Can Low Libido be Treated? Best Treatment Options for Men

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Low libido in men is not uncommon, particularly as they age.

Low libido or lack of sex drive in men can have several causes. However, the good news is men do not have to just accept a dwindling sex drive as part of life. There are many good treatment options for men with low libido – particularly when it is caused by age-related hormone decline.

What Can Cause Low Libido in Men?

There can be any number of reasons for low libido or loss of interest in sex in men. Here are some of the most common causes.

• Low testosterone levels – Testosterone is the main sex hormone in men, so of course, your testosterone level influences libido, sex drive, and sexual performance. It is testosterone that causes boys to mature sexually in the first place, and even as an adult, it continues to play a vital role in sexual health. However, as a man ages, testosterone levels decline, and it is this age-related testosterone loss that is largely responsible for all of the sexual performance issues that men tend to associate with getting older, such as lack of libido and difficulty getting or maintaining an erection.
• Low HGH levels – Similar to testosterone, human growth hormone (HGH) is another critical hormone relating to sexual performance in men. As it is responsible for all growth, HGH plays a role in sexual maturity. Also similar to testosterone, HGH influences sexual performance, sex drive, and sexual stamina in men. HGH also declines as you get older. Men with age-related growth hormone deficiency often experience lack of libido, erectile dysfunction, and other sexual problems such as premature ejaculation.

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• Prescription medicines – If you are having some problems with decreased sex drive, check you medicine cabinet, you may find the problem there. Some prescription medication can directly or indirectly cause a loss of libido. High blood pressure medications and many antidepressants list loss of sex drive as a possible side effect. There are some drugs such as statins to treat heart disease that can also lower testosterone, which in turn can cause low libido.
• Bad habits – Poor lifestyle decisions like a high-fat diet, lack of exercise, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption can all negatively impact sex drive in men.
• Medical conditions – Obviously, if you are feeling sick, you are likely not to be in the mood for sex. Several ongoing medical conditions, like chronic pain, for example, could lead to a lack of sexual desire in men. Other conditions that can lead to a lack of libido include some forms of cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and chronic lung, heart, kidney, or liver disease.
• Psychological issues – Sex drive is very closely linked to mood and emotion; therefore, any number of psychological issues can cause loss of libido in men. Stress and anxiety from the strain of daily life, relationship or family problems, depression, and mental disorders are among the many factors that can affect sexual desire.

At What Age Do Men Usually Experience Low Libido?

Men can experience occasional bouts of low libido at any age. When decreased sexual desire occurs in younger men, it is usually because of a particularly stressful or traumatic event, and desire will eventually return as you learn to accept and deal with the cause. Long-term loss of libido usually happens in men between the ages of 45 and 65, and it is largely due to stress of mid-life along with age-related hormone decline.

What Treatment Options Are Available For Men With Low libido?

• Lifestyle changes – Making an effort to live a healthier lifestyle can improve sex drive. Eat a “heart-healthy” diet, get more exercise, quit smoking, and reduce your consumption of alcohol – and your sex life should improve.
• Medical changes – If prescription medications are causing your declining libido, speak to your doctor; you may need to change the drugs you are taking. Also, have your doctor do a complete physical to see if there could be a medical condition at the root of your problem, and finally, ask for a hormone test to see if a hormone imbalance could be causing your lack of sexual desire.
• Sex therapy – If low self-esteem, performance anxiety, or other emotional problems seems to be the root cause of your loss of interest in sex, seeing a sex therapist may help.
• Hormone replacement therapy – In our practice, we have found that most men over 45 who are experiencing a loss of libido – age-related hormone decline is the reason. Such men can benefit greatly from hormone replacement therapy.
  

What Is the Best Treatment for Men With Low Libido?

If your lack of libido is indeed found to be caused by the drop in testosterone or HGH that occurs as men age, then hormone replacement therapy is the best treatment to give you back the sex life you want and deserve.

One of the chief complaints that men come to us with when seeking hormone replacement therapy is erectile dysfunction or other sexual performance issues. And that is also one of the first things that they see improving once they start hormone replacement. The majority of our patients report an improvement in sex drive and sexual performance within the first month of starting testosterone replacement or growth hormone therapy.

Whether we are talking about testosterone therapy or growth hormone replacement, HRT for men has many direct as well as indirect benefits that can help improve libido and your sex life overall.

The direct benefits of hormone replacement for men are that both HGH and testosterone are intimately related to your ability to get and maintain an erection; therefore, raising the levels of these hormones almost always effectively treats ED in men with age-related hormone deficiency. Also, both of these hormones are necessary precursors to the “feel good” chemicals in the brain that influence sexual attraction and sex drive, such as serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine.

Indirectly, increasing your testosterone and HGH levels with hormone replacement can also improve your sex life by:

• Increasing your strength and stamina in general, which will also improve sexual performance.
• Lowering your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other medical conditions that can lower your sex drive and sexual function.
• Improving moods which can make you feel happier and more interested in sex.
• Helping you to lose weight and build muscle, improving your self-image, which can increase your interest in sex and your partner’s interest in you!

Conclusion

A loss of desire for sex can have a serious impact on the emotional well-being of a man. However, you do not have to be embarrassed by the condition or suffer in silence. Speak to your doctor. Once we can get to the root cause of your loss of libido, there are many options available that can help you to enjoy a satisfying sex life at almost any age!