“Andropause” is what doctors and physiologists call male menopause. Menopause and menopausal symptoms are not just experiences that women have; men experience them as well. For men, the symptoms of Andropause are quite different from the symptoms of menopause.
Sally and Jeff are a Caucasian married couple who live in Marin County, CA. Sally is 48 years old, and her husband Jeff is 56 years old. They have been married for 19 years, and during the first 13 years of their marriage, everything went great. They have two children, Jared and Lisa. Jared is a 6-year-old boy, and Lisa is a 9-year-old girl. Sally is upset because the marriage has not been going well over the last 5 or 6 years. It seems that Jeff isn’t willing to do his fair share in helping with the kids, and he even missed their daughter Lisa’s recent performance in the school play. Both Sally and Jeff make equal amounts of money in their careers. It is not unusual for Jeff to be found at the local bar having a drink or two after work. On weekends, Jeff often likes to just sit and watch football on TV with a couple of friends and doesn’t really want to go anywhere. He has been irritable, depressed, discouraged, and pessimistic for more than a year now. He seems to have fewer friends. He has gained 50 pounds in the last couple of years, was demoted at work 2 years ago due to a lack of productivity, and doesn’t seem to care about things as much as he used to. Even worse, they used to occasionally go for hikes or to the nearby gym, but Jeff doesn’t seem to want to do any of those activities anymore. He seems tired all the time. When Sally discussed this with some of her girlfriends, they all told her their husbands were the same way and that she had nothing to worry about. In fact, one of her friends told her she was lucky because her husband had lost his job and was now looking for work. What also seems odd to Sally is that Jeff doesn’t seem to think as clearly or quickly as he used to. Jeff just seems lazy. What’s also upsetting Sally is that Jeff hasn’t been able to maintain the same kind of erections over the last 5 or 6 years, and their lovemaking has become incredibly infrequent. They may only have sex once every couple of months, and when they do, it’s usually a big disappointment for Sally as Jeff has premature orgasms, which never happened during their first 13 years of marriage. Sally has noticed other changes in Jeff as well. To top it off, he seems less manly, has less body hair, thinner skin, which is dry and flaky, and doesn’t sleep well at night. In fact, a couple of times a week, Jeff might wake up four or more times a night to urinate, making it hard for Sally to sleep.
Jeff had been seeing a nutritionist and a chiropractor a couple of times a month, but he still suffered from these same symptoms.
As you may have guessed, Jeff suffers from Andropause. His symptoms are common for many men as they get older, but they are not normal. Andropause is treatable, preventable, and reversible. I will share the causes and solutions to Andropause in this article. However, Andropause can never fully resolve until the person experiencing its symptoms does one very important thing. I will explain exactly what that is later in this article.
Andropause occurs when a male no longer has normal levels of androgen hormones. The main androgen hormones are androstenedione, testosterone, and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). These hormones are metabolized from other hormones or precursor hormones such as DHEA, pregnenolone, progesterone, and cholesterol. Both androstenedione and testosterone can be converted into female hormones called estrone or estradiol in the presence of an enzyme found in fat cells called aromatase. While you might think being overweight is necessary to develop Andropause, this is not always the case. Both overweight and thin people have plenty of fat cells. Most often, Andropause is caused by many years of stress that disrupt the body’s hormonal system. There is a very important gland in the brain called the hypothalamus that releases a hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) to another important gland in the brain called the pituitary gland. Next, the pituitary gland releases follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) into the blood, which then causes the male testicles to produce sperm and testosterone. This complex orchestration of chemical events from the brain to the male reproductive glands can easily be disrupted by things such as emotional stress (e.g., losing one’s job or divorce), chemical toxins (e.g., statin medication, pesticides), or structural misalignments like poor posture or misaligned bones in the head and neck caused by injury, or the previously mentioned chemical and emotional stressors. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a much stronger hormone than testosterone. Testosterone is converted to DHT in the presence of an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase. While this might sound beneficial, excess DHT has been associated with prostatic hypertrophy, male pattern baldness, impotence, and even autoimmune disease. There can be many causes of Andropause, such as poor diet, toxic personal care products, chemicals in water, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, emulsifiers, food additives, food stabilizers, toxic water consumption, excess radiation exposure, insufficient or inappropriate exercise, lack of proper rest, dissatisfaction with work, or being in an unhappy relationship. This should help broaden your understanding of how wide-ranging the causes of Andropause really are. But don’t worry, there is hope.
