2024-03-30 10:54:47
At first, night sweats. Then a little depression, a total loss of libido and erection problems. Like Rémy Burkel, many men after the age of 60 are confronted with a phenomenon called “ andropause », common and yet little known.
« At age 55, I started having hot flashes at night. My wife, who was going through menopause, was going through exactly the same thing. », says this director, now 62 years old.
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When he then felt fatigue, depression and above all a total absence of sexual desire, the anxiety increased. “ But like many men, it is the fact of no longer being able « gangs » which made me realize that there was a problem ».
According to Geoffroy Robin, gynecologist at Lille University Hospital and interviewed by The voice of the Northandropause occurs in some men around the age of sixty. He reminds us that it is not an equivalent of menopause.
A drop in libido
If menopause is characterized, in women around the age of 50, by the cessation of the production of ovarian hormones (estrogen and progesterone), men experience a gradual decrease in testosterone. But even when reduced, reproductive functions remain.
After the age of 60, around 20% of men lack testosterone but production never stops completely unless there has been chemical castration in the context of prostate cancer for example.
Not all men suffer from it. The clinical manifestations of this variable decrease in hormones are commonly grouped under the expression of the famous “ getting old » : « We feel more tired, we have a little brioche, less libidos, less frank ejaculations… », Lists Doctor Pierre Desvaux.
Daniel Gauliard, 68 years old retired in Drôme Provençale, sees it as a “ adventure of life ». « It took me a while to realize the phenomenon. The loss of sexual appetite can be attributed to the aging of both the man and the couple. », he analyzes.
A still taboo phenomenon
But one thing is certain: the subject remains “taboo”. “ When I say the name andropause, people look at me strangely », he smiles. “ The men I talk to about it tend to respond with dirty jokes. », also notes Valentin Husser, 75 years old, who “ took a long time to admit what was happening ».
« When I found a relationship, around 60-65 years old, after a rather ascetic life, I realized that what made me passionate about my youth was no longer manifesting itself. “, he says. So he shares “ something else » with his last companion: tenderness, humor…
To reduce the symptoms, solutions exist. In order to make the diagnosis of age-related testosterone deficiency, the doctor, after questioning the patient and carrying out a clinical examination, can prescribe a replacement dosage of this hormone. He may combine medications to treat erectile dysfunction.
« The care must be global, if it doesn’t work in the head, it won’t work in the body either. », Warns Marc Galiano, andrologist in Paris, who campaigns for the education of boys in sexual health from a very young age.
« From the twenties, testosterone levels naturally decrease each year, 40% of men over 40 have erectile difficulties… a man who knows how it works will take care of himself “, he assures.
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