correct this imbalance with T3, T4, a combination of both, or a natural thyroid extract. Diet and exercise are also a vital part of keeping the thyroid in balance.
Here are some of the symptoms of low thyroid:
The good news is that andropause can be treated successfully and safely. It is so much easier for men to become hormonally balanced than it is for women. Men don’t have a cycle, so it’s a matter of determining the correct amounts to replace. Too much estrogen and not enough testosterone, plummeting DHEA levels, and low HGH levels are all correctable. Loss of testosterone in middle age can leave men feeling as if their life force is draining out of them, and depression is often the result.
Just as with women, the object is not to push hormone levels higher blindly, but rather to mimic the body’s healthiest prime. You don’t want hormones that are normal for your age … your age is in decline. You want the hormone levels when you were feeling your best and were at your healthiest. That is the great news. Men in their forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties, and beyond can maintain a hormonal environment similar to that at their healthiest physical peak. It’s like stopping the clock. The results are spectacular.
Men’s hormone levels need to be established by blood and saliva tests. When increased estrogen levels accompany low testosterone levels, it will show up in the blood. This testing information is important to ensure testosterone replacement is appropriate for men.
Just as with women, there is no “one amount fits all”; every man is different. It takes the skill and perception of the doctor to access the clinical picture by looking at the patient and asking how he feels. Hormone therapy is a creative collaboration between doctor and patient using not only science, but also the powers of observation, intuition, and insight that no test tube can replace. When the physician is not measuring the estrogen simultaneously to get the correct ratio, for example, testosterone can be aromatized into estrogen, thus creating the opposite effect. So do not do this on your own.
This is why you must find a qualified antiaging physician. If testosterone is not administered correctly, testosterone replacement can be useless or can drive the testosterone/estrogen ratios even lower. In an effort to get the desired effect, some men will increase their dosage to harmful levels. Unfortunately, this will not work and may even backfire. Remember that hormones must never be played around with. Too much is too much, and too little is too little. You have to find the levels that are just right. You will know when your levels are in the right balance. Your body will feel better than ever, and you will have the energy you had as a youth.
I have simplified this information for you, but I’m sure you have now gotten the message that the best friend you can have regarding your health is a qualified doctor. No matter how far you have to drive or fly, it is worth it. We’re talking about your life and your health. Hormone replacement is not a “do it yourself” proposition. You need to work with a doctor who understands the complexities of testing, hormone balance, and interaction. By reading this information, you will be armed with enough knowledge to be an informed patient and have the ability to question when something doesn’t feel right. Your doctor is not a god. Ask your doctor to please be honest with you, and when he or she doesn’t know the answer, to let you know so you can continue your search for the solution to this tricky passage. If it were only about feeling better, a lot of people wouldn’t bother, but it is the combination of feeling great and the incredible health benefits that make this effort worthwhile. This is your chance … this is new medicine; it has never been available before in the history of man. You can actually slow down the aging process. Most men are rejuvenated by this therapy, essentially feel young again. This is a true gift you can give yourself.
I look at my husband every day. He is now seventy years old and has been on bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for seven years. The turnaround in his health and vitality has been astounding. He went from being an aging man to a man with the energy of a thirty-five-year-old. His skin is thick and unwrinkled. His muscles are defined. His weight is better than it has ever been, and his waistline has returned to its youthful measurement. He has vitality, energy, charisma, sexuality, and happiness and is in perfect health. In other words, he is a “hunk.” This true fountain of youth is available for all men. It is cutting-edge, and those who jump on this bandwagon will be the winners.
Let me close this chapter with a letter from a man, Larry G., who did jump on this bandwagon. This is the kind of enthusiasm I hear on a regular basis from people who are tired of feeling tired. Those who take the leap and decide to embrace the new medicine have this kind of passion for life and their newfound health. I think you will enjoy what this man has to tell you. His results speak for themselves. And I must say I enjoyed the compliments he gave me.
Dear Suzanne,
I had just turned 65 and was feeling old and useless. I couldn’t remember who I was calling when I picked up the phone. I couldn’t remember why I walked into a particular room in my house. I couldn’t remember the stuff my wife told me to pick up on my way home. I couldn’t remember anything, not even the names of close friends.
And I was loving my bed too much, sleeping in because I was up and down all night, sweating during the night for no reason, napping a lot during the day. I was bitchy and short with colleagues and friends. And my muscles were going away after all my exercise with weights, followed by a paunchy stomach, which I had never had.
I noticed the skin on my hands thinning and starting to look like my dad’s hands. I snacked on simple carbs for energy during the day, which of course put on many pounds. I felt my libido waning, and my erections were not as dynamic or long-lasting. This is what really got me to take a good hard look at myself, my body, and my forgetfulness that I always excused with a laugh, “Oops, I am having a senior moment,” which in retrospect is not funny. It is a warning of things to come down the line: senility, Alzheimer’s, or any number of diseases of aging.
I decided to do something about it, so I picked up Suzanne Somers’ book The Sexy Years, and read about not only me and my issues, but my wife’s as well. She had just slipped into the forgetfulness thing, but not as bad as me. She was also experiencing the 7 dwarfs of menopause, but not as bad as Suzanne had.
And because my wife is my high school sweetheart, and we have a lifetime of great times, and we are very physical together, we both decided to take the Suzanne Somers’ Sexy Years journey.
My wife started first with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and felt good within a few days. I started with testosterone and then DHEA, followed by a handful of supplements and oral drops, and as of three months ago, human growth hormone.
How do I feel? I feel better physically than I have ever felt, ever! Even better than when I was in my prime. I feel biologically young, perhaps in my thirties. And I am able to do anything physically. My muscles returned. My libido returned with a vengeance, and my wife keeps looking at me with that what-happened-to-you look.
I have turned into a hiking fool and need to go straight up a mountain to get rid of this excess energy, and for the first time in my life, I am experiencing endorphins, which I love.
When I took my annual physical, which involved a stress test on the treadmill, instead of a slight decline over the previous years, which had been the case, I was 20 percent to 30 percent more fit.
My doctor is now reading The Sexy Years and recommending it to his patients.
I needed testosterone to build up my muscles, and my brain needed testosterone to function at peak performance. I don’t know where all this is going, but I love hearing from my friends that I look fabulous. A couple of them have suggested that I had plastic surgery because my wrinkles have diminished, and my skin tone glows, and I appear to have more musculature in my face. Not bad for an old guy.
Most of my doctors told me not to do anything. “Let nature takes its course. We don’t know enough about testosterone and human growth hormone yet. Most of those supplements you are taking are probably ending up in Santa Monica Bay. Why do you want to do this?”
I dumped all my doctors and found new ones who are young and forward-thinking. The new age of medicine is not the old school of doctors terrified to do anything other than what the drug companies tell them to do. The new age of medicine is Eastern-influenced and homeopathic and designed to heal rather than cover up, which is what most prescriptions do. Think about it: If the drug companies make something that actually heals, they will soon be out of business, and their many shareholders would be very upset.
I may not live one day longer than nature allows me, and I may not be able to avoid future disease, but I am having the time of my life, and I feel better than I ever have and a lot better than any of my friends, who are really a bunch of grouchy old farts who pooh-pooh what I am doing while they are losing their minds and their bodies.
Kudos for you, Suzanne Somers; you have entertained me for decades and you have provided me with the Fountain of Youth. For you nonbelievers, take a good hard look at Suzanne, who I believe is 60 years old. That’s a hot-looking babe!