Sally still loved Jeff immensely and longed for the days when the first 13 years of their marriage were amazing. They used to make love several times a day for the first 6 or 8 years of their marriage. Sometimes, they would make love before work, after work, and even before bed! It wasn’t uncommon for them to meet for lunch and connect passionately and lovingly in the short time they had before returning to work. Both of their children had been raised well, and Lisa had straight A’s in school. Both children were well-adjusted. Sally refused to buy into what her girlfriends said about their husbands being too tired to make love. She even covered her ears when one of her best friends mentioned her husband was laid off after 15 years because he was told he had become less motivated and more forgetful. Sally was determined to find a solution to Jeff’s declining health, even if it was the last thing she did. After nearly 7 years, she finally decided to start researching treatments for men with symptoms like Jeff’s. When she talked to Jeff about how upset she was and how important it was to her that he get help, Jeff wouldn’t even admit he had any serious health concerns! (Remember, being unmotivated and complacent is a symptom of Andropause.) Finally, that was it. Sally told Jeff plainly and clearly that if he didn’t do something about his deteriorating health, she would file for divorce. This got Jeff’s attention very quickly. However, Jeff still didn’t take any initiative to find a solution. When he went to his family doctor, the doctor told him his symptoms were “perfectly normal” and were just a result of aging. Jeff listened to his doctor, as he always had. But after Sally’s insistence and thinking it over for a couple of weeks, he realized something wasn’t quite right. He actually began to think that maybe his doctor was crazy. Jeff was only 56 years old. He had friends his age who could run 10 miles four times a week, and he had another friend 10 years older with tons of energy all day long and married to a woman 20 years his junior. Jeff thought to himself, “I’m only 56 years old—I should be in the prime of my life. If my symptoms are just a natural result of aging, why do I know people my age and even 10 years older who don’t have any of my symptoms and seem 20 years younger than I am? If I am aging ‘normally,’ what does that make my ‘healthy’ friends? Are they ‘abnormal’?” When Jeff realized how preposterous his doctor’s advice was, he started to get annoyed. Jeff was actually angry at himself for having listened to his family doctor without second-guessing anything.
Since Jeff didn’t seem to be taking action to resolve his health issues, Sally began actively searching the internet, hoping to find some kind of solution. She was relieved that she had finally convinced Jeff that something was seriously wrong with his health, despite what his doctor had told him. Jeff agreed to do something about his health, as long as Sally took the lead. One day, she came across a website of a chiropractor named Dr. Ilya Skolnikoff, who was based locally in San Rafael. The website, www.triadofhealth.net, discussed something called the Triad of Health at length. The site caught her attention for several reasons. Nearly all of Jeff’s symptoms were addressed, although they mostly seemed to relate to female hormonal imbalances like menopause rather than anything specific to men. She watched a few video testimonials on the website and was impressed, not just by the women’s testimonials but by the men’s as well. She called the Triad of Health office to learn more. Strangely enough, the doctor, who called himself “Dr. Ilya,” answered the phone himself. What was even stranger was that he talked to her for nearly 15 minutes about his services and how they might help address Jeff’s health concerns by discovering the underlying causes of his symptoms. Dr. Ilya did not charge a fee for the 15-minute phone call. He encouraged Sally to bring Jeff to two separate events where he would be giving a lecture, and also to visit his YouTube channel and watch several introductory videos. Sally learned that one such event, called the Triad of Health 2-Hour Introduction, would allow her and Jeff to witness live demonstrations of the structural, chemical, and emotional therapies that would later be used to help Jeff. The event was free, so Sally decided to register herself and Jeff.
To make a long story short, Jeff and Sally were very impressed with what they saw at the Triad of Health 2-Hour Introduction. They met several of Dr. Ilya’s patients at the event who had achieved tremendous success with his therapies. They learned more about what was causing Jeff’s difficulties during the two-hour workshop than they had from Jeff’s medical doctor or Sally’s internet research. They were convinced that Dr. Ilya could help Jeff, so they scheduled an appointment for Jeff’s initial examination, diagnosis, and treatment.
