THE TESTOSTERONE TEST – Low Libido: What Do You Really Know About it?

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Low Libido

Let’s take a quick little quiz:

  1. Does anyone really know what libido is?
  2. Do only men have libido?
  3. Are libido and ego related?
  4. Where did libido come from?
  5. Is your libido MIA?

Answers:

  1. Scientists and physicians and such know what “libido” really is
  2. Women, in fact, do have libidos and they don’t come from watching “The Real Housewives of New Jersey”. (see “lust” on Google”)
  3. According to Freud, yes, although when you put them together, narcissism figures in (go figure)
  4. Early 20th century: from Latin, literally ‘desire’, ‘lust
  5. If you’ve lost interest in sex, it’s definitely worth questioning

That said, let’s start this libido lesson with our old pal Freud. According to him and his other pals, “Libido is an expression taken from the theory of the emotions. We call by that name the energy, regarded as a quantitative magnitude (though not at present actually measurable), of those instincts which have to do with all that may be comprised under the word ‘love”‘.

Sex. It’s Starting to Get Good Here

In real life, “libido” comes down to 2 little words: SEX DRIVE. Virility plays a big role in our concept of manhood. There’s the sex appeal of everything from Victoria’s Secret Models to women wrestlers. Conquests are bandied about, well, just about everywhere. Instagram images? Instant varoomm.. You can be hypersexual and tear down your desire track, desperately seeking opportunity, driven to act on the urge, not taking a minute to stop at your neighborhood sex toy shop.

Just How Low Can Your Libido Go?

On the opposite side, you could be grounded by hyposexuality, a low libido putting your “gotta get it” in stall. You feel like you’re in a permanent no-nooky slump regardless of the allure of barely-there lingerie.  A lot of factors can cause a low libido. It could be something as simple as moral or religious reasons. Psychologically, a person’s urge can be repressed or sublimated. On the other hand, a person can engage in sexual activity without an actual desire for it. Multiple factors affect human sex drive, including stress, illness and others. Problems can arise from disparity of sexual desires between partners, or poor communication between partners of sexual needs and preferences.

Caution: Porn Warning

Porn’s allure and ever-present existence isn’t exactly titillating new news. The question that still remains, however, is how this tsunami of porn is affecting the libido of the American male. Most men you ask who are married or in relationships will claim they are still attracted to their partners sexually. But the reality (or rather non-reality) of easy-access porn gives men access to younger, hotter, and more sexually adventurous women. Researcher believe that porn causes the male brain to release a dopamine-oxytocin combo—sort of like a “biochemical love potion” that fires up your neurotransmitters that not only get you off on porn, but potentially develop a biological attachment to it. Even those with hyposexuality can get off on it.

Put it to the Real Test

You might not call sexual problems as having a problem with your libido. You do know that the problems are real, and a real concern to you. They’re a real concern for men everywhere. You feel like your masculinity is in question. You feel like a sexual failure. You feel like you can’t talk to anyone about it, including your spouse. If it’s a matter of “take it or leave it” and you keep coming up with “leave it”, it’s a good chance the only thing wrong, is a hormone imbalance. And no one in the area has more experience and success in treating hormone imbalances than Stephen A. Goldstein M.D., F.A.C.S. at Denver Hormone Health. He treats the issue of sexuality seriously. Before anything, he’ll have a lot of questions to ask you. And you’ll feel like you could tell him anything. Then, with simple tests, he can target what the trouble really is, and treat it with a program exclusively for you. That simple.

So call for an appointment now.

And put your sex life in drive again.

THE TESTOSTERONE TEST – The Lowdown on Low T

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Low T

Get your tablets out: True or False:

  1. Men stay virile forever
  2. Men get male menopause
  3. Low T stands for low opportunity to get the hot partner they long for
  4. Oysters make you horny

Answers: False. True. False. False. (but go ahead and think it if you love oysters)

After the age of 20, it’s thought that growth hormone levels in men drop around 14% every 10 years. That means by the time a man is 40 years old he’s lost about half of his 20-year-old growth hormones, and at 80 only 5% of the growth hormones remain. Unlike Peter Pan, you will grow up and with it, down go the hormones. Which is where the new guy on the hormone block comes in. This decrease in testosterone is often referred to as andropause, or male menopause. In the U.S. alone, andropause is thought to affect about 10 million men. “Andropause”? Who thought that one up? Is it the same as low T? Nope. They are not synonymous. Andropause is the gradual (note “gradual”, and stop sweating for a minute) decline of natural testosterone production and levels over time, something that does not occur in all men, and when it does, happens at different stages in their lives in different levels.  Andropause (which a lot of medical people question existing at all), is something that is (generally) independent of your starting testosterone level. Low testosterone (or low T) is a condition that must be clinically diagnosed, and this can happen at any age and be caused by a variety of different diseases or disorders. Andropause is not necessarily caused by low T, but people can get confused when it comes to some of the overlapping symptoms:

  • Fatigue
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Infertility
  • Weight problems
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Insomnia
  • Loss of bone mass
  • Loss of endurance
  • Hair loss
  • Depressed mood
  • Anxiety
  • Muscle weakness or loss
  • Loss of height
  • Change in ratio of fat to muscle
  • And here’s the killer to guys—man breasts (NO, the dreaded man boobs) as they’re colloquially known.

