Hey there Guys,
I’ve recently been sent the following question about male libido:
Occasionally, I have a loss of libido and was wondering if this is due to lack of satisfaction, stress, diet or circulation issues (diagnosed with peripheral vascular disease in the past but I believe I have been managing it quite well. I still do smoke though).
So wondering if there is anything I can do to increase my libido through either change of diet or vitamins that might be of help.
For guys, temporary reduction is sex drive is pretty common. Stress, lack of sleep and sometimes alcohol can lead to a reduction in sex drive. If there is a reduced sex drive over a longer period of time there can be other medical causes that can be treated to help restore sex drive.
By far the most common medical causes of reduced sex drive in men are:
- depression
- low testosterone levels
- thyroid problems
Depression is pretty common in men with about 1 in 5 suffering depression at some point in their life. There are many questionnaires for depression, however the most common symptoms of depression are:
- poor sleep
- low energy and sex drive
- feeling of guilt
- not finding thing you used to enjoy enjoyable anymore
- poor concentration
- anxiety
- feeling like doing anything physical takes a huge effort
- weight loss or gain
- and at it’s worst feeling that life is not worth living
If you feel you may be suffering with depression be sure to see your doctor as there are a number of different treatments available. Treatment does not have to mean medications for everyone.
Another common cause of reduced energy and sex drive in men is low testosterone.
Testosterone levels slowly decline as we get older, however for some men the drop can be too rapid or sudden. The main symptoms of low testosterone include:
- low energy, sex drive and mood
- difficulty with erections
- slow recovery from exercise
- weight gain
Thyroid dysfunction is not that common in men, however sudden weight gain or loss, changes in skin and hair and changes in energy levels are common with thyroid disease.
As you can see there is a lot of cross over with the symptoms of depression which is why it’s important to talk with your doctor to perhaps organise tests to be able to help sort the problem out.
As I mentioned in the video, stress is one of the biggest causes of reduced libido. Stress can come from many areas including work, home life and even pressures from family. One of the key ways to combat stress is to first identify potential causes and then start eliminating those that you can from your life.
Other strategies include making sure you have time that is allocated just to you each week where you can do what ever it is that makes you happy. For some that might be sport, a trip to the park or even just time to yourself where you can read, rest or just do nothing.
For many addressing levels of stress can be a great start to the return of libido.
Maintaining a healthy diet, getting some regular movement in your day and reducing stress can be some great first steps when it comes to libido recovery.
Of course if you find that reduced sex drive is an ongoing problem be sure to talk with your doctor to see if there are other causes like mentioned above.
Treat yourself well guys! Yours in good health.
Dr George
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