Testosterone Series Part 3. Libido and Sexual Dysfunction
Dr Harpal Bains
MBBS DFSRH PGCAestMed (Dist)
April 7, 2015
Dr Harpal Bains
MBBS DFSRH PGCAestMed (Dist)
April 7, 2015
Sexual dysfunction is possibly the commonest reason men visit their doctors for those who think beyond the viagras and cialis; and are keen on understanding their testosterone levels.
Some common manifestations of low T sexually in men:
decrease in frequency of morning erections
decrease in strength of morning erections
takes more concentration to get an erection
takes more concentration to then keep it going
decrease in the volume of ejaculate
losing an erection halfway or not able to maintain an erection
decrease interest in sex and low libido
little to no erection ie sexual dysfunction
secondary premature ejaculation (as concerned that one may lose erection)
a sense that the penis feels smaller when fully erect than before
In women, it mostly manifests as a decrease in libido and loss of interest in sex. Some women will find it harder to orgasm or that it takes longer to stimulate than they used to remember.
It’s one of those situations that generally creeps up on people with daily life stresses playing a big part. As more and more raw materials are required to keep our stress hormones (that are necessary to survival, unlike testosterone) in good supply, a ‘steal’ situation occurs that reroutes materials so that less is available to make up hormones at the bottom of the hormonal cascade.
In many cases, it becomes a situation where the the couple simply prefer the TV to doing anything more physical and slowly start avoiding ‘sexy’ situations without even realising it. Or one partner may perceive a sense of decrease in attention from their partner, occasionally even leading to accusations of cheating.
Dealing with these situations can be fairly complex with no easy one size fits all formula. The longer it is left, the worse it can become as it may come to a point where there is psychological impact (much harder to deal with!). Also, a more holistic approach is generally required to prevent so much ‘stealing’ and to balance the other hormones at the same time for optimum performance.
On the whole, it is still manageable, preventable and treatable in majority of people. It also adds tremendously to the release of ‘feel good’ neurotransmitters, which then decreases the stress hormones, and gives rise to deeper sleep. So quite frequently a win-win situation!