Dr. Ilya shared with Jeff and Sally the ONE THING that would be necessary for Jeff to no longer suffer from Andropause: a properly trained professional to accurately and meticulously diagnose the structural, chemical, and emotional causes of Jeff’s Andropause with laser-sharp focus. Dr. Ilya explained that what causes one person’s Andropause is completely different from what causes another’s. He elaborated by explaining that he wouldn’t even be treating Jeff’s symptoms but rather diagnosing the underlying causes of those symptoms and then treating them with structural, chemical, and emotional therapies—what he called the Triad of Health system. On the same note, the causes of Jeff’s Andropause were completely different from the causes in the husbands of Sally’s friends. After all, Jeff was raised by different parents, ate different foods growing up, exercised differently, and used different personal care products. Additionally, to resolve Jeff’s Andropause, a comprehensive, tailor-fit treatment plan would be needed, with measurable results. They discovered that Dr. Ilya was the only person in Northern California using this type of system with all his patients.
The examination with Dr. Ilya lasted an entire hour. Jeff’s blood pressure was measured on both arms in three different postural positions—something he had never experienced before. Dr. Ilya asked Jeff unusual questions, such as the type of deodorant he used, whether or not he had any tattoos, and if he had ever had a vasectomy. The doctor even asked about the type of beer he drank, how many silver fillings he had in his mouth, and questions about his father and family upbringing. Jeff didn’t understand the purpose of some of these questions but went along with it, wanting to prevent a divorce from the woman he had loved for so many years.
After the initial examination, Dr. Ilya explained that Jeff had a number of major health concerns, most of which stemmed from poor digestion caused by an improperly functioning stomach. Although Jeff didn’t fully grasp everything Dr. Ilya discussed, he did understand that Dr. Ilya could help him and that if he made a variety of lifestyle changes, including adjustments to his diet, exercise routine, and even personal care products, he would feel much better in just a few visits. After all, when Jeff and Sally attended the Triad of Health 2-Hour Introduction, they had met several of Dr. Ilya’s patients whose lives had completely turned around as a result of his therapies.
Jeff’s initial treatment with Dr. Ilya lasted nearly an hour and a half (something that would never happen with his family doctor). During Jeff’s first treatment, Dr. Ilya used different types of energy medicine, making it seem as though he was some kind of witch doctor. At several points during the session, Jeff was convinced that Dr. Ilya must have gotten outside information about his family life because the doctor knew Jeff’s sex life wasn’t going well and even knew that Jeff was angry about the situation. Dr. Ilya also touched upon numerous things from Jeff’s childhood that he hadn’t thought about in years. The doctor used homeopathy and chiropractic adjustments and prescribed Jeff a zinc supplement to take with his meals. Dr. Ilya explained that the highest levels of zinc in the male body are found in the prostate and that Jeff was severely deficient in zinc. This helped Jeff understand why he had difficulty urinating at night and why he had to urinate so often. Dr. Ilya also explained that Jeff couldn’t produce stomach acid without zinc, which explained a lot about his digestive problems. Jeff learned that 80% of digestion occurs in the stomach. He also learned that zinc is necessary to make melatonin to sleep well at night, to produce epinephrine (adrenaline) for energy, and even to convert progesterone to testosterone. Jeff was told he would feel quite tired for several days after the treatment, but this was normal because his body was in a deep state of healing and undergoing many beneficial changes. Jeff was asked to keep a journal of the foods he ate, to change his deodorant, and to drink a different type of beer (and less of it). He was asked to return in 3 weeks.
When Jeff left that first treatment with Dr. Ilya, he felt completely different. By the time he got home, he was exhausted and slept until nearly noon the next day. Fortunately, it was a Saturday, and he didn’t have to work. After about a week, Jeff noticed big changes in how he felt. His mood improved, and soon he was no longer depressed. His energy was starting to improve. He had lost about 8 or 9 pounds, even though he hadn’t been exercising. His digestion had improved, and the flatulence he had before was now gone. By the time 3 weeks had passed, Jeff was already experiencing healthy, normal erections again, and he and Sally were successfully making love several times a week. Jeff and Sally were incredibly excited about Jeff’s progress after just one visit! They had both assumed these results would take at least 4 or 5 visits. Sally and Jeff decided to make Dr. Ilya their primary family doctor and only visit their medical doctor for emergencies, such as broken bones, surgery, or if Dr. Ilya referred them.
