Posted on 01/28/2003 5:15:28 PM PST by NYpeanut
Feeling anxious? Irritable, too? Has the stamina that used to fuel days and burn up the nights hit the road - along with a sex drive that has long been stuck in neutral?
Check your engines, gentlemen. There are thousands of males out there in the same sorry state, but now - thanks to a research scientist in Scotland - the condition has a name.
"Irritable Male Syndrome," that state of hypersensitivity, frustration and anger is now used to describe men who suffer from testosterone deficiency. And while the condition may have been around for ages, the diagnosis suggests that men may be just as vulnerable to the complexities of biology as women.
"This is very common," said Dr. Philip Aliotta. "Low levels of testosterone manifest in irritability, depression, weak muscles, loss of self-esteem. Men have no interest in the joys of life. Their libido has dropped. Their interest in intimacy is declining. Sexual function diminishes. Work performance suffers. Oftentimes they are misdiagnosed as being depressed.
"It's called a lot of names," added the Amherst urologist who has treated scores of men with testosterone replacement therapy. "It's the aging process. It's andropause. But Irritable Male Syndrome? I find that offensive. It implies we are walking around ready to beat up people."
At age 41, Nick Constantino knew something was wrong. The even-tempered insurance broker found himself getting more and more grouchy, chalking up his snarly demeanor to lack of sleep. After all, he was still adapting to his new lifestyle. Just a few years into his first marriage, the former bachelor in one swoop had become husband and father of three. No wonder his energy level was down, he rationalized. But one night last December as he was watching television, a commercial cried out to him.
"You could have knocked me off the couch," Constantino recalled during a phone interview from his home in Middletown. "Everything was me: tired, irritable, reduced sexual desire. I had been attributing a lot of it to just getting older. I called my doctor the next day and went in for a blood test."
The testing determined that Constantino was testosterone deficient, operating on levels that were two-thirds below normal. Hormone replacement therapy was suggested, and now - 45 days into the treatment - Constantino believes the patch that adorns his arm is working.
For years, menopausal women have taken hormone replacement therapy, using patches that secrete estrogen into their bodies. Now men are seeking the same hormonal elixir to revive their lagging sex lives and boost their energy.
"A lot of it is age-related," said urologist Aliotta. "But women can go through menopause at an early age, and men in their 30s and 40s can have testes that fail them. There's not a whole heck of a lot that makes the sexes different. The same physiology flows through men and women.
"Generally, they start in their 40s, complaining of sexual dysfunction," Aliotta said. "They tell you they have no interest in sex and they don't understand why. Their significant other may be relieved or upset. If the significant other doesn't understand, they tend to personalize it and all hell breaks loose in a relationship."
Testosterone is a hormone made in the testes under the guidance of signals from the pituitary gland. It surges through the body controlling male sexuality. Without it, puberty in boys would not take place. Neither would sexual performance. It is in fact erectile dysfunction that brings many men to their doctors' offices.
"I am a firm believer that when you have a problem, you go to the doctor," said John, a former railroad brakeman from Amherst, who asked his last name not be used in this story. "I was irritable. Small things were bothering me that I normally would not be concerned about."
At age 61, John is a diabetic with a heart condition and was advised against Viagra by his doctor, yet he simply could not perform sexually. After consulting with his urologist, John began receiving monthly injections of testosterone.
"It's worked fine," he said. "And I tell my friends about it, too. It's a thing that men don't like talking about, but they like hearing it. I'm not going back to where I was in my 20s, but I do have more desire."
This so-called testosterone revolution is not without drawbacks, doctors caution. Just as hormone therapy for women has been linked to increased risk of breast cancer, stroke and heart disease, testosterone therapy could trigger prostate cancer, as well as increase the danger of blood clotting. Also, as Aliotta pointed out, since testosterone is directly linked to prostate growth, men with prostate cancer are unlikely candidates for hormone replacement therapy. In addition, younger men - in their 30s and 40s - who are testosterone deficient may be at risk for developing osteoporosis.
Aliotta offers testosterone replacement in one of three forms:
• patch, daily
• gel, colorless and most often applied daily to the abdomen or chest
• injections, monthly or biweekly
Carol Conklin, a clinical social worker with City Gate Counseling Center, specializes in relationships in crisis. Many of her clients who report incidents of erectile dysfunction are hesitant to speak out, she said.
"I see men whose testosterone seems to be waning, who may get into addictive behavior such as Internet pornography and sexual addiction," Conklin said. "But when you think about irritability, anger is its bigger piece, the only valid emotion men grow up with."
The term "Irritable Male Syndrome" was first coined in spring 2002 by a scientist in Edinburgh, Scotland. An expert on human reproductive science, Gerald Lincoln of the Medical Research Council came up with the term after studying the mating cycle of Soay sheep. In autumn, Lincoln found that the rams' testosterone levels soared and they mated. In the winter testosterone levels fell, and the rams became nervous, withdrawn and disinterested in sex. Lincoln has also observed similar behavioral changes in red deer, reindeer and Indian elephants.
Author Jed Diamond is writing a book on men who suffer from Irritable Male Syndrome. Men, he states, express their symptoms in two ways.
"It can be "acted out' or "acted in,' " Diamond writes. "Sometimes men express these feelings outwardly, becoming angry, blaming, defensive or demanding. At other times the irritability is turned within and they feel anxious, tense, sad or troubled. Many times men go back and forth and their relationship becomes an emotional roller coaster."
Many of these troubled men and their significant others seek counseling, according to an area psychotherapist.
"One of the manifestations is anger," said Andre Toth. "And people are characterized as being moody all of a sudden. It's not only related to sexuality, but the general aging process.
"Men have always been lousy at expressing sadness," Toth added. "We are much better at anger. When we don't know what to do, we get angry. It's our middle name."
".... And in fact, you pansy-ass little reporter geek, I think I'd like to kick your teeth down your throat."
Except that you no longer have to shave your eyelids, toenails, and teeth.... ;-)
I like your theory.
Something I have noted..
If you know a married woman or perhaps one in a relationship that suddenly starts losing weight, buying new clothes, generally 'fixin' herself up, she is getting ready to make the 'break'.( This may hold true for men also)
On the other hand, I like men having our very own syndrome. It wasn't fair that women had PMS, post-partum syndrome, etc. to blame their action on.
Now, if I do something stupid I'll use the IMS defense.(G)
Interesting...shows emotional immaturity.
Actually, right afterward, I told family / friends that I was just fine, etc., etc.............except I had this indescribable urge to match sofa and wallpaper patterns......:)
Wellllp...I married a Ralph Cramden, Archie Bunker, Fred Flintstone sorta guy. Man, I am hoping he couldn't get grumpier, my sister always told me he'd mellow with age!
Please don't take offense, but "You aren't the man I married/met" always appears to me to be the biggest cop-out in the planet. You marry that man, but you discover he has faults (tragic or otherwise), and/or he changes. You must want to WORK on the marriage, which it sounds like you are willing to do.
I'm the same height and weight I've been since I was 18, excluding pregnancies, and even though middle age has made me a little softer, I'm on the low end of the weight scale at 120 at 5"6". I'll never be on the cover of a magazine, but I don't need to wear a paper bag over my head, either.
Honestly, your husband probably doesn't care as much about this as you care. I don't know how to put this gently but when the lights go out, it all kinda looks the same and a little softening is a good thing.
Marriage is a nice institution, but who wants to be institutionalized?
Your commitment is to the marriage, not the person. The person will change.
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