Pause to Find the Real Answers

Low t can be troubling to any man. And just the thought of male menopause and what you consider to be the embarrassment of it can make you want to keep the problem to yourself. It’s not easy to talk about. But without question, the symptoms are not easy to live with. But there is an answer that is easy to live with, and his name is Stephen A. Goldstein M.D., F.A.C.S. at Denver Hormone Health. With years of experience and expertise in the area of testosterone and the issues surrounding it, he knows how to diagnose and treat any problems you might have with care and integrity. You might not even realize what’s really going on, but with simple tests, Dr. Goldstein can. And from there, he creates a treatment plan that’s tailored to you to make you feel your best.

Don’t avoid the issue.

Call for an appointment now.

In all ways, it’s the answer you’re looking for.

THE TESTOSTERONE TEST – It’s Encyclopedic

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testosterone

Denver, test this: what’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word “Testosterone”?

  • Sex
  • Masculinity
  • Aggressive
  • Brave
  • Adultery
  • Selfishness
  • Unromantic
  • All of the above

If you’re a woman who’s ever been burned by what you think is an over-testosterone-loaded guy, ALL OF THE ABOVE would be the best answer. So, let’s really talk “testosterone”. Produced mainly in the testicles, testosterone has a crucial role in a number of body functions, including: development of male sex organs, the growth of body hair, deepening of the voice in puberty, sperm production (swim, little guys, swim…) It also improves muscle mass and bone density and will also have a positive effect on the heart, brain and blood vessels. Fact is, it affects nearly every cell in the male body.

But Surprise…

Here’s a few facts that might raise an eyebrow or two:

  • Men newly in love, have lower testosterone levels than men flying solo or with a long-term partner
  • Testosterone can shrink your belly fat
  • Making money affects your testosterone level–young men who are futures traders get a testosterone spike on days when they make an above-average profit, British researchers found
  • Too much can shrivel testicles–in men, taking steroid hormones such as testosterone as performance boosters can cause testicles to shrink and breasts to grow
  • Sports fans get a winner’s boost–after a big sports game, the winner’s testosterone will increase substantially. And fans’ hormone levels seem to mirror those of their athletic idols. (Enough to get you off the couch, couch potatoes?)
  • It’s not the fountain of youth
  • Low levels are linked to sleep apnea
  • Too much may kill brain cells (Duh…)
  • Amazing hormone, this testosterone.

Estrogen? Not Me. No way. No how.

A male begins to produce testosterone as early as seven weeks after conception. Testosterone levels rise during puberty, peak during the late teen years, and then level off. After age 30 or so, it’s normal for a man’s testosterone levels to decrease slightly every year. As testosterone levels in men decrease, their estrogen levels increase. Oh yeah, sorry guys. You’ve got estrogen. (But then women have testosterone) Messed up as it may seem, it’s fact. But not to worry, the normal increase in testosterone is not going to make you want to go all Caitlin Jenner. So, here’s the million-dollar question tearing through your minds; why is estrogen important for men? It’s not the kind of question men discuss in gym locker rooms, the 9th hole or around a poker table. But estrogen plays an important role in men’s overall health. Too little estrogen can predispose men to osteoporosis and lead to bone fractures. Slightly elevated levels double a man’s risk of stroke and even higher incidence of coronary artery disease. Men with higher blood estrogen levels may be at higher risk for enlarged prostate or prostate cancer.

It’s All in The Balance

Like all the hormones coursing through our bodies sending signals to the organs to work or not, testosterone is no different. It’s sort of like Goldilocks and the Three Hormone Levels. This one is too low, this one is too high, this one is just right. Low testosterone (low T) can be caused by everything from kidney or liver disease to certain types of cancer. High estrogen can be caused by everything from too much alcohol to too many carbs. Balance, comes from an expert in hormone therapy, and you’re fortunate to have one of the best here in the Denver area— Stephen A. Goldstein M.D., F.A.C.S. at Denver Hormone Health.  He understands, he’s easy to talk to about such a delicate subject with, and more importantly, he knows what to do to help. With simple tests, he can target your problem, then create a treatment plan exclusively for your issues.

Call for an appointment now.

More than any other specialist, he passes the test.