Lack of energy, anxiety, irritability. If you were to type these symptoms into your internet search bar the results might indicate that you’re suffering from anxiety and depression. While you may feel down and a little out of sorts, it may not be depression. A decrease in testosterone levels often causes symptoms similar to depression. The good news is, if low testosterone is the reason you’re feeling down, supplementation can help.
Both men and women have testosterone, but levels in men are significantly higher. In fact, it’s well-known that testosterone and manliness go hand-in-hand. Testosterone is a hormone that’s responsible for the deepening of your voice and growth of body hair during adolescence. It’s also why you have more muscle mass than women and a healthy sex drive.
But the sex hormone also plays a role in promoting health. It keeps your bones strong and boosts the production of red blood cells. Testosterone also plays an important role in enhancing mood and improving concentration.
For most men, testosterone levels hit their highest points in early adulthood and start to decline around age 40. As your testosterone levels decrease, you might notice changes in your body, including a decrease in the size of your flexed biceps and an increase in the girth of your gut. Not only does a decrease in the male hormone affect how you look, it also affects how you feel.
While low testosterone, clinically referred to as hypogonadism, affects mood, it’s important to understand the difference in symptoms caused by a decline in testosterone levels and depression.
Symptoms of low testosterone include:
Symptoms of depression include:
While low testosterone and depression have many similar symptoms, if you’re experiencing any of them it’s important to get it checked by a healthcare professional. Once you know the exact cause of your problems, you can get the appropriate treatment.
If you suspect low testosterone as the cause of your mood, contact us at Men’s T-Clinic® or drop in to one of our five convenient locations in Houston or Dallas.
Researchers haven’t exactly pinpointed how low testosterone leads to depression, but it may have something to do with the role testosterone plays in helping you feel good. Testosterone increases the release of dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter in your brain responsible for your feelings of pleasure.
There may also be a connection between testosterone levels and the function of serotonin. A decrease in serotonin activity in the brain is linked to feelings of depression. Testosterone may play a role in serotonin reuptake in the brain, improving its activity and your overall mood.
Researchers also theorize that testosterone may have anti-anxiety activity.
If your mood changes are due to a decrease in testosterone levels, the team at Men’s T-Clinic® can help.Testosterone replacement therapy has been shown to improve depression in men with hypogonadism. A 2018 retrospective study published in Pharmacopsychiatry found a significant improvement of depression scores in men receiving supplemental testosterone. The effect was especially beneficial in men who only recently started to experience a decrease in mood.
Testosterone replacement in men with hypogonadism not only improves mood, but also cognitive ability and libido.
As specialists in men’s health and low testosterone, the medical team at Men’s T-Clinic® can devise a treatment plan that helps you get back to your usual self as soon as possible.
