What Is Loss of Male Libido?
Loss of libido or low sex drive refers to a man’s lack of motivation to engage in sexual activity. It is a common sexual complication that one in five men will experience randomly throughout their sexual history as adults. Typically, men who experience a loss in sex drive deal with a range of daily issues, such as professional or personal stress, that can adversely affect their mental health and cause their libido to decrease. In addition, life-changing events such as physical trauma or injury can also contribute to the loss of libido in men. Usually, most cases of low libido are temporary and easily corrected after making a few lifestyle changes. However, there are some instances when low libido can become a consistent factor in a man’s life, eventually leading to various sexual problems such as erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. After some time, the constant frequency of these sexual complications can negatively change the quality of their relationship with their sexual partner or significant other, further adding to their stress and making it more difficult to interact in sexual activity.
Decreased sex drive is typically more common in men over 40 and is usually attributed to the natural decline of their sexual performance as they age. But in certain cases, the signs of low libido in males can also affect younger men and indicate underlying medical issues that can have a massive impact on their physiology and adversely affect their overall sexual health.
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What Causes Low Sex Drive in Men?
Several factors can cause men to lose their desire for sex. Health issues such as low testosterone, mental health, and chronic illness can affect the levels of certain sex hormones and negatively affect a man’s desire to interact in sexual intercourse. Particular treatments for specific medical issues can also affect the body and inadvertently cause low libido. Even certain lifestyle choices or habits can cause men to experience periodic episodes of decreased libido. Due to all of the various elements that can affect a man’s sex drive, men who suspect they have low libido should explore all possible causes with their physician to determine the source of their sexual problems.
The Effect of Low Testosterone
Testosterone is an essential male hormone responsible for regulating various physical functions, including sperm production, muscle growth, and sexual desire. However, after age 40, men will enter a phase of andropause, a condition where testosterone levels will gradually drop by 1% yearly and affect the ability to maintain certain physical functions, including sexual performance, thus, making it more difficult for them to remain attracted to the idea of sex.
Low testosterone can also occur due to hypogonadism, a medical condition where the testes reduce or stop testosterone production altogether. And when testosterone levels suddenly drop below expected standards, it can accelerate the presence of various age-related symptoms such as decreased muscle mass, constant fatigue, and loss of sex drive.
Side Effects of Medication
Certain medications can also negatively affect hormone levels and lead to low libido in men. For example, men who take ACE inhibitors and beta blockers for blood pressure may experience a severe drop in testosterone, making it more difficult to remain interested in sexual intercourse and maintain erections. Other medications can also affect testosterone levels and cause low libido, including:
- Antidepressants
- Chemotherapy or radiation
- Opioids
- Histamine blockers for heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux
- Heart failure medications
- Corticosteroids
- Antifungal medications such as ketoconazole
Men who take specific medications that cause low libido as a side effect will need to discuss other alternatives with their physician to avoid experiencing a loss of sex drive.
Depression
Mental health conditions such as depression can also cause men to exhibit reduced interest in their regular activities, including sexual intercourse with their partner. Unfortunately, antidepressant medications used to treat depression can also cause sexual problems like low libido as a side effect of treatment.
Typically, serotonin-norepinephrine inhibitors (SNRIs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most common antidepressants to cause low libido as a side effect and include a range of medications such as:
- Fluoxetine (Prozac)
- Fluvoxamine (Luvox)
- Sertraline (Zoloft)
- Duloxetine (Cymbalta)
- Paroxetine (Paxil)
However, other antidepressants such as norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors have not been shown to cause decreased libido in men. These antidepressants include:
- Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
- Mirtazapine (Remeron)
Men who take antidepressants and suspect they have symptoms of low libido should discuss alternative treatment options with their physician. Medications such as mirtazapine and bupropion may be the best alternatives to help men treat their sexual problems while taking antidepressants.
Chronic Illness
Patients who suffer chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes may also experience decreased sexual desire. The most common chronic conditions physicians have found to cause low libido in men usually include:
- Arthritis
- Kidney disease
- Heart disease
- Neurological diseases
- Musculoskeletal disorders
- Cancer
- Autoimmune diseases (HIV/AIDS)
As previously stated, certain medications prescribed to treat these issues can also cause men to have no sex drive. If you’re suffering from chronic illness and experiencing a loss of sex drive, discuss possible alternative medications and methods with your physician to help you find a solution.
Lifestyle Factors
There are many lifestyle factors that can cause males to have low libido. They include:
- Alcohol or substance abuse
- Overeating habits
- Consistent lack of sleep
- Constant exposure to stressful environments or situations
- Lack of free time for sexual intercourse
Changing the nature of these factors can help men increase their libido. Consulting a wellness expert can provide tips and methods men can practice to alter their lifestyles and improve their chances of restoring their libido.
How To Improve a Low Sex Drive in Men
There are many ways for men with low libido to improve their sex drive. Eating natural foods like chocolate can help promote the release of serotonin and phenylalanine, two aphrodisiac chemicals that are proven to improve the lack of sex drive in men. Other natural ways to treat decreased libido include:
- Meditating to relieve stress
- Incorporating aphrodisiac fruits into your diet
- Exercising regularly
- Taking herbal supplements like Yohimbe or Ginkgo biloba
- Avoid high alcohol intake
If you’re still suffering from low libido after trying these methods, then you may need to consider alternative medical treatment such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Treatment of Decreased Libido in Men
Individual psychological counseling and couples therapy can teach men and their significant others to work through the personal issues contributing to their low libido. Asking your physician to prescribe medications that won’t interfere with your sexual desire can also help restore and maintain your sexual performance. In addition, ceasing certain lifestyle habits such as alcohol or drug abuse and staying up late at night can also help improve your physical health and low sex drive.
Although there are many other methods that men can utilize to help increase their libido, the most effective HRT option for men suffering from low T and decreased sex drive is testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). With testosterone replacement therapy, men can utilize certain hormonal medications to stimulate their bodies into increasing testosterone production. Combined with wellness programs designed to help improve physical and mental health, testosterone replacement therapy can help men boost their testosterone, increase their libido, and improve their sexual performance.
Renew Vitality offers safe and effective testosterone replacement therapy to men with low libido. We provide several hormonal medications, including subcutaneous HGH, Sermorelin, and testosterone injections, to help you increase your body’s testosterone production and avoid the pitfalls of declining sexual health. Contact us at 1-800-785-3945 to schedule an appointment with a physician from any of our hormone replacement clinics in the United States today!
