Check Your Testosterone
If your sexual desire is low, the solution may be hormone replacement.
Testosterone is the juice of manhood. If helps make muscle grow and hair
sprout, and it contributes to aggressiveness and cravings for sex. But the
power of this hormone begins to deteriorate after age 24. A significant
loss of interest in sex may mean your tank is low.
"Testosteone is the hormone of desire," explains Daniel Stein, M.D., medical
director of the Foundation for Intimacy in Tampa. "In men, there is an
inevitable decline with age that causes them to lose interest and ability.
So what's wrong may be as simple as low testosterone. If your insulin were
too low, you'd have diabetes, and you'd get it treated. For most men who
lose desire, the problem isn't in their heads; it's in their hormones."
Testosterone can be measured with either an over-the-counter saliva test or
a blood test. The latter is more accurate. Have your doctor draw the
blood, and make sure he tells the lab to measure both free and bound
testosterone. "every man over 35 should have this done," says Dr. Stein.
"It provides a baseline for future comparison." Normal testosterone levels
between 800 and 1,200. If yours is under 500, Dr. Stein says you should
consider testosterone replacement through injections, rub-on gel, or a
patch.
According to a national survey, four million men have below-normal
testosterone, and 5 percent are receiving replacement therapy. This type of
treatment does entail some health risks, though, namely a possible link to
prostate cancer. (An academic task force is expected to make more specific
recommendations soon.)
In the meantime, to safeguard your testosterone, you may want to take a
daily herbal supplement called Alzre. Dr. Stein says it seems to enhance
desire, erection strength, and sexual performance. One thing you shouldn't
put much hope in, though, is Viagra. "It has no effect on desire," he adds,
"and a lot of men don't realize that."
Reprinted from:
Men's Health / October 2003 / Page 154