[How many of your MLCers are on antidepressants/SSRI medication]

How many of your MLCers are on antidepressants/SSRI medication

Yes started after MLC

9 (20%)

Yes started before MLC

10 (22.2%)

Do not know

4 (8.9%)

No

22 (48.9%)

Total Members Voted: 45

[OldPilot]

How much of mlc is hormonal?

It is certainly a factor.
I doubt your husband will listen to what you say so I agree to not pursue the conversation.

The meds might help his depression and make it easier for him to see what he is doing.

All you can do at this point is watch.

[Love being on higher grounds]

Hormone replacement helped my husband to get to a point where he saw MORE of the whole problem...since his T levels have come up, the doctor now has him on an a/d. this seems to have helped quite a bit.

it is a SLOW process though. the person needs to WANT the help. I have found for men it seems to be hard to accept the help...

I DO honestly believe that hormones can play a part in mlc...how much I dont know but it was proven true in my h's case



hope that helps some!


L

[rdy2livagn]

Thank you for the personal info Lost1234. Now if only he would want to get the help. OP is right it is doubtful that he would listen to me.  He really could use meds for T and some AD.

[MarkedandHealed]

How much of mlc is hormonal?

It is certainly a factor.

I'm sorry, but I disagree with that. I stopped looking through the medical journals as I wasn't finding anything but there are no conclusive studies regarding whether it has a hormonal component. In fact, many of the authors I have read have suggested the opposite. If anything, testosterone is often slightly lowered during MLC.

I don't disagree that it SHOULD be a component. It only makes sense if it's hormonal - however, there are no conclusive studies, so to hang your hopes on that is shooting in the dark at best.

[MarkedandHealed]

PS Here is a link to several references on this subject.
http://www.csun.edu/~psy453/menop_n.htm

And the article itself with snippets of studies.
Is There Such a Thing as a Male Menopause?
Resources used to support "No"

At the time of menopause in women, there is a relatively abrupt and complete loss of ovarian function that results in markedly reduced estradiol and progesterone productions and the cessations of ovulation. This profound reduction in ovarian functions has substantial physiological consequences. Including accelerated loss of bone mass, and osteoporosis, hot flushes with accompanying sleep and behavior changes, V@g!n@l atrophy, and loss of fertility. In contrast to women, fertility in men persists unt il a very old age and they experience a gradual and incomplete loss of testicular function. The existence of a variety of symptoms, impotence being the main one, has caused some to compare them to menopause and have termed these symptoms in men "andropau se." however, there is no conclusive empirical evidence that the majority of men undergo a hormonal "change of life" equivalent to that found in women. Perhaps the correct term of these symptoms is "mid-life crisis."
JOURNAL ARTICLES

    * Featherstone, M., & Hepworth, M. (1985). The male menopause: Lifestyles and sexuality. Maturitas (MWN), 7, (3), 235-246.

          There is no conclusive empirical evidence that the majority of men undergo a hormonal "change of life" equivalent to that of women. A significant number do experience psychological and social difficulties at some point in middle age.

    * Krause, W. (1994). The male characteristic: A responsibility for dermatologic andrology? Hautarzt, 45, (9), 593-598.

          Sexual impotence is considered to be the main symptom of the male climacteric. Although sexual dysfunction increases with advancing age, partly because of drug interactions, there is no sound basis for assuming an endocrine basis for the male climactic.

    * Matsumoto, A. M. (1993). "Andropause:" Are reduced androgen levels in aging men physiologically important? Western Journal of Medicine, 159, (5), 618-620.

          Men experience a more gradual and incomplete loss of testicular function with increasing age. Other factor may also contribute to age related male fertility, such a s loss of interest in fathering children and diminished sexual function (diminished libid o and erectile function), reduced activity, nutritional deficiency, meditations, etc.

    * Parker, G. (1985). The search for intimacy in mid-life: An exploration of several myths. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 19, (4), 362-371.

          A review of the mid-life phase, with component features of solitude, detachment and self-doubt, its search for self and reattachement, and outcomes of reapproachment and chronic depression.

    * Vermeulen, A., & Kaufman, J. M. (1995). Aging of the hypothalamo-pituitary-testicular axis in men. Hormone Research, 43, (1-3), 25-28.

          Makes the distinction between the course of reproductive aging in women and men. Androgen replacement for men remain controversial.

[OldPilot]

M&H

I do not understand why you are disagreeing with what I wrote. 
What you used to back it up supports my statement.

Yes in fact male and female menopause are different.
Testosterone levels in men decline, just like you stated.
Mens estrogen levels increase.
Women's estrogen levels decline and their testosterone rises

The hormonal aspects of all this is the rate of change of the hormones.
Not the specific changes themselves.
Hormone replacement will not necessarill change any of this because the body
must still get "used" to the change and adjust accordingly.
The brain is a very powerful organ.

The books that I have read on menopause seem to support male menopause.

I can not agree with your conclusion and your evidence does not support what you are saying.

[rdy2livagn]

M&H - I have not looked into the link you provided yet but I will.

OP - That is kind of what I was thinking that it is a normal process of aging and we have to get used to it. Rate of change being different for everyone therefore our ability to adapt being different. My H is only 39. To young in my opinion to fall asleep as soon as he sits down if he is not doing something. He was tested and was told it was low. Just wasn't sure if it played a part in his mlc.

[Writingmom]

Low testosterone?  My H is still making babies.

Hormones?  Mine are @!*##*&@%!.  Not sure about his. 

Antidepressants?  I love mine!  Will recommend to H if he ever stops spewing, making babies, driving fast and consuming vast quantities of alcohol.

I know it's all madness, but men get fast cars and OW?  We get hot flashes and mood swings.  I'm saying it--not fair!

[Love being on higher grounds]

there are MANY articles and studies  out there that support low T as part of mlc.... most recent I have read was a study done in Europe...

anyways, I believe it does, so did my h's physician as well as others...guess it depends on who you ask or what you read...

In my case my h was TOLD he was in the middle of a MLC...this was also his physician speaking...who with the symptoms h was complaining (many which are also signs of clinical depression), he was sent for blood work...came back low t, was treated for that before they would dare give him an a/d, because the low t can contribute to depression...

each situation is different as well as each individual...

[OldPilot]

Lost1234

My belief is that with your husband, because he was treated for low T and AD his crisis is much shorter than everyone elses. I agree that it did not end it but look at the duration/time period in comparison to everyone else.