Men's menopause - what to do?

Bad tongues claim that menopausal women usually change their wives. They also claim that in many cases this change takes place from women who are about the same age to much younger women of the same type. This trend towards age-related female swapping is not to be dismissed out of hand: digging a bit deeper in the celebrity gossip columns of "Bunte"? and? Gala? There is a growing suspicion that there is a direct relationship between advancing age and unexplainable mating behavior. To put it bluntly, the older the men get, the more restless they scrape their nimble feet in the dust of their long marriages or relationships.

What drives a 65-year-old Marius Müller Westernhagen when, after 25 years of marriage, he separates from his only five years younger wife Romney and falls into the arms of a 34-year-old, who could be the daughter of his ex in appearance? Is it the defiant attempt to cheat time and age? Is it door panic? Or is it the hormones?

The medical side

The climacteric onset in post-menopausal women corresponds to the so-called andropause in men in the broadest sense. In both cases, the decline in the production of certain sex hormones (primarily estrogen in women and testosterone in men) is seen as the trigger for extensive physical and mental changes. But while menopause marks the beginning of menopause, the man's andropause is gradual. Already at the age of about 25 years, the male organism slowly reduces the production of testosterone. Experts estimate the decline in production at around one percent per year of life. Thus, the testosterone level of a 60-year-old is only 40 to 50 percent of its original (adolescent) value. And that has physical consequences that are similar to those of the female climacteric. These may include:


  • insomnia
  • fatigue
  • listlessness
  • loss of libido
  • Erectile Dysfunction
  • increase in weight
  • hair loss
  • depressions
  • nervousness
  • night sweats
  • hot flashes

Some of these symptoms may also be slightly unpleasant to the slightly older moms. However, it is easier for women to classify these symptoms because they have menopause as a harbinger of menopause. This "starting shot"? does not exist in men. Consequently, although the man notices that something changes with age, his physical and mental discomfort is rarely associated with his falling testosterone levels.

The psychosocial component

While some of the aforementioned physical symptoms are just unpleasant side effects of aging, others can plunge the man into a real life crisis. In her book? In the middle of life? In 1974, the American author Gail Sheehy coined the term "Midlife Crisis"? for this period of life of the man. Meanwhile, this term has entered into everyday language and is sometimes even mockingly used for strange behaviors of men in their fifties. For this (possible) crisis, however, the decline in testosterone levels can not be blamed, according to medical experts.

Many men ask around the middle of life meaning questions à la? Should that have been all ?? They reflect what has been achieved so far and check whether it matches their life plan from an early age. Unfortunately, for many, the current situation does not fare too well compared to the hoped-for or planned. If, at the same time as this sobering result, the physical symptoms of falling testosterone levels set in, the way to a tangible midlife crisis is paved.


What can one do about the symptoms of andropause?

Men who like to think in car metaphors often resort to an obvious "therapy": If the oil level in the car drops, oil is replenished. So why not refill with decreasing testosterone levels with appropriate preparations? This seemingly logical conclusion is more than controversial among physicians and it is unclear whether the harm of testosterone preparations outweighs their benefits. A detailed explanation of this would go beyond the scope of this article. If you want to find out more about the background, see a contribution from? Stiftung Warentest? in-depth information. Read here.

I limit myself to tips that can be implemented without medication. These are:

  1. Collect informations. The better man knows which processes take place during the andropause in body and psyche, the more effectively he can do something about it.
  2. Seek the exchange. Often it's similar to your best friend, like yourself, but? Real men? talk about this? not or only rarely. Therefore, just overcome the inner bastard and seek the conversation. Helps guaranteed.
  3. Learning to accept the body.It is normal for aging that the performance becomes smaller and the belly becomes bigger. If you want to oppose something should sport and pay attention to healthy food.
  4. Rest breaks. Treating healthy time-outs is not a sign of weakness, but of (old) wisdom. Man should not compete with younger men.
  5. Give up old goals, seek new ones. Drawing a clear balance helps to say goodbye to outdated goals and to find new (achievable) ones. What really provides well-being and satisfaction?
  6. To put the fun before the performance during the sex. Not always is or is everything as it used to be. It does not have to, because fortunately man is an imaginative creature :)
  7. Talk to the wife / partner. Openness is the magic word. Only when a woman knows the emotional state and physical condition of her husband, she can properly handle the changed situation.

What can woman do to support him?

Many symptoms of the female climacteric are similar to those of the male andropause (apart from the possible potency disorders). This circumstance gives women a basic knowledge of the physical symptoms and thus provides a solid basis for understanding their husbands. What is possible beyond this understanding?

Mayo Clinic News Network Headline Male Menopause | March 2024