A subject that is not often discussed… male hormonal imbalance. Like women, men can suffer from hormonal imbalances that have a significant impact on their quality of life and lead to a wide range of physical and emotional symptoms. A loss of libido, mood swings or a constant feeling of fatigue are all signs that could indicate the presence of a hormone imbalance.
Hear from our new male hormone specialist Dr Edward Rainbow, as he describes the process of a men’s hormone test at the Marion Gluck Clinic.
Men don’t come to the doctor.
I know this is true, I’m a man & have struggled to seek help when I have had difficulties in the past! Men tend not to seek help for a variety of reasons – being told there is an issue or something wrong can be off-putting, as can the ‘it’ll be alright, I’ll sort it out later’ approach as health. Other reasons can include not wanting or being able to take time off work, or thinking nothing can be done.
However, there is an increasing amount of interest in Testosterone online. Multiple male influencers are talking about their use of testosterone and how it has ‘transformed their life’ There’s an increasing number of places to get a testosterone blood test, including finger prick tests you can do at home and send to a lab for analysis. It is relatively easy to just do this, know your level and then get hold of some black market injectable testosterone at the gym. Here I explain why this approach is not a good idea, and explain the approach I take at the Marion Gluck clinic.
The impact of low testosterone
I work with many men who have low testosterone. They report problems that broadly fall into three domains; sexual functioning; mental health and physical health. The most common symptoms are sexual. such as difficulty getting an erection, or limited sex drive. They also report anger, erratic or low mood, poor concentration and unusual mistakes at work. Some also tell me they feel weak, are not able to do their usual workout, or are losing muscle bulk, or putting on belly fat.
There are studies which show that Testosterone drops on average from about the age of 30. And many men from their 30s onwards ascribe their problems to ‘just getting older’. This amount is minimal however, and shouldn’t really explain the symptoms men describe. So what’s going on?
A holistic approach to men’s hormone health
Many of the things we do in our daily lives drop our testosterone, sometimes in an hour. This includes drinking alcohol to relax after work or eating lots of carbohydrates for dinner. If we do these things regularly, or have longer term stressors like being constantly busy with work and family commitments, or never relaxing, this can tank our testosterone on a semi-permanent basis. And if we keep going with these behaviours the levels can creep lower and lower with time and can trigger andropause, known as the male menopause.
The key is that every man is different. We all have different genetics, physiology, stressors and life experiences and hormone levels, of which testosterone is one.
Of course, Testosterone is important to measure, and for some men having data they can see helps them to understand and rationalise the issue, particularly if their levels improve with treatment. But we need much more information to understand the full picture.
For me this involves:
- Understanding your current life situation.
- Getting a description of your symptoms.
- Knowing about your health more generally, such as medical conditions and medications.
- Talking about your life experiences such as upbringing, schooling, significant life events like divorce or separation or being a parent.
- Obtaining blood tests including Testosterone, but also a range of other blood tests which may explain why low Testosterone exists.
- Other more in-depth testing of metabolism.
- An explanation for your symptoms.
- Being heard and understood.
- Leaving the appointment with a clear plan as to what will happen next, what changes you are going to make and how, and if you need Testosterone or other hormones to help
- Arranging a date for follow up.
Men’s hormone test at the Marion Gluck Clinic
One advantage of the Marion Gluck clinic is access to up-to-date testing. One example of this is the DUTCH test. This gives us a much more diverse range of information which supplements the blood test. An example would be the stress-response curve (Cortisol) which can indicate if you have been chronically stressed and damaged your hormonal system.
At Marion Gluck Clinic, I provide a new whole person assessment for men who have low testosterone. I assess their symptoms, using a variety of approaches. Blood testing is important for diagnosis, but only forms part of the picture. The key is how you feel and how you are managing your life. We’ll talk about the pros and cons of testosterone, but also make sure we’re taking steps together to improve your testosterone levels naturally as well. It’s important to do a full profile and global assessment of your health
Hormonal health is related to metabolic health and stress levels. A DUTCH adrenal test for men checks how you are metabolising your hormones and the pattern of stress hormones.
Because men are not as focused on their health as women are, and they can feel defensive if they aren’t feeling well, having data to show them can be really validating for patients and practitioners.
