Andropause
Dr. Weyrich's Naturopathic Functional Medicine Notebook
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Overview
The male equivalent of menopause is called andropause. While the symptoms of andropause are often less overt than those of menopause, men may experience problems such as- Loss of muscle mass
- Fatigue
- Decreased assertiveness
- Decreased libido
- Erectile dysfunction
- Low sperm count
- Testicular atrophy
- Depression
Differential Diagnosis
Treatment
Testosterone is regulated by the FDA as a drug subject to abuse, and in order to legally presribe testosterone replacement therapy, a doctor must document abnormally low levels of testosterone. However, in many cases correcting hypothyroidism will cause the body to produce more of its own testosterone or otherwise relieve the symptoms attributed to low testosterone.Some practitioners have expressed concern that supplementing with testosterone may increase the risk of prostate cancer. However, other researchers have reported that testosterone has a protective effect [Starr2005, pg 196; Andropause; Carruthers]. Indeed, the incidence of prostate cancer appears to increase with age, as endogenous testosterone levels decline.
ICD-9 Codes
| ICD9-Code | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
References
Unless specifically noted above, references used in the construction of this web page include the following:[FDM] Lecture notes from Functional Medicine University.
[SCNM] Lecture notes from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine.
[UT] Lecture notes from the University of Tennessee graduate programs in Chemistry and Biochemistry.
[http://www.andropause.org.uk Cited by [Starr2005].
[Carruthers] Carruthers Malcomb. The Testosterone Revolution. Cited by [Starr2005].
[Starr2005] Mark Starr. Hypothyroidism Type 2: The Epidemic. Columbia, MO: Mark Starr Trust (2005).
Copyright © 2007-2010 Dr. Weyrich (Naturopathic Medical license number 07-1008). The information on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or illness. The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This web page is http://www.DrWeyrich.com/disorders/andropause.html - Phone Dr. Weyrich at (480) 423-6952